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

either

i must admit i was frustrated last monday.

we could have done better than that.

tomorrow, everything will be going our way. i know.

exhaustion

this has got to be the most exhausting day i ever had.

after a semis game with MMM, the fifth set of which will be played tomorrow noon, we had training since our first game will be on Monday against the College of Business Administration.

i just couldn't get my body to do things anymore. i am so tiiiiiiiiiired. grabe.

it was a good thing that they left newly-cooked rice and some ulam on the table. and to my surprise, i finished it all. it was almost 3+ cups of rice with 4 fish fillets.

i really appreciate how fish makes me feel full. and ever since friday, i am on fish diet. hooray for me! no red meat that will remain in my abdomen!

anyway, the game isn't over yet so i have to rest and hope for a better game from me and other members of the team.

Let's GO IE!

years in review

So, since i had guilt-free internet for the weekend, i reviewed these UAAP Cheerdance routines. and, i have come up with:

My Top Ten Best UAAP Cheerdance Routines (based on videos found in Rovy2k's channel)

10. UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe 2005

clean. synchornized. high tosses. my problem with the routine is UST's uniform. i didn't feel that tiger stripes will work for them. nice opening sequence with everybody doing the front walk.

9. De La Salle Pep Squad 2005

for me, this is their best performance if compared to the disastrous 2007 and futuristic 2008. i thought they are going to barge in the top three with this routine. very snappy moves. tapos mas risky yung pyramids although hindi mataas ang tosses. pati yung dance sequences nila natuwa ako.

8. Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion 2006

this is the advent of Ateneo cheerdance. beautiful uniform. great gymnastics skills. medyo mabagal lang silang magbuo ng pyramid. ito na yung time na nagsisimula na silang lumayo sa traditional pag cheerdance competition na.

7. UP Pep Squad 2005

what i like most about this routine ay yung starting chant. parang, it will make you stop and watch talaga. tapos ang taas ng tosses. nakakatuwa na lalo yung Nestle part - cute. haha. tapos, dito ko rin nakita na mataas ang level ng gymnastics skills ng UP. and considering the 2005 competition, sila ang may best tumbling passes.

6. Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion 2008

best Ateneo performance for me. galing galing. hindi ko lang masyadong gusto yung hanging tapos long sleeves na uniform for girls. haha. great gymnastics, one that could rival UP's. ang ganda din nung A sa dulo, alam mong pinaghandaan talaga at gusto talaga nilang manalo. ang galing na ng flyers nila ngayon.

5. Adamson Pep Squad 2008

ang nice nito. best performance din ng Adamson. mas maganda costume nila. ang lagi ko lang problema sa kanila ay ang pagkakamix ng music. tapos yung formation nila mukhang magulo. yes, they increased their level of difficulty this year that led to a 3 level pyramid. sorry loss. pero, maganda nga.

4. FEU Cheering Squad 2008

when in terms of synchronization, best sa 2008. wala akong masabi. alam mong sobrang pinaghirapan nila na mag-sync talaga lahat ng members. iisa lang yung galaw. kaso, ang sumira sa performance ay yung last pyramid na nahulog. maganda din yung effort ng face paint para mas masink-in yung theme of fire. pero, hindi masyadong fiery sa routine nila. they had safe pyramids. and their pompoms are kind of redundant.

3. UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe 2006

kung titingnan ang synchronization ng lahat ng napanood kong routine, ito ang number one. and, from 2005-2008, ito ang best routine nila for me. gusto ko din yung uniform nila. at matataas ang tosses. pero they really need to improve in tumbling passes. gusto ko dito especially, yung naglalakad sila habang nakabridge. haha. ang cute.

2. UP Pep Squad 2008 (best video, kitang kita lahat)

UP is considered as Cheerdance's Benchmark of Innovation and Creativity by the opening spiel. the reason why it was a big hit because it was the university's centennial. given na hindi, it wouldn't work. evident yung errors pero i understand. with this level of difficulty, mahirap ng pantayan ang UP. ang bilis ng routine kaya medyo nahirapan sila bigla sa pag execute ng pyramids. pero, the tosses were great - xout twist(?), full twists and a kick double full. ang galing talaga nung pagkakagawa ng routine na to. ang galing din ng tumbling passes nila dito. with 5 layouts. medyo awkward lang ako sa costume. haha.

