the hiatus that is cheerdance

the hiatus that happened last sunday that is called the UAAP Cheerdance Competition brought about different emotions inside the Araneta Coliseum.

why is it that this competition is more intense than the also-running basketball tournament? because this is a once-a-year event. to avenge your loss, you have to wait for another year. however, that won't assure you that you'd be really get back at your opponent. also, the tournament brings out your innermost Maroon or what-have-you. school spirit is at its best when this competition is held. :D

so now, an assessment of how teams did this year. the analysis posted in this entry are solely based on the author's opinions and knowlodge.

1. The Adamson Pep Squad

i am actually looking forward to their performance. they've been doing strong routines since 2005. however, they always fall short into reaching the coveted top 3.

they have interesting costume but a bit over-the-top. they look like they will be sporting a Geisha theme or something related to the Japanese. the main problem with the routine is synchronization and the lack of impact. they have x-out, layout and backtuck tosses which UP, UST and FEU have already done in the past years. certain parts of the routine actually remind me of UP Pep's routine last year. also, dismounts are not synchronized and are not the same.

the music was ununderstandable. i hope they improve on that.

they have one good pyramid with good mounting technique. i think it's called a split pyramid. :D not-so-high level of difficulty for other stunts, though.

2. NU Pep Squad

this squad has been on the bottom of the standings year after year. will this be their breakout year?

their costume is simple. they definitely increased in skill. they have one full twist in their tumbling passes and most of the guys can do backtucks. they have nice transtition in the middle of the routine and good mounting of the swedish falls in the end. i like the choreography towards the end. their tosses include toe-touches and layout.

some of the stunts fell which constitute a major error. but great improvement for the squad, nonetheless. also, they are more confident now. their cheerleaders look like college students! haha. unlike the previous years when they use high school students as part of the group.

definitely better than Adamson's. but, Love Story as part of the cheermix? you have got to be kidding me. :D

3. UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe

will they be able to finally reclaim the title they supposedly "lent" to UP? or another runner-up finish for the winningest group in cheerdance history?

Studio23 introductory spiel: With 8 cheerdance titles under their belt will the UST SDT bring back the glory to España? let's see.

their costume reminds me of Tribo UP last year - it's just me. anyway, they start the routine with backtucks with a few memebers landing on their knees. this is not the Salinggawi that we're used to seeing - errors plaguing their routine. stunts fall, pyramid fall. they have pike, x-out and twisting tosses and a superman stunt leading to a swedish fall. full twists in tumbling passes is also an improvement. choreography was good, btw.

the routine is not entirely difficult but definitely flashy. main highlights of the routine include the 1000 hands sequence and the walk-on-fire pyramid. other than that, it was plain. music was good but some parts remind me of the Tribo routine.

for the first three performers this merits top ranking.

4. DLSU Animo Squad

the routine last year was enough to erase the horrors of 2007. but, will they be able to make it on top this year?

their first costume is cute. the theme is Carnival-esque. haha. i wouldn't know how the describe it. the opening choreography is good with layout and kick double tosses. they have the same superman stunt leading to a swedish falls pyramid as UST. however, the form of the top flyers are not as good as UST's. their partner stunts are also good except for the three that fell. they also now have full twisting tumbling passes.

good job by the Animo Squad but not enough to rank higher than UST. i'd put them between UST and NU.

5. UP Pep Squad

will there be another 3-peat for the defending champions?

i actually think that as far as opening VTR is concerned Riki Flores is the best. :D

people might kill me for this but i actually like their uniform/costume. it was very connected to the theme of depicting UP Life. tosses are definitely top notch since they were able to show layouts, full twists, kick doubles, kick fulls and a pike step out. the winner of this routine could be the A-frame pyramid and it's mounting - the most difficult pyramid i've seen so far. however, the failure to form the 2-2-1 pyramid and the falling of the partner stunt in the middle could cause deductions. i'd like to commend the final pyramid aalongside the transformation of the jeepney into the UP Seal.

props for the highest level of difficulty and for doing one of the best routines the UP Pep ever had. :)

definitely the squad will be able to defend their crown.

6. Ateneo Blue Babble Batallion

i really like their uniform. it looks clean and very cheerleader-ish.

good opening sequence and the one-count mounting of a 2-2-1 pyramid. they also have good backtuck, x-out and kick double tosses. they really have great partner stunts especially in doing the double liberties! i have to say that their execution is great and it is the cleanest routine by far. the difficulty is not as high as UP's but way cleaner. Moonwalk FTW!

with that routine they could break into the top three, honestly. :) im placing them between UP and UST.

7. UE Pep Squad

UE disappoints me most. if NU is the most improved squad every year, UE is doing the opposite. the skill and quality of the routines are trending towards the negative side of the spectrum.

their costume reminds me of UP's CAIO uniform. what's with the jeepney? the main problem of the routine is the lack of difficulty and synchronization. even in the stunts, flyers were not mounted and dismounted at the same time. folkdance? novelty songs? there is definitely something wrong with this squad. the highlight of the routine could be the umbrella hats, or maybe not.

i'm ranking them lower than Adamson. Adamson had more difficulty in their routine.

