Publishers Subscribing Students of Xavier University Editors Ma. Rosetti G. Villamor Editor in Chief Nadine Hendrikka E. Legaspi Associate Editor Kristoffer James L. Nambatac Design Editor Princess E. Tolentino Managing Editor Lyle Justin A. Egay News Editor (Interim) Ma. Therese D. Agcopra Campus Features Editor (Interim) Dharyl Jean A. Indino Local Features Editor (Interim) Saharah Iman M. Alonto National Features Editor (Interim) Sam D. Garcia Global Features Editor Robert A. Villaluz, Jr. Sports Editor Rico M. Magallona Layout Editor Francis Ryan O. Avellana Photography Editor (Interim) Alexes June E. Baslot Freehand Editor Finance Officers Caroline Joy R. Go Senior Finance Officer Rochelle D. Barros Junior Finance Officer (Interim) Managers Haiko B. Magtrayo Human Resource Manager Saharah Iman M. Alonto Office Manager Alvin Paul R. Yao Circulations Manager Janrick Carl T. Romales Sr. Computer Systems Manager & OAM Kevin Paul P. Mabul Jr. Computer Systems Specialist (Trainee) Volco J. Magbanua Video Productions Manager Staff Writers Faith May S. Albarracin (Trainee) Louren B. Aranas (Trainee) John Kenneth E. Ching Caroline Joy R. Go Dahn F. Suan (Trainee) Leasusana C. Ty Jacqueline P. Uy Micka Angela Victoria B. Virtudazo (Trainee) Joule Artemson D. Visabella Staff Artists Ma. Kristin Victoria Z. Abesamis (Trainee) Jess A. Batoon (Trainee) Rochelle D. Barros Jenamae G. Espineli Christian Loui S. Gamolo Jaymar T. Patana (Trainee) Jose Alfonso P. Sendaydiego Venice Marie P. Villo Moderator Mrs. Ann Catherine Ticao-Acenas For contributions, please address your articles and/or comments to The Crusader Publication office, StC 302 Xavier University 9000, Cagayan de Oro City Circulation: 7, 500 copies
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Cover Story
12 table of contents 1 Editorial 2 Opinion 3 Moves for aTENeo Moves 4 Evolution of Extremes 2012 Cheerleading Competition 6 The Pounce Cover Story 8 Tiger-dominated sports 15 Sports news 19 Combing out the mane issue 20 Standouts 22 The frills and thrills of Dancesport 2012 23 Cora Contrabida The purple curse 24 Kuris-kuris The Cover The trophy changed hands for the second straight year, and to a different color. The Tigers lurked in the shadows behind the Tribe and the Eagles, and when it was time to strike, they pounced on the trophy as if it were its prized prey. The nineyear wait is over, and now the Tigers are back to a familiar place–atop the intramurals board. Words by John Kenneth E. Ching Design by Rico M. Magallona
The official student publication of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Email your comments & suggestions to contactus@thecrusaderpublication.com
Editorial
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Cheerleading as we know it
s usual, flocks of Xavier University students, faculty, staff, and alumni endured the cramped space and almost unbearable heat just to witness the colors, cheers and jaw-dropping moves of each college’s contenders for the annual XU Intramurals 2012 Cheerleading Competition. Unknown to many, a resolution had threatened to change the cheerleading we have grown accustomed to prior to the event. The resolution was filed by the College of Engineering Parents-Teachers Association (COE-PTA) of XU on August requesting the banning of tosses, lifts and throws in the 2012 cheerleading competition. The Central Student Government (CSG) and seven out of eight college councils countered by stating that the different colleges have already spent weeks perfecting their routines and it would be too hectic to ask them to practice for new ones. In the end, it was decided that the 2012 cheerleading guidelines will remain as is and further discussion shall be made regarding the passing of the petition in the coming cheerleading competitions. The COE-PTA passed the petition with the safety of their children and students in mind. The removal of the most dangerous yet main attraction of the sport would be the easiest and most surefire way to reduce the risk of the participants to be injured. There were no reported accidents during the competition itself, but there have been reports of students hurt while practicing their stunts. Last year, an ArtScies flyer was hospitalized after injuring her hip in an attempt to be lifted by her teammates. But the injuries did not necessarily result from the sport itself, but in where the sport is being practiced. There is a specific place for cheerleaders to perform their routines safely: a flat surface covered with sports mattresses. It has become common practice for the squads to practice their routines in beaches, grassland and even on pavement—such surfaces unfit for cheerleading. In addition, some colleges run their performances prior to the competition without any spotter present. Both conditions are contrary to the general safety rules of the 2008-2009 International Cheer Union Cheer Rules. The petition aims to reduce the risk of students getting injured as they participate in the said competition. However, the petition, if passed, would take away the elements that put the cheerleading competition as the most sought-after event in the XU Intramurals by not only the XU community, but also by many outsiders as well. The university’s students have long been successful in performing their routines with standards nearly equal to that of the National Cheerleading Championship Philippines, organizer of the biggest college cheerleading competition in the country. Removing the tosses, lifts and throws in the competition would also remove the biggest challenge the students have been so eager and daring to face. Instead of eliminating one of the core characteristics of cheerleading, the administration may opt to specify and provide suitable venues for the college cheerleaders to do their routines before the competition. They might also require the college squads to add a number of spotters as part of the team who will only concentrate on looking after possible accidents. The cheerleaders of different colleges had labeled the XU Intrams 2012 cheerleading competition as “the last real cheerleading competition” and poured their heart out into their performances. Despite what happened last year, the once injured ArtScies cheerleader continued to represent her college in this year’s cheerleading competition. When asked why continue, she answered that it was all because of “sa akong love, sa akong passion, which is cheerleading”. The moment the petition becomes official, she, along with the rest of the college cheerleaders and admirers, might have to say goodbye to cheerleading as the XU community knows it.C www.thecrusaderpublication.com
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Opinion
Raising hair, taking names
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No kidding, Sherlock
Lyle Justin A. Egay lylejustinegay@thecrusaderpublication.com
he week before this year’s intramurals was formally kicked off, the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) made an open statement requesting the cheerdancers who had dyed and bleached their hair to show their unity to “refrain from wearing [their] prescribed uniforms inside and outside the campus” because apparently, they were “being disrespectful of the good image” that XU is trying to present. The decision, allegedly, had stemmed from several complaints from faculty, parents and alumni who “bombarded” the office regarding the said issue. I’ll get straight to the point. There is nothing in the Student Handbook that says anything that prohibits the students from coloring or styling their hair however they want. While it does say that people should “dress in an appropriate manner in keeping (up) with the educational character of the University”, what’s appropriate is only defined in the Dress Code, which doesn’t include provisions on hair. The said administrator said that the Handbook is very clear about XU’s standards for grooming, but after perusing XU’s Dress Code Policy (page 58), there is not one mention of hairstyles. While some might say that the Atenean standard doesn’t need to be spelled out, there are roughly ten thousand students in this school who might as well have ten thousand interpretations of the word.
I’m not an expert when it comes to policy-making, but policies should be explicitly defined. One can’t expect that many people can understand vague statements the same way he or she does—unless one resorts to brainwash (which something our administrators won’t resort to, I’m sure). Another disturbing aspect of the said issue is the expediency in making the announcement as the statement was merely posted on Facebook on a school administrator’s personal account. Shouldn’t policies, memoranda and the like be discussed and agreed upon properly, or should we disregard established policies (mentioned in the handbook) and immediately turn to the Internet? Shouldn’t statements be duly and officially noted and signed by other school administrators like, say, the University President? Just because a few people decided to be part-time blondes and redheads for a week doesn’t mean the community is going downhill. It’s not something I would do, but there’s nothing demeaning about it. And in the same manner, just because people complained to an official about how some students look doesn’t mean we should resort to asking them not to wear their uniforms. It’s not what’s on top of our heads or what we wear that makes us disrespectful (or otherwise). It’s what we say and do.C
Team B
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lthough emerging as champions in the 2012 Jones Cup, our Philippine basketball team fell short to fourth place in the recent FIBA Asia Cup, which could have catapulted us to an automatic FIBA Asia Championships berth had we won at least one of the top three spots. Majority of the players in the national team was recruited from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the premier basketball league in the country.
