Hard work, concerted effort pay off for UP Pep squad

Hard work and sacrifices paid off for the spirited UP Pep Squad, which romped away with the Samsung UAAP Cheer Dance crown for the second straight year at the Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.

Sure, the rest of the field also worked hard and made a lot of sacrifices in preparing and performing their respective numbers. But the Diliman-based squad upstaged its seven other rivals with a stirring performance meticulously drawn up not only by the team but the entire school community as well.

It was simply a collective effort.

From the conceptualization of putting up the tribal team and choreographing of the dances and stunts to the last minute inclusion of a human oblation all added up to the winning formula – a five-minute number that should be remembered for a long, long time.

The Maroons had the alumni to thank for.

“It was our coach Lala Perena who thought of almost everything, including the the last-minute idea of putting a human oblation in our performance,” said Angelica Sison, co-captain of the back-to-back champion squad.

A former team member – RM Garcia, a choreographer who now works abroad – even came home and helped in the team’s preparation – for free.

“Ultimately, it was an effort by everybody, the whole of the UP community that included many alumni who have done good after they graduated,” she added.

There were also personal sacrifices made by members of the squad, including having a uniform haircut, one that would make everyone look ethnic to go with the team’s theme.

“It’s hard for 12-13 girls to have their hair cut. But everyone cooperated,” said Sison. “We were also touched that the other non-competing members had the same haircut without the coach telling them to do so.”        – Joey Villar