In cheerdance, UP is at the top of the heap

At seven in the evening, on the way to the University of the Philippines gym, one is reminded of why the place is called Diliman. It is so dark that with an overactive imagination, one might simply turn back and miss seeing the gym, which unlike the rest of the campus at this hour, is brightly lit and bustling with activity. The gym is home to the university's athletes, including the multi-awarded UP Pep Squad. The team spends so much time at the gym that they could probably make their way there with their eyes closed. It's the kind of devotion that produces championships.

The UP Pep Squad is the defending UAAP cheerdance champion, rehearsing tirelessly for this Saturday's UAAP competition, now nearly as popular in the league as basketball. On UP Diliman's campus, where the Fighting Maroons hoops team hasn't won a title since the 1980s, cheerdance commands a fervent following, with UP students lining up for hours at the Big Dome this week for tickets. Six-time UAAP champions, the UP Pep Squad will represent the Philippines in the 6th World Cheerleading Championships November 26 and 27 in Hong Kong. They represented the country in the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea and in the 2008 Asian Cheerleading Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Playful vibe, intense training On Wednesday night, only a few days before the highly anticipated cheerdance competition, the team piles out of a convoy of cars, one bottle blonde head after another. The fact that they are a unit is impossible to miss, and it isn't just because of their matching hair. The energy they give off is intense, and one can't help but be intimidated. They flow across the gym to their assigned spot, a graceful line of sunshine-haired dancers, and immediately set to work, warming up. Even if they're just stretching, you know they mean business. Despite their seriousness, there's also a playful vibe, and you can tell that the members' closeness goes beyond their routines. It's not surprising, considering their demanding training schedule. The team practices daily for at least three hours, and since they end way past dinner time, the members often grab a bite together before finally heading home. "It's really hard at first, talagang ma-shoshock ka na six to eleven or six to twelve yung training. Kapag competition time, sobrang late na kami natatapos," says Laurence, the team's co-captain. Many if not most of the members have been on the squad for as long as they've been enrolled. Despite the heavy schedule and the constant challenges, they wouldn't have it any other way. "Yung mga Pep din kasi, madiskarte. Kailangan kami mismo yung maghanap ng time para masingit namin yung studies," says Laurence. "Once you're in Pep you get used to the people and the culture. It's like, what is college life without Pep?" says drummer Karyn Evangelista. Their reasons for joining the squad are as varied as the individual members' backgrounds. From fulfilling a high school dream to continuing an old hobby, different things brought the team together. But there seems to be one thing that keeps them all there. The UP Pep Squad is a family. Any member you ask will tell you this. "Coming here, it's like a big home, with all your brothers and sisters. It's just the feeling that we're so bonded," says team captain Kae Madrigal. "It's more than an org," agrees Karyn. "The people are great, they're from all over. You have engineering students, fine arts students, literature majors... So the kinds of people you meet are really diverse, but we're really bonded," says Trisha O'Bannon, a sophomore who recently joined the squad. "Kami-kami, nagtutulungan kami sa maraming bagay. Hindi kami team lang na parang ordinary team - we have fun together, but we play very hard," says Laurence. Perhaps it is this enviable dynamic that makes the team so strong. After all, their shared love for what they do makes it natural for them to work together. Of course, there are other factors that contribute to the team's success. The coaches are with them along every step of the way, which has been lined with a string of victories. The UP Pep Squad is one of the most-awaited groups in the cheerdance competition. People are always wondering what the squad has in store, because they are known for surprising their audience each time. "We keep reinventing ourselves. Every year we try to offer something different. We always think out of the box. Parang, hindi kami sumusunod sa kung ano yung nagawa na ng iba. Nag-ooffer kami ng laging original," says Laurence. "It's quality," says Kae, adding that this year people can expect a higher level of pyramids and dances. "I think they're going to enjoy the theme, I think everyone can relate to it. They're just going to be so excited," she says. "UP is known for its creativity and personality," says Trisha, adding that this year will be "so off-the-wall and so out there." As the dancers go through their routine, the drummers practice their beats a few meters away. They may not be in the spotlight as much, but it's the drummers who make people move. Apart from the dancers themselves, the students who aren't on the squad also depend on the drummers. It's the drummers who teach them the cheers and the arm movements, and if not for them, UP wouldn't be half as loud as they are come competition time. Trisha shares that the students are usually shy and quiet while learning the cheers. But when they get out there, they go crazy. "They're louder than us, even," she laughs. A lot of it may be school spirit, but it's also because the squad is that good. In fact, it's like the squad is leading the cheer, and being cheered on at the same time. And why wouldn't they be, with all that they've achieved? This weekend, the bleachers will be packed. As always, the UP Pep Squad promises something different, bigger and better than the last. Smiling contagiously, they say they hope to win the championship this year. On the other hand, they're at the point where simply being the squad that they are is a victory. "It's not about winning anymore for us, it's about enjoying," says Karyn. Drummer KJ Ceñidoza ends saying that one who aspires to be on the squad should know that it isn't about winning. "Don't go for the name, fame and glory. Because it's so much more than that," she says. - HS, GMA News