1. UP Pep Squad 2007

who would have thought you could make a goth-themed routine a winning routine. ang ganda ng formations ng UP dito. sa tingin ko, ito yung pinakamagandang performance ng UP. malinis na maganda pa ang execution. great gymnastics skills. ang ganda nung opening part. favorite part ko dito yung yung last pyramid. they make difficult pyramids look so easy to do.

root beer float

it was a long long day.

the day started out at 7am. i actually slept at around 2am the night/morning before. i had to go to UP early to deliver the logistics goods to mico before i head to Amoranto Stadium for the IE-EEE match.

i rode with RC to the venue alongside Mitch and Carlo. that time, i was really pressured/intense because of the current standing of the IE Department in this year's Eng'g Cup. from being the over-all champions last year, we are now second to last. it really disappoints me that this year's batch of players does not have enough heart to win for the department.

i was also pressured because my players are nowhere near the venue. it was a good thing that EEE was not able to serve the ball before the 6th member of the team arrived. not long after, Johnrey arrived. it was a better team than having to lose by default.

the match turned out to be good as we won 2 sets to none. it was a good feeling because as long as i remember we never won against EEE. we never got to be on top of the bracket in men's volleyball. and, now, we have the goods to make it to the finals. but that is another story. we still have to face CS on wednesday and make sure that we win so that we will be facing ME from the other bracket.

after the game, we stayed to watch the women's match - IE versus ChE. the women's team was also able to handle their opponents. it was a good thing that the major events are pulling all the strings together to make a fight for the over-all crown.

after the games, we went directly to DonARoces HS where we are holding our organization's annual UPCAT review. it was almost done when we arrived so we didn't have to do anything else. we were also there to carpool with people going to the ORSP Seminar at Asia Pacific College.

from DonARoces, we rode with Mel and Grace and had to drive-thru for lunch. we were really later because the seminar starts at 1pm - that was also the time we left DonA.

we arrived at APC after some hassle with (my) directions and some traffic. however, frustration takes place as we were not allowed to enter the auditorium because of some confusion by the secretary (?). we then decided to just tambay outside of the auditorium. we were really hoping to be able to get in.

so, we just joked around what the Ma'amJ-141 takers would be writing in their reaction paper - like how unefficient the management was considering it was the Operations Research Society who made all of this happen and how the optimum, constraints and objective function were not necessarily addressed in the situation. it was fun. it was frustrating. it was a complex basket of emotions.

when we were quite bored, we decided to ditch the seminar and go to SM North instead. at 7pm, we are to watch a screening of the new Harry Potter film - the Half-Blood Prince.

(if you haven't seen the movie, there might be spoilers in this part)

i was really excited to watch the movie. after all, i've heard that is better than the 5th installment. these are my comments.

Comment 1:

i like the script of this movie better than the last one. it's easier to relate to and sounds more natural for teenagers and for the ages of the other characters.

Comment 2:

the cinematography is very good. i like how they made use of all the landscape they could. also, the continuity of certain scenes made use of the whole set/castle/landscape. great great visuals. a two-thumbs up.

Comment 3:

i liked how they made the movie lighter with a small bitin effect towards the end. i just realized that this is a trailer to the grand two-part finale that will be shown on 2010 and 2011.

Comment 4:

there are certain scenes that should not have been deleted. the whole history of voldemort (a.k.a. tom riddle) is not explained. especially why dumbledore knew the location of the horcrux they got from the cave and the importance of splitting voldemort's soul into seven. this, as i know, are very important information towards understanding the seventh movie.

Comment 5:

in contrast to the important scenes they missed, there were also scenes that should not have been put into the final editting. for example, the attack of Bella and Fenrir of the Burrow. i do not think that it made such a big impact on the story.

Comment 6:

also, there were also missing parts on the struggle of Draco in fulfilling his responsibilities as a new Death Eater. and, the development and, gradual, end of the Ginny-Harry relationship.

Comment 7:

the Lavender Brown actress was really good. :)

over-all, i'd rate the movie 7 out of a possible 10. and i'd say it is really better than its predecessor.

and, now, i retire.

sports is a fickle friend

some people do not understand what it is to be involved in sports.

since i entered college, my lifestyle has been more active. it might have been a consequence of joining IE Club or being in the College of Engineering.

Eng'g has a very competitive nature which is exemplified by different competitions here and there. some of which are Eng'g Cup, Marketing Congress and the much-awaited Eng'g Week.

anyway, ever since i entered Eng'g i have been more participative in activities like sports and dancing. this is very ironic from my high school lifestyle which revolved around academics.

lately, i suffered an injury caused by the tearing of ankle ligaments. this is a very common injury in sports. so, i didn't fret because i know that if cared for, the ankle will slowly return to its original state.

however, others seems to abhor the fact that i continue to be active with swollen ankles. i know my limitations and that i cannot push myself in this condition. also, they are telling me that i should stop playing for me not te get injured again.

but, hey, i am an athlete. no injury can stop me from playing the game that i love. this is what they do not understand. it might seem insensitive, but i guess that they didn't have a sport that they are passionate about. i care about my physical well-being. but, i also care about doing the stuff that i love.