8. FEU Cheering Squad

for a couple of years running, FEU finished as bridesmaid to both UP and UST. their last championship dated back to 1998. will they be able to break this 11-year drought?

i also like their uniform. but not as much as i like UP's and Ateneo's. i have to say that they have the best skills in the competition. their partner stunts are extremely superb with bow-and-arrows, chin-chins, scales and arabesques. very clean execution with minimal errors. they have tosses like x-out, kick doubles and double fulls. however, their routine really reminded me of past UP and UST routines.

they could win this. and i am placing them alongside UP for first. :)

after watching all teams this is my ranking:

1. UP/FEU
2. FEU/UP
3. Ateneo
4. UST
5. DLSU
6. NU
7. Adamson
8. UE

however, i was wrong with the top three ranking. the judges have spoken and they proclaim FEU as the new champions with Ateneo and UP as 1st and 2nd runners-up respectively.

i am a bit satisfied with the results but hey, i would want UP to do a three-peat. however, i think that errors caused us the championship. a glaring first-pyramid error could be costly.

but, i would like to say that this routine of the pep squad is one of the most intelligent yet. it makes me proud that i am from UP and everything that has to do with it. :)

and, i'd like to reiterate our cheer, "Bayan, bayan, bayan ko, di pa tapos ang laban mo."

let's keep on fighting! next year, we may reclaim that most coveted crown. it'll be pay back time.

CHEERDANCE AWARDS:

Best Opening VTR: Riki Flores of UP

Best Skills: FEU

Best Stunts: UP

Best Pyramids: UP

Best Tosses: FEU

Cute Performance Award: Ateneo

Most Memorable Pyramid: Walking-on-Fire Pyramid by UST

Most Memorable Stunt: Moonwalk Stunt by Ateneo

Fail Pyramid: Final Pyramid by Adamson

Fail Stunt: Tumbling Girl with Five Guys by UST

Best Crowd: UP

Best Reaction: TIE! (UST celebrating UP's 3rd place finish and UST's non-reaction to Ateneo's 2nd place)

Best in Uniform: Ateneo

a little too late

the exam was, how should i put it, quite well.

it was perfect for someone who prepared for the exam. i was able to answer majority of the questions. and the circles left blank are answered by deduction. note that deduction was just the better way of saying i guessed.

i was not as stumped as i expected to be. good thing that the things i read are the ones who came out. whew for me.

for a person studying in the premier university i have been struggling. i am indulged in the freedom the school has given me. the lax measures in attendance is, for some, a way to skip classes. i will not deny that i have tempted to be part of the minority who regularly skip those classes.

however, now that i know some of the things it could do to me i wonder if i'll do it again. the bad thing is that it took me about five years to realize that.

somehow, i am frustrated and depressed by the fact that i am not living up to the potential they saw in me. freedom is a big responsibility to handle. and like any thing that is mishandled, could go awry.

by the next week, it might be too late to turn things around. goodbye, college scholar dreams. hello, second sem.

late viewing

Thanks to Somewhere In for the poster.

today, before i finally indulged myself into an ocean of statistical concept, i de-stressed myself by watching The Pink Panther 2.

it was an feel good movie and it was hard to remember that i have an exam tomorrow.

the story is about a detective hired to help solve the mystery of the stolen treasures. i do not know how to describe what type of detective he is. he was funny. he isn't clumsy or dumb. he was just stubborn.

anyway, the story's development was great. and it made me believe that it was the other person who was the thief. great great. or maybe, i wasnt just paying too much attention.

what made me laugh out loud was the part regarding the Roman restaurant that the detective burned down twice. really funny indeed. :D

i didnt really watch the cartoons so i am a bit confused about the pink panther. is it really a gem? what about the cartoons and its relation to the gem? haha.

i have a lot of questions. googling them might be the best solution. however, i have other things that should be taken care of first.

rainy days

the past two days have nothing but gloomy atmosphere.

the cold weather does not help my campaign in waking up as early as i could. the moment i wake from the sound of the alarm, i go straight back to sleep for another hour.

and, my academic life is currently in wreck.

the hassled

the commute home today was quite unnerving.

i am a meticulous passenger. it's not that i am very sensitive to different factors. i just want my commute home to be carefree and of less hassle.

however, the time i fear has come.

on the first jeepney ride, the worst came first - a smoker. i really hate smokers and their smell. i have to note that this passenger is very much like a real live cigarette for smelling like one. but, i guess he smelled stronger. UGH.

the worst part is that he sat beside me while he finished his stick. the jeep wasn't moving yet. i know that there's a law that states that it is illegal to smoke inside a public utility vehicle. i might research that and use it to my advantage. i really do hope that these laws be properly regulated. if they don't know it yet, second hand smoke also kills.

on another jeepney and the tricycle, i've come across deaf drivers. i don't know why i was a bit irritated. i mean, i think that it should be in a requirement for drivers to have their ears at full health. how would they be able to give change? how would they know where their passengers will alight? how would they know if there is something happening inside the jeepney that shouldn't happen? right?

the old woman who paid was ticked off by the deaf-ness of the driver. she was continuously repeating what she said and in the end, she just shouted. i mean, it's like a bomb exploding, literally. i just didn't want the stress of passengers shouting inside the jeepney.

the other one was the tricycle driver who made me repeat my destination. the hard part was he was saying things that does not sound like the thing i am saying. does "ipil" sound like "east drive" to you?

also, i have a pet peeve regarding trike drivers who ask me whether to turn right or left when we are nearing dao. i am telling them that my destination is "east drive lampas ng dao". EAST DRIVE is my destination and the next three words just points to the reference that my house is on east drive past dao street. east drive is such a long street to pinpoint the exact location of my house.

in the end, no matter how much i would want to have that stress-free commute home, i should always remember that this is the Philippines. i might have given up every hope of changing this country's transport culture.

but, one man can't do that job.

remember my name

it's already September! and i have a lot of catching up to do.

and, i can't wait to watch FAME. :D