Illuminate
Robert A. Villaluz Jr. robertvillaluzjr@thecrusaderpublication.com
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In the PBA today, there is no rivalry bigger than that of the San Miguel Corporation (SMC)owned and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT)-owned teams. SMC owns three teams in the league while PLDT owner Manny V. Pangilinan owns two. The Smart Gilas Pilipinas, as how the national squad is called, is sponsored by Smart Communications, a subsidiary of PLDT. Incidentally, the team consists of star players from PBA’s Talk N’ Text, a team owned by PLDT. Another fact not to be overlooked is that there
is only a single player in the national cagers who hails from any of the SMC teams. At least five more PBA superstars from SMC were the prospects for the national pool, but were allegedly vetoed by their management despite being vocal in their eagerness to join the squad. The scene today is this: two corporations deciding the fate of our national team. Because of their business pursuits, the chance of forming the best team we could send off is elusive. If only the government had taken its rightful responsibility to fund our local teams as they banner our country in the international stage, then we could minimize the power of corporate bias in putting together the national team. For as long as these corporations don’t set aside their marketing intentions in sponsoring teams, and for as long as government doesn’t invest in funding our international squads, our country would settle with sending its B Team—not really the best, but probably the most favored.C Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
By Caroli
ne Joy R.
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hether it was running from one end of the field to the other or pushing your way through the gymnasium to get a glimpse of human pyramids or jumping up and down in your seats and cheering wildly for your team, everybody did some moving this Intramurals 2012. But if you stopped and looked beyond the hype, you might have noticed that a different kind of movement was going on—a more subtle kind: aTENeo Moves. TEN for ten thousand Heading towards the intramurals opening ceremonies on September 8, you might have noticed boxes being filled with 10-peso coins by people— maybe even by you—who tried to enter the jam-packed gymnasium. No, they weren’t collected so they could be with their other 10-peso brethren, and neither were they a newly imposed entrance fee. A total of PHP 24,687.00 was raised that night for aTENeo Moves, Xavier University’s adaptation of the national “Bayanihang Pampaaralan” campaign-The Entire Nation Moves, better known as TEN Moves! The movement aims to collect PHP 10 for ten months from two million people in order to build ten thousand classrooms all over the nation. According to the Department of Education (DepEd)’s data, there is a shortage of 66,800 classrooms in the Philippines. Fifty-six thousand of that can be covered by DepEd’s budget and the expected counterpart from local government units, but there is still a shortage of ten thousand classrooms. TEN Moves! is the response to DepEd’s call for support in enticing organizations to raise PHP 6 billion until October 2012 to build the ten thousand classrooms. Locally, the recently burned City Central School is a direct beneficiary of the project. Movers and shakers In most sports, victory is not defined by a single person. The best plays and performances are made by a team of individuals who get organized and work together, giving the best of what they can offer. It was heart-warming to know that it wasn’t only Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan who had the desire to move in the area.
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Through the efforts of XU student leaders who formed the aTENeo Moves team, partners came together to talk about their roles and pledge their support to move the nation. Heads of different organizations attended aTENeo Moves Launching at the Aggies Satellite Canteen on September 13. The event was graced by many dignitaries, namely: Fr. Roberto Yap, S.J., University President; Irene Grace Guitarte, XU Director of Student Affairs; Mario Deriquito, Senior Director of Ayala Foundation, Inc.; Isagani Saguindang, CDO Ayala Businesss Club President; Jomark Libre, Mindanao University of Science and Technology Director of Student Affairs and Leadership Communities—Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon (LeadCom CaCaBu) Chairperson; Noeme Simene, DepEd Regional Facilities Coordinator; Hakeem Lomondot, President of Siraj and Representative of Muslim Youth in CDO, and Sean Jared Lastimoso, XUCentral Student Government (CSG) Vice President and Secretary General of aTENeo Moves. Warmed up Thought that only athletes got a dose of cardio this intrams? Think again. In the morning of September 15, students—athlete or not—came together to shake their booties from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. in “WARM-UP: A Morning Dance Workout” with 2007 Battlegrounds - International Competition champions Xtatic. The CSG, in partnership with Business Administration event organizers Beyond Typical Co., organized the fundraising activity for aTENeo Moves. “This event primarily aims to involve non-athletes to actively participate in the intramurals,” shares organizer Anna Cuaro. Beats were dropped and battles took place on the Magis Roof Deck leaving participants to sweat and pant their way through the routines. “Tsada gyud siya kay super enjoy, tapos Xtatic pa nag-tudlo. It would be better if it’s done often kay: one, [promotes] health and
[fitness]; two, maka-participate and naa’y involvement ang mga students; three, nakatabang sa aTENeo Moves,” shares participant Tricia Antivo. It was nothing but positive feedback from the endorphin-high participants as they were left wanting more. Additional events are still being worked out as the aTENeo Moves team plans to partner with not only XU organizations but also business establishments in the city. *** The aTENeo Moves has been voicing out the cause in college assemblies and making it known that Ateneans too can take part in shelling out change for change. What started as a simple conversation on social problems in our country has now moved members of the XU community to start aTENEO Moves. Whether it’s intrams week or not, we should stay active not only in the physical sense but also in our social responsibilities. Be movers of our society and add to the testimony that indeed, Ateneans do move.C Visit the CSG Office for more information on how you can take part in the movement.C
www.thecrusaderpublication.com 3 Design by Rochelle D. Barros
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espite predecessors holding a record for challenging extremes, the 2012 Cheerleading Competition was a definite standout. It was challenged by several controversies such as the possible stunt-removal next year and the ostentatious dyed hair of cheerleaders. Regardless, the actual event still exuded tremendous crowd warmth and showcased fearless cheerleaders doing mind-blowing stunts. The stunted flight With a bluer yet still skin-baring uniform, the School of Education Phoenixes appeared to be more daunting than the previous year. Their first ten seconds was a feast of tosses, tumbles and a full extension. However, their charm didn’t extend to the audience who appeared baffled—the general reaction to their performance—with too much disorderly action happening on the floor. Despite their asynchronous flyers during pyramids and partner stunts, they snagged a more positive response through their fleeting series of dance routines, arabesques and basket tosses. When a flyer in the middle of a sophisticated pyramid building fell, the entire
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team also fell behind in hyping up the crowd. In the end, the Phoenixes took a nosedive from fifth place last year to last place with 53.10 points. The fall of Troy The Knights are known for their knack for exhibitionism in aerial stunts. In the previous year, they surprised the crowd by having the only male flyer in the competition. However, this year didn’t seem favourable to the Knights as their performance was plagued with incomplete aerial stunts, awkward tumblings and unsound dismounts. No matter how bubbly they looked in preppy, pleated skirts, it did not reflect on the way their number turned out. With all the fiasco, the Knights can only hope to redeem themselves next year as they sat in seventh place with 60 points. Neophytes no more Differing from the ribbon-craze, the
Wizards complemented their purple-white uniforms with cheer headbands. With a brisk routine for starters, their sequences progressed with partner stunts and basket tosses. Just as the crowd was starting to feel the vibe, a female flyer switched feet in the middle of a stunt, causing gasps from the audience. The untimely plunge of another flyer from the Swedish fall pyramid further dispirited the watchers. But they successfully countered their jinx with a crafty straddle slip and doublehitch pyramid, and an additional Gangnam Style dance to the mix, which was enough to rocket them to sixth place with 65.70 points. Green energy Bearing uniform blond locks, the Bullwhippers owned the moment. They animated the audience with a transition of cartwheels, stunts, and dance moves. When “We’re in Heaven” started playing in the background, their nine all-female flyers executed synchronized arabesques and bowand-arrows, causing massive elation from the Aggies crowd nearby. Despite their strong start, an unfortunate run of mishaps—shaking bases, falling flyers and slipping tumblers—challenged the Bullwhippers all throughout. They re-
Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Nightingales in flight Being one of the only few squads that did not dye their hair, the Nursing Elite Cheer Pythons had a different way of standing out—they opted for more vivid and metallic-colored uniforms. Their performance, which started with 2-2-1s and elevators, didn’t seem to impress the audience too much. Whether with bold support or nothing at all, the squad continued their act with superlative stunts, jumps and tumblings though they fell short in some of their dismounts. With this, the squad barely made it to fourth place with 78.20 points—getting past with the slightest point margin against the Bullwhippers. The Maroon saga Finding themselves in the bottom three ranking in the previous year, the Engineering Cheerwarriors guaranteed a massive comeback. Their performance started with the classic Engineering swagger earn-
ing them deafening cheers from onlookers. Donning the colors gold, maroon and black, the squad looked every bit like warriors who knew nothing but victory. The Cheerwarriors brought the house down with nerve-racking stunts—flyers thrown from one side to the other, complicated pyramids, and lunatic tosses and dismounts. However their performance wasn’t enough to elevate them from last year’s standing. Gaining 81.10 points proved insufficient and the Cheerwarriors got stuck in third place. Can’t be tamed Dancing to the beat of emotionally packed and empowering music, the Tigers Supreme Co-Ed finally put the memory of their flawed performance in 2010 to the grave. Their supporters went wild as they began their cheer with acts involving risky yet frisky tossing and twisting of the floaters’ bodies, causing an insane uproar of applause from the Tigers’ corner. The squad sustained momentum with snappy transitions from unique lifts to wellexecuted dismounts; yet, a domino effectlike glitch in their pyramids occurred in the middle of their near-perfection feat together with some flyers failing to execute scorpions and bow-and-arrows on air. Perhaps the biggest surprise that night, the blond-haired Tigers held true to the lyr-
A fiery fourth As three-peat champions, the School of Business and Management (SBM) All Stars entranced the crowd with assertiveness as apparent as their red heads. Their blackyellow-white colored uniforms accentuated their hand moves which have been an All Stars tradition. Prior to unveiling their threatening stunts, they stirred things up with alternating cartwheels and handsprings. They further teased the audience with their mini stunt-fest of scales, scorpions, and arabesques. They incorporated eagle jumps and straddle splits in their energetic routine. For a finale, SBM All Stars raised the bar when they dismounted their flyers from one base to another, exhibited Swedish falls and achieved level 5-6 pyramids. With all these prosperous undertakings, their fourth championship title with 88.30 points was well deserved. From the perspective of the judges who came with the unanimous decision, they seized it through precision and confidence—traits All Stars has never failed to deliver in the past four years. *** The crowd came expectant of a feast of acrobatic stunts and well-synched choreographies—they came out more than satisfied. The cheerleaders and their supporters ushered in a better cheerleading experience than ever. Despite all the controversies, we can say that they were faced with difficult odds, but they turned them all in their favor.C
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l Jean A. Indin
and Dhary an M. Alonto
By Saharah Im
ics of the song Skyscraper: they rose from the ground, and claimed second place with 85 points.
