Dispatches from the pep rally

October 4, 2006

Yes, it’s another pep rally. I’m surprised though - why would we have a pep rally? Why now, when we are suspended at the UAAP? Why at this time in the year, even - because last year it was somewhere during the first term?

I didn’t actually plan to check it out, but destiny meant I drift there and watch the proceedings. Armed again with that blue notebook, and a pen, the following paragraphs are written down as it happens, and only polished later. And, so far, things seem hopeful - but not at face value, though.

So, while we wait two more terms for our big comeback, my thoughts on the pep rally held earlier thid afternoon.

12.45: So I asked myself what this pep rally is all about. Or maybe because people stopped to care about our teams? UST just won the UAAP title, and we’d be back by season 70, but despite this the pep rally seems pointless so far.

As of this moment, I’m with Jino, Ale and Lau, up at the stairs leading to the museum at the Yuchengco building. It provides a good bird’s eye view of the preparations for the event: the LSDC-Street are practicing one last time, while the Pep Squad wait for their turns, whiling the time with photos galore.

As the Student Council officers climb up the same steps that we are for some pictorial, everything still seem pointless. After all, last year this was done at the first term, with much more hype.

12.52: “Ang ayos naman ng jacket ng Pep Squad!” Ale said, closely observing the jackets the cheerleaders wore despite the sweltering heat. “Pahingi naman niyan.“

There’s actually a lotof hoopla surrounding this thing. The posters have come out as early as Monday, with new shirts asking everyone to “keep the Animo burning” being sold. Globe is giving away free Animo SIM cards; the only thing you have to pay for is the P50 credit you put in it. As such, green and white balloons, also sponsored by Globe, populate the amphitheater. They all tended to be kicked, though.

Who’s behind this anyway? That’s never been answered since way back. I wonder. I see the Student Council’s activities vice president Melai Lazaro on hands-free calling someone. Sure, the hype’s hyped-up in itself.

12.59: The pep squad is, in itself, a big camwhore. They’re even doing weirder poses than regular students did. Oh well - that’s what they’re supposed to be, anyway. Think of their initiation - last term new members were “initiated” by running around SJ Walk wearing mismatched socks and a lot more stuff, which meant Economics class was some sort of an explanation, since one of the members - fondly called “Miss Gamo” by our professor - was our classmate. And now she’s here performing, if we should put it as such.

13.06: The LSDC-Street members do their usual prayers before they start. This only means the event’s really going to begin.

The drummers start to play, the dance music dies - it has started.

So, pep rallies are supposed to have a hell lot of athletes. Probably this is the closest to a sports event most Lasallians will have for this school year, after DLSU got suspended for the entirely of UAAP’s current season. It’s a known, obvious fact that most, if not all, agree with the decision, and although it’s surprising we have got this, people have arrived to watch.

And, along with it, the “go La Salle” cheers that sound more like “BonoSoc” cheers to those who can relate.

And it weirdly smells like chlorine.

As the athletes make their way to the other side of the amphitheater, the Pep Squad start chanting those cheers printed at the back page of the Student Handbook. It’s suddenly heard to get out, or even adjust your stance, here at the Yuchengco steps; more have arrived and tried to settle for worse places to watch. But, for once, interest have come back from the subconscious of the Lasallian, and to the collective lips of the populace.

13.15: The LSDC-Street start performing, and people get closer to us, and especially at the amphitheater. Five minutes later, Ale and Jackie wish the Pep Squad would come next. Very unlikely, though. They have to hold our attention.

13.23: “Next year we will beat them all, right?”

“Yeah!” the crowd cheers. The Pep Squad enters with much more fanfare.

13.29: Somebody actually fell. It seemed to have pepped up everyone, though. Either our cheerleaders need polishing because of a lack of games to cheer on, or everyone lends support for the fallen girl - but that’s expected, really.

Honestly, though, nobosdy seems to be paying attention to the hosts, and once the Pep Squad finished people have actually started to leave. And, as I’m writing this, we got photographed by some guy with a spruced-up DSLR.

13.38: Ale remains optimistic about next year’s pep rally. “Maganda ang pep rally next year,” she predicts. It’s actually too early to wonder why people have begun leaving - now people have come up to talk, as people come down and leave. Even the athletes have gone for some refreshments.

Now they’re plugging the Animo sim, Honestly, though, is anyone still interested?

The answer seems to be yes, as a lot of people have registration forms in their hands, and more have fallen in line at the booth at the Yuchengco lobby.

But, by now we’ve left.

14.15: Stuck inside another Internet café, I remember what they’ve actually tried to do. Since our athletes are almost grounded from the UAAP, they’ve been mentioning their achievements during season 68. We were walking by then, but nobody seems to notice. For one thing, I never saw the Green Archers - the men’s basketball team - which admittedly, most care about more.

So I wonder. Maybe they’ve done the wrong decision of having the Pep Squad early in, because I guess that’s what people came to watch for. But have they kept the Animo burning, as the name of the event suggests? So far, I haven’t felt much. It even seems like a botched affair - I remember last year’s, and even if I didn’t attend I knew there were a lot more people, a lot more cheers, and a lot more fanfare than today’s pep rally.

But have they failed? I think not. After we saw Ateneo fall to UST - and plans for shirts that say “wala na nga kami, natalo pa kayo” come out - the anticipation that our athletes, especially the Archers, would come back with a vengeance and make a really spectacular showing come season 70 has never been higher. It’s some sort of a timely reminder - that we’re still here waiting and preparing, and making the best out of the break.

So maybe it was successful. Superficially, though, it didn’t seem to be.