UP also taught me to be a fan of my own alma mater. when i was in high school, i didn't believe that our athletes can take on other schools. we'd always be shouting, "quizbee na lang!" just to trash talk the opponent. however, introduced to the UP culture, i have always believed in the Fighting Maroons.

we may be the whipping boys of the men's basketball, but our other sports have the power to counter every enemy move.

so, last sunday, i was watching UP's opening game of the season. which we lost, by the way. then, i was excited for the first quarter because the Maroons where doing good. i didn't notice that i was shout YEAH and NICE and GOOD JOB whenever the players are able to score a basket.

now, this uncle of mine reprimanded me that i was a noisy watcher. if i could just tell him, "kung makita mo ang mga Amerikano manood, mas malala pa sila sa akin"

i do not know if i should pity him for not knowing how it is to be a fan. maybe someday, he'll learn from it.

so, this is for now. i must remember that i have a new diet to try. eat more, that is. :)

rehabilitation needed

i should be enjoying my second week with a party tonight. however, recent events are taken into consideration.

last thursday night, we had team training. it was good, i had a few good shots. and have yet to improve on my service.

anyway, the games were intense and i had to block a shot. on my way down, i stepped in someones foot making me trip. in effect, i had torn ligaments as shown in the picture.

Thank you Hughston Clinic for the diagram

sobrang sakit at first. however, i just swept the feeling off. they gave the ball to me after that which turned out to be a good cross-court shot. the night went on and the ankle didn't bother me. after the game, however,i was saddened; although, i knew that it was all part of sports.

what scared me the most was that during my sleep i was waken by some stabbing pains on my knee. i was really hoping it wouldn't be ACL. earlier this morning, i asked my aunt to bring me to a specialist for a check-up.

it was a good thing that the doctor said that it was a delayed shock and that there is no damage done to my knees and that i escaped with only an ankle sprain.

he also told me to take and rest and refrain from doing strenuous physical activities or my sprain would worsen. he said that three days would be a good rehabilitation for the said injury.

this was my breather. the third day would fall on monday and that i don't have to worry about tuesday's team practice. so, the offer of getting it on still remains.

a typical schoolweek

wow. i have been rolling continuously for the past few days.

it's just the second week of school and requirements, homeworks and case studies are aplenty. for the past four years of my college life, never have i had this kind of first few weeks of school.

then, i was just slacking off and wondering when i will be studying for my first exam. however, now seems to be entirely different. if i am not seen studying IE 141, i would be solving example problems. i would be reading the IE 135 book or just rewriting my Bio and Eng30 notes.

apart from the fact that i am targeting to be a College Scholar this semester, i am turning over a new leaf. goodjob to me. :)

anyway, the highlight/s of the week, although it has not yet come to an end, are the tuesday and thursday Engineering Men's Volleyball Varsity training.

i am really pushing myself to do the best that i can. however, i know that i haven't shown all of my potential.

i should be really working hard so that they may be convinced that i should remain part of the competing team. next tuesday, it will really be GAME TIME.




anyway, this is just a short entry of what is currently happening. and tomorrow, i have an IE141 Quiz so i'd better study.



P.S. i have a semi-sprain. i hope it won't worsen. :'(

experiences i have to learn from

it was a great day today.

too flirty for quite some time. yes, i believe that it deserves it's own sentence.

anyway, i went to school for the AcadComm meeting for which i was late for half an hour. but, it was okay. hindi pa naman naco-cover yung parts that need my updates. haha. goodjob.

it was a fun-fun meeting primarily because Grace, our VP, is back. yey! it's good that she's here. i mean, there's the added pressure in everything we do. it's not that there's no pressure when she was in America.

work work work will be the theme of next week as we are nearing the start of the new school year. which literally means, CJSS starts. :)

sending letters isn't as easy as it sounds. nor is it as non-spending or non-sweaty. it is the exact opposite. i'm not complaining. it's just that i had a different view on the matter.

okay. after the meeting, which was fun and fruitful, i headed to the sunken garden to check out the the guys playing soccer.

when the second part of the game began (the first part was groundball, or whatever term it was), the teams needed goalkeepers. i presented myself to be one or was i volunteered by somebody, i forgot. i ended up being one of the goalkeepers.

for the first half, almost all of the balls blasted through me. haha. at the water break, one friend commented na hindi ko dapat pinapascore yung kalaban. which was true. :)) i was not in attire so i couldnt do the best i can.

soccer would probably the most frustrating sport for me since i am not allowed to hold the ball unless i am the goalkeeper. so, ill just volunteer to be goalkeeper again. :))