Design by Kristoffer James L. Nambatac
gained their stance with perfect throws, a feisty and flirty dance routine, and a doublehitch pyramid. With their energy for the save, they took over the fifth spot with 77.10 points— enough reason for the Bullwhippers to keep their winning smiles.
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Cover Story
By Sam D. Garcia
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Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Cover Story
Gone too long Who would have thought that the Tigers would be hailed as the Champions of 2012? For the past years, attention was seemingly placed on the Eagles who had their six-peat ended with the Warriors just last year. The last time the College of Arts and Sciences won as overall champions was in 2003. Although they have always made it to the top ranks, they haven’t had a taste of real glory in XU’s annual Intramurals in nine years. Eyeing for the tigers According to Erika Uy, Sports Committee Head of the United Arts and Sciences Student Council (UNITASS), this year’s victory can be attributed to some measures: “We changed the system in or-
der to create discipline among the players. After nine years, we felt that we were united despite the diversities. Full force ang pag-support, and we really felt it coming that this is truly our year.” This change in the system was explained further by JP Durante, a senior year BS Biology student, when he said that they’ve come up with a strategy to make the athletes more disciplined, contrary to their laxness in the previous years. They provided the athletes bountifully in terms of finances and snacks as long as they came regularly to meetings. It was in these meetings where their spirit was forged as a college and where they solved some internal conflicts. They also did athlete profiling beforehand to determine the best athletes gracing the ArtScies community. For the president of UNITASS, Arlou Linaac, the phenomenal victory is said to be caused by early preparations. He says, “As early as July, we already had our tryouts and that gave us the chance to really look for good and committed players. Also, during this intrams, early nahatag ang uniforms and mas organized ang pag-handle [sa] athletes, so mas sayo gyud sila naka-practice and train para sa ilang events.” Swiftest leap to victory This year’s Intramurals had a really interesting turnout of events. One day before the finale, the Tigers only ranked third among the participating colleges as the Warriors struggled to keep their title at first place and as the Eagles, at second place, made every effort to reclaim what once was theirs. However, the discrepancy in scores was minimal and only the results of the championship games could have dictated the overall results of the intramurals. On
the final day, September 16, ten out of thirteen championship games were won by the College of Arts and Sciences, leaving the final scores at 601 for the Tigers, 532 for the Eagles, and 491 for the Warriors. The Tigers unbelievably triumphed in the following games on that fateful Sunday: Basketball Men, Basketball Women, Football Men, Football Women, Volleyball Men, Volleyball Women, Table Tennis Mixed, Table Tennis Teams, Badminton Men, and Badminton Women. The reverberating roar According to Maristela Baang, a third year AB-IS student, one reason why the Tigers won was because of their students’ undying support for the athletes. The plentiful cheers which they’ve invested in the red team apparently mattered as they now bask in the glory of being champions in the XU Intramurals 2012. At the awarding ceremonies, the Tigers huddled together in blissful anticipation for the recognition that was to be bestowed upon them. During which, Al Anthony Tating, a fourth year Psychology student, yelled, “I’m really proud of ArtScies! I hope padayon na ni among pagka-daog!” *** The roar echoed throughout the land. Everyone has grown wary of what he is capable of doing. Many are already pledging to drag the Tiger back to its previous state and claim the throne for their own. Despite the inevitable battle, the Tiger now sits contentedly in his chambers with his fellows. This year is theirs.C
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Design by Rico M. Magallona
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ine years. That’s the amount of time the Tiger has needed to recover his deadly composure and pounce on the Warrior’s neck. It was the same Warrior who muted his battle cry eight years ago, before all of them fell prey to the mighty Eagle—the tyrant who claimed dominion over the skies and lands of Athenaeum for six long years. The Tiger had obscured himself in the jungle during these years of tyranny, though he tried to vanquish the taloned ruler vivaciously year after year. Upon knowing that the Warrior had overcome the Bird last year, all impairments ebbed out of his spirit. He was to take revenge on the human who usur ped his throne! The Tiger fought determinedly against all that stood in his way to defeating the Warrior. As he finally pushed his gigantic paws on the Warrior’s jugular, he signaled his long-sought triumph with a renewed roar. It was a roar so loud that it created fissures on the earth, leaving the animals, enchanted creatures, wizards, and knights, falling to the ground.
Sports
Tigers trounce Eagles in women’s basketball By Maria Therese D. Agcopra
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HANG TIME. A Tiger tries to fly his way to the hoop against a tough Bullrider defense.
[ R. AVELLANA]
Tigers claim men’s hoops crown By John Kenneth E. Ching
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he Tigers had two heroes to thank for their first men’s basketball crown since 2007. Lee Michael Paayas scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half, while Kristian Boljano had 15 of his 21 markers scored in the second half as he Tigers pulled away in the final minutes of the game and won the title, 83-70. Wellmax Sario paced the Bullriders, who reached the finals in three of the past four years, with a game-high 26 points. Bullriders Sario and Cyril Dar scored five points apiece as they engineered their largest lead halfway through the first quarter at 12-4. But the quarter belonged to Paayas as he scored 14, with 12 of them coming from long-range bombs. Buoyed by Paayas’ hot start, the Tigers went on a 17-6 surge to lead 21-18 after the first period. The game was close in the second quarter as both teams traded baskets. A short 6-0 run by the Tigers ended the period, leading 41-32. In the third quarter, the Bullriders quickly closed the gap to within four, 37-41, after a Dar triple. The Tigers responded with a 10-0 run midway through the third, getting five points each 8
from Boljano and Paayas. The Bullriders managed to trim the Tigers’ lead into a manageable 59-50 deficit. The Tigers steadily built more room between themselves and the Bullriders, with their largest lead at 16. The Bullriders switched to their fullcourt pressure to force errors, and got to within six, 69-63, with a little over three minutes remaining in the game. Boljano silenced the Aggies faithful, dropping in ten points during the last three minutes to seal the game for the Tigers. Earlier, the Wizards upset defending champions Warriors in the third-place match. Breakdown of scores are as follows: Arts and Sciences 83 - Paayas 25, Boljano 21, Mercedes 12, Villanueva 12, Piatti 6, Barba 5, Saniel 2, Aparecio 0, Bantuas 0, Bautista 0, Flora 0, Gabor 0, Lambino 0, Roa 0, Romualdo 0, Sabal 0, Salonga 0, Salvaña 0, Sarraga 0 Agriculture 70 – Sario 26, Dar 16, Halasan 9, Sendaydiego 8, Besinga 5, Labis 3, Cabizon 2, Raluto 1, Albarece 0, Luna 0, Muti 0, Rendon 0, Romualdo 0, Varias 0. Quarter scores - 21-18, 41-32, 59-50, 83-70.C
he Tigers clawed their way up to victory as they bannered a lossless run this year, scoring a 45-30 win over the SBM Eagles during the basketball finals held on September 16 at the XU Gym. The Eagles drew first blood to put tension on the Tigers’ flawless streak, scoring two points early on. But the early advantage failed to help the Eagles seize control of the game as Tigress Krizzia Pepania didn’t take too long to score consecutive baskets, helping secure a steady 10-2 lead for the Tigers in the first quarter. Just as the supportive SBM drum started to break through the calm, the Eagles were catching up as the clock furthered into the second quarter with Galarpe effortlessly shooting baskets that animated the SBM crowd. During the third quarter, Tigers’ Fiona Beja committed an unsportsmanlike foul awarding the Eagles with free throws and by the quarter’s end, the 11-point margin was enough to bring Eagle supporters to the edge of their seats. However, even SBM Dominique Habunal’s score from downtown and Galarpe’s trip to the charity lane was no saving grace for the Eagles as the Tigers caught pace in the heated fourth quarter. Beja got away with notorious fast breaks and layups to add to the Tigers’ increasing tally. JayAnne Samson was on fire too, clutching a threepointer for the Tigers. The ArtScies supporters were already celebrating during the last few seconds of the game as the team has left the Eagles with a 15-point difference, silencing SBM’s now Drum of Doom. Despite a near-clinch in the middle of the game, the Tigers thought of their yellow-black clad opponents as lacking in performance this year. Their victory over SBM in a prior game, wherein they won by a good margin, effectively boosted their confidence for finals. “[By now] we know how they play, we know kinsa’y bantayan,” said Assistant Coach Katrina Pong. Both Pong and co-captain Nicholette Dela Cruz agree that Habunal is one of the toughest players to beat. As to their own strategies, having the same players from last year ensured that the team did not repeat the same mistakes. The Engineering Warriors, after being beaten by Nursing Pythons in the semi-finals, took a dive from first place in the previous year to third place.C
Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Sports
Tigers, lady Warriors conquer athletics Tigers rout Eagles, win By Leasusana C. Ty
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peed was the name of the game as runners of the different colleges cut through the dragging winds at the Pelaez Sports Center Oval on September 12. Every runner strived to outrun the other but only the Tigers and lady Warriors accelerated further than the rest. In women’s Athletics, Warrior’s pride and fourtime first placer Kimberly Alia kept her throne dominating the 100- and 200-meter dash. Along with her fellow Warriors, they topped 4x100-meter relay with impressing prowess and speed, giving them a total of three gold medals and 30 points in all. Coming behind with only a measly one point margin from Warriors were Tigresses Kathlyn Co earning first and second place in women’s 400- and 100-meter dash respectively, and Marianne Borjal at third place in women’s 200-meter dash. The Tigresses also dashed into second place in the 4x100 relay. That’s one gold, two silvers and a bronze medal for the ArtScies in total. Though tied in overall scores with 12 medals apiece, the clash between lady Bullriders and lady Eagles was still a sight to see as they accelerated to the finish line. Zynith Gorre took silver in the 200-meter dash for Aggie Bullriders while Kim Sajulga nabbed third in the 100-meter dash. Eagle Janette Galarpe succumbed to second place in the 400-meter dash. Together with three other com-
panions, she grabbed third place on 4x100-meter relay. Racing through the track with all her might, lady Phoenix Astrid Rocha broke trough just enough to win her third place in the 400-meter dash. On the other hand, Tigers roared victoriously as they dominated men’s Athletics scoring a total of 34 points. Lee Michael Paayas chipped in two gold medals from the 100- and 200-meter dash and another gold with his three teammates from the 4x100-meter relay, while Mark Oliver Sagayno gained silver in the 400-meter dash. Daring to excel for his college, soaring Eagle Yuhei Go brought silver in the 200-meter dash, silver in the 400-meter dash and along with his fellow Eagles, earned bronze in the 4x100-meter relay, giving them a total of 22 points. Aggressive Bullriders definitely proved that they were no pushovers in the field of speed as seen through Dhan Kwong dashing through the finish line giving him a hard-earned bronze in the 400-meter dash and another gold with his teammates in the 4x100meter relay. Piercing through the wind were warriors Joseph Alboradora and Kent Baylon giving warriors second place in the 100-meter dash and third-place in the 200-meter dash. Phoenix Marvin Ocom proved that the School of Education can still fight the good fight as he brought them bronze in the 100-meter dash.C
landmark Ultimate title By John Kenneth E. Ching
The Tigers earned the title of being the firstever champions of Ultimate after the demolition of the Eagles, 13-4. Playing under the scorching heat, the Tigers’ set-up was equally blistering as they overturned an early 0-1 deficit to steamroll over the Eagles with pinpoint passing and savvy execution. The Tigers continually forced the Eagles into forced passes and errors while connecting in their own passes and runs. At one stretch, the Tigers scored six straight points to extend a tense 4-2 advantage to a comfortable 10-2. The Eagles tried to rally with two late drives, scoring in both occasions. The Tigers answered with scores of their own to keep the Eagles at bay. “Nag-anticipate mi sa ilang defense. Gi-adjust namo ang among offense para ma-counter ang ilang defense,” Tigers captain Nicholas Padilla remarked. He also took note of the team’s experience being an important factor. The Tigers topped Bracket A, while the Eagles finished second in Bracket B behind the Knights. The third-place match saw a stacked Knights team overpowering the Bullriders, 11-2, to take home bronze.C
Tigers defend taekwondo title By Dahn F. Suan
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AIRBORNE. Taekwondo jins strut their prowess in aerial combat in the men’s taekwondo tournament of the intramural games.
[ R. AVELLANA]
istory repeated itself as the Tigers dominated men’s taekwondo after winning a total of six medals—three gold, one silver, and two bronze, on September 9 at the XU Gym. After a series of kicking and energy-releasing yells, the Tigers emerged most successful in the gold rush as the ambush was led by Aike Dalson from the bantamweight division, Ivan Sabal from the featherweight division, and Orzel Yana from the welterweight division. The second spot went to the Bullriders with their three silver and three bronze medals. Trailing at the third spot in the medal tally were the Warriors. With calm analysis, correct judgment and proper execution of attacks during the games, Edward Pacifico from the heavyweight division won his fourth intramural’s medal and the only gold medal in the men’s taekwondo for the Warriors. The Eagles gained the fourth spot with their two gold medals from Royd Ladion and Nino Murillo, together with two bronze medals. Both the Pythons and the Wizards acquired one gold, one silver and one bronze medal.C www.thecrusaderpublication.com
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Sports
Tigers bag overall title in table tennis By Faith May S. Albarracin and Caroline Joy R. Go
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iger, Eagle and Phoenix spinners set the table for championship games in both men and women categories on September 16 at the University Covered Courts. The Tigers created a tense match against the Eagles with a good start at 11-9 in the team event men’s category but the Eagles reinforced their attacks with killer spins, winning the second set for SBM, 117. Alarmed by the excessive spins of the Eagles, the Tigers made a quick 11-5 win. Eliciting excitement from the speculators, the Eagles kept the match alive by winning the fourth set with 12-10. An exchange of heated attacks from both teams intensified the decisive set as they rallied towards the win, but Tigers sealed the game with an 11-9 victory. Meanwhile, the third spot in the team event was bagged by the Bullriders. To avenge the Eagles’ loss, Lito Baylosis made a walkover victory against Tigers’ Christian James Besinga in the championship game for men’s singles starting off with an 11-2 win in the first set and 11-9 in the second set. Besinga tried to keep the intensity on as he managed to end the third set with 12-10. But the Eagles Baylosis’ massive spin combined with his tranquility clinched the gold with 11-8. The competitive Bullrider Ruben Marba won third place. The Eagles’ victory prevailed in the men’s doubles as Baylosis and Carlo Hollanes’ combined strategies paved their way to win against Bullriders Marba and Jason Rey Timones in a four-set match. Warriors Rod Johnbirt Bagajo and Jerald James de la Cruz bagged the third place. Meanwhile in the team event - women’s category, Tigresses breezed through three sets against the
PROWLING PRECISION. A table tennis player from the College of arts and Sciences keeps the rally going through accurate hits.
SOE Phoenixes with a score of 11-9, 11-4, and 11-8, bagging them the gold. Eagles followed suit in third. For the singles event, Tiger Marah Telen lost the first set to Phoenix Kathryn Micu with a score of 116, but the unruffled Tigress viciously won the next three rounds with scores of 11-6, 11-6 and 12-10. Telen and Micu went head-to-head again during doubles, this time with their partners Tiger Mary Rose Cordero and Phoenix Sharicka Amora respectively. Tables turned as the Tigers won the first round but lost the next three to the Phoenix duo, relinquishing their crown as previous champions of the event to the Phoenixes. Female Eagles again bagged bronze in the singles and doubles event.
[ J. PATANA ]
Reclaiming the glory in mixed doubles, Tigers Rocell Tom Nerquit and Titea Reina Sinogaya made a lopsided win against the Phoenix Sharicka Anne Veronica Amora and Eric Aceret in the first and second set. Keeping the match active, the Phoenix upset the Tigers with their spins, ending victorious in the next two sets. Both teams brought the decisive set in a high-level play as they liberate their best moves forward but the Tigers never let the Phoenixes spoil their defining moment, seizing the victory with 12-10. The Eagles Eric Elpa and Edda Jasmine Lim ended up in third place.C
Tiger shuttlers upset defending champs By Faith May S. Albarracin
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ailing to place in any category during the previous year’s intramurals, the Tigers’ shuttlers surprised their opponents with agile smashes as they seized this year’s championship in men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles in a badminton tilt on September 12. Python Peter Rey Teope, who ranked first in the past two consecutive intramurals, started with a tough play against Tiger Jhon Rey Vicoy winning the first set with a score of 21-16. The momentum shifted when Vicoy reinforced his play with potent smashes defeating Teope in the second set with 21-16. Attacking
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clear in the last set, he pressured the defending champ scoring 11-3 upon the exchange of courts. The Python smasher tried to regain the winning momentum but Vicoy kept on releasing kills en route to winning the tilt with 21-16. Placing third in single’s men was Eagles’ Mike Christian Encarnacion. Vicoy together with Marc Paul Adame also led the Tigers to the first spot in men’s doubles as they defeated Pythons Teorpe and Miguel Antonio Peliño. The Eagles’ Encarnacion and Christian Varias placed third in the said division. The Warriors who emerged as last year’s champions
in the men’s doubles failed to place this year. It seemed that the badminton square favored Vicoy as he played in mixed doubles with Josen Tabiliran dethroning the Eagles, last year’s champions in the said category. The power-hitting Tigers sealed victory over Eagles Varias and Cleo Marie Taban-ud, scoring 21-13 in the first set. The duo’s powerful smashes paired with their techniques ended up the championship match with 21-12. The third place was bagged by Harold Ramos and Jena Mae Espinelli of the School of Education.C Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Sports
Tigresses pounce on lady Bullriders in volleyball By Nadine Hendrikka E. Legaspi
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fter four intense sets, the Tiger netters triumphed over the Bullriders, 3-1, in the women’s volleyball championship game on the afternoon of September 16 at the University Covered Courts. The lopsided set scores do not reflect how the game was played though, as the match was a nail-biter all-game long. The Tigresses won the first set 24-22 with decisive and strong spikes and drops that the lady Bullriders were unable to counter. In the second set, however, the latter redeemed themselves by intensifying their defenses and spiking fierce kills, which the Tigresses failed to intercept, winning 23-25. With the two teams having one set each under their belts, expectations were getting high for both of them. Things got tense at the net as most points were scored from spikes, fakes, cuts, and drops from the contending teams. The third set was a close fight with both teams trailing each other as each point was
ing low, unsure serves while the lady Bullriders were always leaving their center field open. The set went on tightly with the crowd going ballistic over each move made and each point scored. One final unreceived drop by the lady Bullriders was what it took to end the set, 26-24, and crown the Tigresses champions of the event. REACH. Tigress attempts a solo block in their championship The roaring volleybelles game against lady Bullriders in women’s volleyball. [ J. PATANA ] piled onto the floor screaming in victory, finally taking the title scored, but the Tigresses clawed their way to winning that the SBM lady Eagles snatched away from them in the set, 26-24. The fourth set had everyone holding their breath the past two years. Winning the earlier match against the College of as the Bullriders stepped up their game once more and the Tigresses seemed to tire out. The two teams both Nursing Pythons, the School of Education Phoenixes had their flaws in the set, as the Tigresses were deliver- perched onto 3rd place. C
Tigers win second consecutive men’s volleyball title By Joule Artemson D. Visabella
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ABOVE THE NET. A Tiger jumps to block a ferocious Eagle spike.
[ J. PATANA ]
eating the Eagles in a rematch of last year’s final, the Tigers won their second volleyball title in a row after a dominating performance in the volleyball competition men’s division, 3-0, on September 16 at the University Covered Courts. As the throng of spectators was treated to a plethora of strong spikes, impressive serves and risky dives, SBM’s netters fiercely competed for the early advantage riding on Ferdinand Mauricio’s smooth court moves. But the Tigers fought back even as the lights went out, finishing the set with a score of 25-22. Despite the power outage, the players managed to finish the set. The play halted for a couple of hours to wait for the power to get back on. ArtScies barely missed a beat as soon as the play resumed with Nikko Torres’ impeccable moves leading the Tigers to pull away. Throughout the game, errors plagued the Eagles for the rest of the match. The second set ended 25-18. The defending champions pulled away even further as the Eagles seemed to have lost heart, and clinching the final set, 25-10, as well as the trophy.C
Tigresses claw victory in badminton By Louren B. Aranas
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fter staying on the sidelines in the previous year, the ArtScies finally emerged as champions in both the singles and doubles categories in women’s badminton. Freshman Riva Via Absuelo catapulted the Tigresses from the bottom as she bagged gold in the singles match against Python Carmel Intong. Tiger Josen Tabiliran teamed up with Absuelo in finishing first in the doubles match after a fierce match with Eagles Trzetrzelewska Serilo and Cleo Taban-ud. Meanwhile, it was a close and thrilling fight between the Eagles and the Pythons as they rooted for the remaining top spots. They were the only teams who survived numerous matches and vied for the first runner-up title. Eagles Serilo and Taban-ud soared as first runnersup in the doubles, but landed third during the singles bout. Although Pythons Intong and Moreen Anne Daba ended as second runner-ups in the doubles match, they crawled their way up on the scoreboard when Intong seized first place in the singles category. In the end, red and white stripes dominated the courts through an exclamation two-point lead over the Eagles with a score of 26 in the doubles game. When asked what Absuelo’s key to winning is, she shares that she remained relaxed during the game and tried to predict her opponent’s moves.C www.thecrusaderpublication.com
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INTRAMURALS
2012tallygraph
Softball
Athle Badminton
601 Chess
Dancesport
532 Swimming Sepak Takraw
Volleyba Taekwondo
Cheerdance
Basketball
etics
Lawn Tennis
Frisbee Soccer Karatedo
491
83
117 66
86
167
all
373
142
The length of color in each graph represents the fraction of points garnered by each college in each event. Data courtesy of the Central Student Government
Design by Jose Alfonso P. Sendaydiego
Cover Sports Story
Tigresses nip Bullriders, claw football cup By Robert A. Villaluz, Jr.
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osselle Lou Mendoza converted two penalty kicks despite the hustling defence as she steered the enraged Tigers to the top of the ranks in the women’s football finals on September 16 at the University Soccerfield. Emerging as the two top clubs in their division, the XU crowd witnessed new college footbelles clashing for the finals. Fortified and reenergized, these top-seeded teams ended the Nursing Python’s six-year dominance and forced elimination to last year’s second placers, the Warriors. The Bullriders opened up the game in attack form, getting more ball possessions than the foe and attempting more goal shots, but missing on three tries. Offsides were called frequently by the officials, causing both team coaches to react violently. The Tigers’ coach shares after the game, “Daghan mga sayup sa technicalities, usahay pabor kaayo sa pikas. Naa’y mga handball nga dili gakatawagan...”
On a scramble possession halfway in the first half of action, the Bullriders fired a low-hitting kick which dissected the Tigers’ defences and landed to hand the green troop the first lead of the game. Not taking too long, the Tigers retaliated with crisp passes to their strikers and challenged the goalkeeper with several trips. On a drive towards the goal Mendoza was hit hard, which awarded her a penalty kick. The Tiger standout converted the opportunity to a goal via a high-arcing shot which flew past the goalkeeper all the way to the nets of the Bullrider goal to even out the game at one goal apiece. In the second half of the game, the Tigers started out strong with one goal threat after another, making the early goings half-field played. On a trip for a goal Tigress Kathleen Co was tackled hard, which injured her and led to a momentary pause of the game.
The physicality was felt all game as Mendoza was brought down again to the ground in one of her possessions, which resulted in another penalty kick. Mendoza didn’t waste the attempt as she placed the Tigers on the lead with a long range shot. The Tigers strengthened their defence as they held on the lead to win the game. Tigers coach attributed their struggle to the team’s defence. “Close kaayo ang fight. Sa first half. Naglisud mi gamay kay ang among defense nabulabog, pero naka-bawi mi sa second half,” she notes. Admitted of not having too many superstars in the Tigers team, the coach says it was their fluidity and rapport which lifted the win for them. She opines, “Amo sa’ng fighting spirit mao gyud nakapa daog. Kay bisan dili kaayo tanan ang skillful, gihatag gyud ang best sa tanan. The Eagles landed on third place after besting the former six-peater Pythons on penalties.C
Tigers regain men’s soccer title
GOING FOR GOAL. Bullrider plays offense during the delayed men’s soccer championship game.
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topping a late Bullrider surge in the second half, the College of Arts and Sciences forced a shootout and scored on all of their penalty kicks to claw past the College of Agriculture, winning their first men’s soccer championship since 2010 on September 17 at the University Soccerfield. During the final match of the series, which was originally scheduled the day before, ArtScies overcame a very physical Aggie offense and an early disadvantage, forcing an extension and capitalizing
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Layout by Kristoffer James L. Nambatac
[H. MAGTRAYO]
on a penalty shootout to win the match. The Aggie fielders scored the first goal of the match when they took advantage of a flubbed pass from the Tigers’ goalie, and Juede Sabaldana made the point-blank goal. Later in the half, the match was briefly delayed after a collision between two Aggies when they tried to intercept Tiger Nguyen Thai Son. After a brief argument between the Bullriders and the match referee, Cedric de Gracia then forced a deadlock for ArtScies. The Tiger onslaught did not stop there, as Son received a pass
By Lyle Justin A. Egay
from de Gracia and scored from the side, to end the half with the Tigers in the lead, 2-1. Michael Jayson of the Bullriders scored, tying the match in the middle of the second half. Midway through the half, Bullrider Harry Segura had to leave the game, suffering from an ankle gash after another collision. The two colleges then went back and forth and the match was forced to go into overtime, ending 2-2 in regulation. The score remained in a standstill all throughout the 5-minute extension. All penalty kicks were made by both colleges except one from the Bullriders, which spelled the difference of the game. The end drew near for the Aggies when Mang Pau K of the Tigers made his penalty kick, while the Bullriders’ dreadlocked veteran Richard Rapirap missed his. While both colleges made all of their subsequent penalty kicks, the miss was enough to spell doom for the Aggies and victory for the Tigers 5-4. The College of Arts and Sciences went on a four-year gold streak that spanned until 2010, while the College of Agriculture has gotten silver in the end event for three years.C
Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Sports
Warriors tame Tigers, Lady Eagles defend top takraw spot dominate taekwondo
By Kevin Paul P. Mabul
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he Warriors displayed harmonious ballhandling and well-placed kills as they outlasted the Tigers in a classic 3-2 win with the decision going down to the last possession en route to capturing the sepak takraw title for two straight years on September 16 at the University Covered Courts. Initially having only a handful of spectators, the crowd started to ramp up as the finals closed in. Warrior and Tiger supporters dominated the takraw court, each having their own battle cries and cheers as the two colleges supported their teams fighting for the gold. The Warriors blitzed the Tigers in the first round giving them a five-point lead. Their point streak broke, but was then immediately restored. The round belonged to the College of Engineering (COE), with a huge lead in the score of 15-6. The Tigers set to get things even after losing the first round. With swift serves and return spikes, they literally turned the scores around, with a score of 15-6 in the second set. The third set ended with the same victor, putting pressure on the Warriors as they needed to win the next two games to win while the Tigers needed just one. The Warriors put themselves together on the
fourth round, having an initial lead of six points. The game heated up as the teams tied 10-10. A fierce battle near the net ensued and both teams returned shots with high angle headings from the Warriors and gentle decisive ball pushes from the Tigers. Eventually, the Warriors won the round with a four-point lead. Both teams gave it their all on the final round as the lag between scores never went up more than two points. They tied with each other on their way up until the 15th point, leading to a slidetwo, thus extending the game. An exciting display of acrobatics, athleticism, and fast response times were seen in both teams with the crowd going wild over each clash and point scored. The match concluded with the last two points going to the COE, with all Warriors, players and spectators alike, cheering seconds before the last shot from the Tigers hit outside the court. The Eagles settled into the third spot after soaring over the Wizards. While the Warriors took the throne from the Knights during previous year’s intramurals, their previous greatest opponent didn’t get their chance to retake what used to be theirs as they failed to make it to the semi-finals.C
RETALIATE. Warrior and Tiger counter each other’s spikes in sepak takraw.
By Leasusana C. Ty
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massing 62 points from eight medals, the lady Eagles surpassed all the colleges after a long day of kicks and blocks for the taekwondo women’s division matches on September 9 at the University Gymnasium. With their powerful kicks, lady Eagles topped off their respective divisions: Jhoie Malalay, flyweight; Golda Murillo, finweight; Janine Alambatang, lightweight; and Isabella Alvarez, welterweight. Fritzie Daquipil and Florence Tangente of the Eagles had also made their place as they cut through their ranks giving them bronze in finweight and bantamweight respectively. Meanwhile, Eagles Kaye Potot and Alexan Bagas won second and third places in the featherweight division. Following closely were Tigresses Danesa Santos, Jo-ann Salcedo and Drusilla Dalapu who placed second in the finweight, flyweight, and bantamweight divisions respectively. Rianna Golez also did not let the Tigers down by placing third in featherweight. On the other hand, lady Pythons ranked third with Marielle Garces who warped the game with speed and power as she dominated the bantamweight division. Both earning bronze in flyweight were lady Pythons Charmaine Lacsina and Sugar Mae Vasquez. Charging forward with power and flashing kicks, lady Bullriders nabbed fourth in the ranks with Lovely Coquilla earning bronze in bantamweight and Stanney Ampo grabbing silver in lightweight. Warriors ranked fifth as Christien Ipanag fought her way up with her graceful yet fierce kicks, giving her a well deserved gold in the featherweight division while Stephanie Secerio took third place [ J. PATANA ] in the finweight division.C
Layout by Kristoffer James L. Nambatac
www.thecrusaderpublication.com
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Sports
Eagles complete three-peat in women’s softball By Rochelle D. Barros
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he Eagles flirted with danger before scoring two straight to overwhelm the Warriors in a battle of speed and strategy, stabbing the grand slam championship on September 16 at the XU Open Field. The Eagles took an early flight on the offensive. First batter Xanyza Abejuela got them an instant home run which set an intense mood for both of the teams. In response, the Warriors built up firm defenses on the inside and outside field caging the Eagles’ score to a single point in the first half inning. However, the Eagles proved that their defense was even tougher. With their quick reflexes, they caught every hit made by the Warriors and ousted their first three batters, maintaining a 1-0 score at the end of the first inning.
The Warriors strengthened their defense in the second inning to block the Eagles from advancing but were unable to contain Eagles Imary Lagare and Abejuela from tossing two points for the Eagles. The tides shifted for the Warriors as they took their stance on the offensive. One out and three tags later, the fifth and sixth batters were able to position themselves on the bases after delivering good hits. The seventh batter, Leira Caga, whacked an outfield-fly, paving the way for her and the two other Warriors to reach home, scoring three consecutive points for their team, thus forcing a stalemate. With another home run from the Warriors towards the end of the inning, the game was in an unexpected turn-around when the Warriors took the lead, 4-3.
Eagles reign kings and queens of chess
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BM Eagles lorded over the CIT Knights as they played the decision game on who takes the glory of being chess champion on September 12 at the Magis Student Complex canteen. After two tense hours, the Eagles took flight with a team score of eight points, reclaiming their title from last year’s champions, the Warriors, who came in second with a team score of seven points, followed by the Knights in third place, also with a team score of seven points. The Eagles’ triumph was not anticipated after scoring the least points of the first round. “Wala mi nag-expect na ma-champion pa mi balik kay sa first games pa lang, pilde na,” says Eagle Joshua Ebarle. The Eagles soared after the first round defeat, flying steady as they scored a consistent two points for the team in the succeeding rounds resulting in a winning eight points. The Eagles clawed back the title that was previously theirs in Intramurals 2010. Individual boards were dominated by different colleges. Warrior Paul Omongos snatched gold in board one with an overwhelming five-point sweep. John Feril of the JPRSM Wolves earned gold with four points in the second board while Knight Rodel Emano with four points, and Dave Du, Jr. with five points, claim gold in boards three and four
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Layout by Kristoffer James L. Nambatac
respectively. Board number five was dominated by Wizard Henry Ty as he won gold, scoring one and a half points. Although the terrain has been rough for the Eagles, cutting short individual triumphs, the odds have been in their favor as they emerged victorious as one. In the women’s division, the Eagles defended their title with nine points, only a point short of
The Eagles showed no signs of giving up. In the middle of the third and defining inning, Deanna Manile scored another point for the Eagles, tying the score to 4-4. The game finally came to a dramatic close as Kathlyn Villanueva slid her way to the home base just a split second before she was tagged by one of the Warriors. The final score was 5-4, in favor of the Eagles. It was a close and critical fight, with Eagles edging out their foe with a precarious point. But according to Eagle Abejuela, “We don’t care about the score, basta kuhaon namo ang dula. Kami ang gadala sa dula, dili sila.” Bagging bronze was the College of Arts and Sciences Tigers, holding off the Aggies Bullriders, last year’s finals contender, to fourth place.C
By Rico M. Magallona a perfect team score. The Warriors placed second with a team score of eight points, followed by the Wizards with a team score of seven, in third place. Eagles Mary Nalitan and Caroline Go soared high with five points, flawlessly earning gold in boards one and two respectively. Joannie Sagario was the lone Wolf to capture gold, ruling board three. Boards four and five were dominated by Tigers Ranilyn Abucayan and Rianna Golez.C
MIND GAMES. The men’s chess was a sport for the brains as SBM and CIT battle for the championship title.
[ R. MAGALLONA ]
Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Sports
Knights blank Tigers in men’s softball, claim grand slam
Warriors and Eagles share top Karate-do spot By Kevin Paul P. Mabul and Janrick Carl T. Romales
By John Kenneth E. Ching
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ith half of the core of their two previous men’s softball championship teams graduating, the Knights ensured that they got a nice advance graduation gift, claiming a third straight title in a shutout over the Tigers, 3-0. “Katong nag-pondo sa duha ka-championship nila, ako silang gi-motivate na daogon nila kay sayang kaayo ang time na ilang gi-pondo,” the Knights coach remarked. A three-run outburst in the first inning proved enough of a lead as the Knights held the Tigers at bay throughout the game. Knights’ ace Louis Kim Cabayacruz once again anchored a formidable defense as they stifled the Tigers throughout the game. At the top of the first inning, the Knights quickly put the first three Tiger batters out. Two early fumbles in the Tigers’ fielding led Michael Angelo Mendez and Menchie Boy Zamora to take advantage and score the first two runs for the Knights during the bottom. A triple by Chuck
Richard Sabasaje sent Jackson Paguican home for their third. The Tigers recovered in the second inning, forcing three of the four Knights batters to quick outs. Yet, the Knights did likewise to preserve their lead. The Knights quickly forced both a fly out and a strikeout in the third inning. Yet, the Tigers appeared poised for a shock comeback with Joshua Fuentes at scoring position. Cabayacruz ensured the Knights’grip of the title for at least one more year with a game-ending strikeout. “In the first inning, we got kind of rusty or something. It was rough but we got out of it pretty well,” explained Angelo Medal, Tigers’ catcher, on their subpar first inning performance. The Bullriders scored 7 runs in the deciding inning, coming from behind to claim third place, 9-4, against the Eagles.C
Eagles pierce Knights in women’s lawn tennis By Ma. Rosetti G. Villamor
SET IN MOTION. Tennis contender delivers a powerful serve.
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[ T. ABESAMIS]
he lady Eagles defended their title as overall champion in the women’s lawn tennis competition after the deciding doubles match against the Knights on September 15 at the Barangay 40 Tennis Court on Hayes Street. Eagles Ayn Magracia and Claire Alas fought an easy match against what seemed to be a one-woman army of the lady Knights Aira Mae Legaspi and Don Salcedo, 8-2. A heartbreaking miscue from Salcedo gave the Eagle pair the winning point.
The series which led to the doubles square off began with the first singles match between Magracia and Legaspi. The lady Eagle dominated the entire match after a hapless performance by the Knight, 8-1. The second single match proved to be a different story with Alas and Salcedo fighting head to head. In the end, Salcedo’s precision and power exceeded that of Alas’ with a score of 8-7, forcing a deciding third set. With a single match score of 1-1, the deciding doubles match was the Knights’ last chance to claim the title for their own but the Eagles’ strong defenses kept the CIT ladies in second place. Meanwhile, lady Bullriders Marielle Suazo and Julia Lacandalo charged the Bullriders to third place after winning both single matches against Quinzy Guba and Sheila Caracol respectively. The lady Eagles attribute their triumph to cooperation and support. According to Magracia, “Our opponent was a big challenge for us but both of us set a game plan so that we could win. We couldn’t do it without teamwork and that’s our advantage.” Alas also adds, “I believe that we also won because of the support that we have received from our teammates, coach, and our fellow SBM. It motivated us to do to everything that we can to win the game.”
SIBLING RIVALRY. Bullrider Varias (right) roundhouse kicks eagle Varias (left). [ R. AVELLANA]
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fter a long day of matches with teams giving it their all, the Engineering Warriors and the SBM Eagles emerged at top place with the same number of gold, silver, and bronze wins, putting both at a tie with a score of 83 points. Trailing far behind in second place is the CompStud Wizards with 39 points and the Nursing Pythons in third place with 34 points. The two top squads’ wins came from different competitions as they dominated the Karate-do event. The Eagles topped the men’s division, while the lady Warriors ruled the women’s division. Both individual and team men’s Kata events belonged to the Warriors Alexandre Pacturan, and him, Tom Jason Abao and Micheal Mandac respectively. The women’s Kata events were won by Python Ruxil Bagares for the individual game and Eagles Jennilou Naguita, Sheine Gomez, and Fatimah Alonto for the team play. The Kumite events followed with the Eagles dominating the men’s division, accumulating four victories. Justine Gabor topped the 55 kg class, Joanah James Bacalso the 65 kg, Ronz Samson the 70 kg. Meanwhile, the SBM team composed of Kristian Puentenegra, Christian Varias, and Ranz Samson won the team Kumite event. In addition, Leonard Lusabia of the Wizards placed first in the 60 kg class. The lady Warriors on the other hand won the most games in their division. Jailaine dela Cruz reaped gold in the 53 kg class, Lindsey Tablan in the 55 kg, and the Engineering team for the team Kumite match. The Tigers placed first on the 60 kg class played by Donnah Villareal while the Wizards Chara Lee Lacang took the 65 kg class.C
Layout by Kristoffer James L. Nambatac
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Sports
Warriors trip Bullriders, dominate swimming By Micka Angela Victoria B. Virtudazo
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he Warriors extended their dominion over the waters, harvesting 22 medals out of the 24 events to deny the perennial swimming champion Bullriders of the bull’s-eye in the swimming competition held on September 12 at the Pelaez Sports Center. With a point deficit of 167 to 130 points from the nearest competitor, the tribe lorded over the rest to claim the top spot. One of the highlights of the competition was the gradual race of point margins between the Warriors and the Bullriders that created a simultaneous threat to both sides and piercing cheers from the audience. After battling with finesse, the Warriors gathered appreciations from the crowd. “Competitive kaayo sila na mga players [Engineering] and akong nakita na technique nila kay bahala’g dili sila ma-first basta maka-place sila sa kada-event. Kusog gyud ang Aggies pero daghan events na wala sila naka-place pero close gyud kaayo ang fight,” says Warren Villanueva, spectator. Despite settling for second best record in this year’s intramurals, the Aggie team dis-
BREATHE. Contenders of the swimming competition glide through the swimming pool at the Pelaez Sports Center to outdo for their respective college in a race over waters.
played great performances in almost all events. “Ang na-feel sa akong team kay competitive mi and confident kay tungod ga-practice mi as a team always. Siguro among labaw kay ang strength
[ V. VILLO ]
and determination to win para sa among college, and among unity as a team,” says Kyle Recto, team captain of Aggies Swimming Team.C
Warriors stomp on Eagles in lawn tennis By Robert A. Villaluz, Jr. with reports from Louren B. Aranas
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eamwork and composure propelled the Engineering Warriors over the top-seeded Eagles as they emerged champion in the intramurals’ lawn tennis men in a thrilling 8-6 finals game held on September 15 at the maroon-dominated Barangay 40 Tennis Court on Hayes Street. Male warriors Daryll Bahinting and Ian Nikko Obsid overcame a late outpour by the Eagles duo Paulo Fermin and Aldon Apa-ap to win the deciding doubles match and held their foe’s flight to second place edging 2-1 games on aggregate.
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Layout by Kristoffer James L. Nambatac
It was a closely played series as both teams claimed one game apiece before the clincher. In the first singles match, Bahinting overpowered Eagle bet Carlo Sagrado in a lopsided 8-2 victory. Eagle ally Fermin avenged the team’s loss, scoring a hardly contested 8-3 win over Obsid, forcing a doubles match to decide the victor. Unforced errors troubled the Eagles early on where the Warriors capitalized in to grab the driver’s seat. Majority of the exchanges made were taken by the maroon team as they pulled ahead with just one win away from the
title. The top team after the seeding sparked a run for the last chance at gold, knocking on the door by trailing 6-7 before the Warriors cut their hopes short by salvaging on the weak right short spot of the Eagles’ defenses to grab a well-deserved 8-6 win. The Wizards also upped the college’s scores as dreaded duo Marco Araneta and Franz Cabigas clobbered Aggies raqueters Michael Angelo Ching and Kevin Medez after a first singles and the deciding doubles win, lifting the CompStud to the third place finish.C
Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Campus Feature
By Louren B. Aranas and Nadine Hendrikka E. Legaspi
“P
lease be guided that this ‘hair dye and hairstyle phenomenon’ does not have the approval of the Office of Student Affairs.”
You may have noticed that some college cheerleaders dyed and bleached their hair, flabbergasting the public, for the competition they painstakingly practiced for. In an institution such as ours, it turns out that numerous people stick to what they believe is ‘normal’—and reject everything they think isn’t. Stressed tresses “…I am requesting all students with heavily dyed and weird haircut to refrain from wearing your prescribed uniforms inside and outside the campus as you are being disrespectful of the good image of the school you are part of…” said Mrs. Irene Grace Guitarte, Director of Student Affairs, in an open statement she issued via her Facebook account. The sudden boom of peculiar bright yellow and red heads, followed by Mrs. Guitarte’s statement, caused an uproar as students and faculty expressed differing opinions. Online posts associated them with “walking Angry Birds” and compared them to celebrities like Charice Pempengco. Not one cheerleader’s side was heard in that online skirmish. Cheerleaders felt shocked and judged upon reading the statement. A base from the SBM Eagles All-Stars thought coloring one’s hair, regardless of the hue, wouldn’t cause any commotion and that people were probably only overwhelmed by their number. “I thought people [were] just overreacting,” he shares, since they have seen ‘weirder’ hairstyles. In tangles To make their performances more “appealing” and to look unified were the cheerleaders’ primary intentions. Rule-breaking didn’t cross their mind. The Tigers thought of cutting it short, yet other members disagreed so they compromised on bleaching—originally platinum white, but resorted to blonde. The Eagles decided
on red as it complemented their costumes. The Aggie Bullwhippers wanted to give a bigger impact than their distinct short hairdos in the previous year, hence going blonde. The cheerleaders received waves of criticism and praise when they donned their newly dyed manes. Several students were impressed by their guts to have bold tresses, yet others expressed their distaste—a little too much. “Naa dayon to duha ka Aggies na pag-gawas nila [gikan] sa elevator, gi-ignan dayon sila’g, ‘Naa ra ang mga disrespectful oh,’” shared one Tiger flyer. “They’re calling us disrespectful pero ilang pag-treat sa amoa, sila na mismo ga-disrespect sa amoa,” added another. Although they were given a week to restore their manes, most of the female Tigers and Bullwhippers allowed their tresses to recover from the process for a longer time, lest their hair would get permanently damaged. Straightening it out Even without any complaints from parents and alumni, Guitarte said she would still release the open statement. Her grounds have been branded as oldschool, which she doesn’t take any offense from; most of the reactions express dismay, as it is seen as discrimination. She didn’t reply to any feedback in her account because she respects others’ views in the same way she wants hers to be respected. Many students have reacted strongly on her stand not being in line
with the student handbook’s policies. She explains on “going back to the original essence of things”: “When we talk about personal grooming, that basically talks about everything…We have what we call normative standards as a Jesuit Catholic school. We know what is acceptable,” Guitarte answered. Students should be concerned about the public’s perception of XU since it carries a “good name” and “people expect a lot from us”, she adds. Guitarte says that a sense of maturity is expected from people at this age, hence, going into detail on hair matters is unnecessary. She stresses that preferences are out of the question when talking about policies and that there should be a “sense of propriety” or “proper time, place for everything”. She clarifies that she has nothing against hair dyeing per se. When asked if this controversy has died down, she says it depends on the “openness of those concerned”. Ms. Guitarte reportedly flashed a peace sign at one of the All Stars, which the Eagle showed in return, as a sign of reconciliation. *** What then is the ideal XU student? As a Tiger puts it, what matters most is how a student excels in his performance and how he carries himself. A Bullwhipper says an Atenean is one who is committed to do what it takes to excel—even temporarily dyeing hair to stand out in a competition. In the end, it all boils down to perspective. Others took the unconventional hairstyles as a sign of rebellion, while others viewed it as an example of how people today are starting to become more open to change. What had been perceived as unacceptable is now considered an expression of creativity and uniqueness. Because we have different perceptions, it is expected that we see things in varying shades. After all, what matters is how we use our heads; not how they may look.C
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Design by Francis Ryan Avellana
Standouts
Wellmax Sario | Basketball Men
Mary Joy Nalitan | Chess Women Practice, prayer, and passion. These are the key factors why MJ, junior BS Accountancy student, got her second gold in the XU Intramurals. Inspired by her father, this Eagle started to practice chess while she was still in Grade 4. Ever since that time, she has continued to soar higher until she reached her summit when she played in the Palarong Pambansa. Aside from being a fierce competitor in the field of chess with her experience and skintight focus on the game, it is interesting to note that this girl is an anime-lover and a Naruto fan.C
Jailaine Dela Cruz | Karatedo Women Initially participating in Karate class for only the fun of it during her fifth grade in elementary, Jailaine started to see the sport differently and loved it as she learned different values associated with Karate that she can’t learn in the classroom. Winning first place during the intramurals’ 53kg Kumite sparring, she confessed her mindset before the game, “Nag-prepare gyud mi dili para mu-daog, but to enjoy what we love.”C
Jhon Rey Vicoy | Badminton Men Experience and strategy are the keys of winning for Jhon Rey. The Tigers’ smasher gunned gold for Badminton men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles with his strong attacks. He started playing the sport when he was in high school but was more focused after he graduated. His passion towards the sport paved his way to emerging victorious in badminton tilts from the CdeO Fiesta Cup to commercial tournaments held in Manila.C
Daryll Bahinting | Lawn Tennis Men Daryll says that his primary motivation in being focused on this sport is his group of friends. “Gipugos dayon ko sa mga [taga-]Engineering,” he shares. He started playing lawn tennis in Grade 4 but took a break when he reached high school. He is able to balance studying and playing as he practices during his spare time, making it easy for the Warriors to claim the sport’s championship title in this year’s intrams. C 20
Often among the smallest players on the court at any given minute during the games, Wellmax plays bigger than what his physical stature suggests especially after leading an undersized and underrated Bullriders team to the finals. Athletic and shifty for a point guard, he causes problems for the opponent’s defenses with his daredevil drives to the hoop. He counts his brother as his inspiration in playing the game. Being a varsity player in grade school and high school, he aspires to become part of the college varsity team. C
Lee Michael Paayas | Athletics Men Lee was just an asthmatic boy back in his kindergarten years but ever since he started getting into sports in first grade, he was never the same. Participating in Little Milo Olympics in track and field back in sixth grade, Michael has been making his comeback in the same field for two years now. This versatile Tiger has also participated in basketball this intrams and has been instrumental to their squad’s success.C
Paul Omongos | Chess Men An inspired and determined player comes back glorious after falling short in the previous intramurals. This Warrior has known how to play chess since Kinder 2, but was never fond of it. “Dula-dula ra man jud ni ako,” he says. Years later, encouraged by his trainer and inspired by grandmasters, he has learned to love and appreciate the beauty of playing the sport, a beauty which he cannot explain.C
Nguyen Thai Son | Football Men Scoring a goal and a penalty kick in the ArtScies’ final match, Nguyen is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the Tigers’ men’s soccer team. This prodigy earned his stripes while growing up in Vietnam, and has proven to be one of the anchors in the Tiger football club. Not only does Nguyen bring talent to the ArtScies, he also attributes his success to his teammates. C
Christian Varias | Karate-do Men A current brown-belter, this senior Marketing major has been training with his brother for the last 15 years, starting as early as seven years old. In this span of time, he has participated in various national events such as the Philippine National Games and the Philippine Olympic Festival held in Dagupan in the previous year. Though tied as overall champion in the2011 Intramurals Karatedo competition, the Eagles had the upper hand against the Warriors in the men’s division, where Christian greatly performed in. C Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Standouts
Roselle Lou Mendoza | Football Women Scoring all two goals of the football women’s finals, Roselle was the instrument to the Tigers’ championship stint. The senior Psychology student was part of the CdeO bets for national competitions before. This Tigress played in numerous intramurals, even injuring herself once before. Still, this did not stop her from playing the game. Like they say, nothing is more dangerous than a wounded tiger.C
Edward Marlo Pacifico | Taekwondo Men A Warrior with an indomitable spirit best describes this fifth year ECE student who won his third gold medal in the XU Intramurals. Influenced by his cousin, Edward started practicing Taekwondo when he was in Grade 4. He then entered tournaments like the COSAA, Triangular Meet, and Philippine Olympic Festival, among others. He also became a University varsity player for two years. To leave the University without regrets and become the pride of the Engineering community was his main motivation in winning gold this year.C
Adrian Mainit | Sepak Takraw Having loved the game takyan during elementary, Warrior Adrian fell for Takraw when he played for a regional meet in grade school. Since then, he has participated in various events like the National PRISAA, Philippine Olympic Festival, and Palarong Pambansa. Being the team captain and Tekong of the Warriors’ Takraw Team, this fifth year Civil Engineering student steered his team to victory with an impressive display of teamwork and raw skill.C
Nicolo Padilla | Ultimate Frisbee Known by the CdeO Frisbee community as “Kulas”, this Psychology student started playing Ultimate as a high school boy in Iligan City when seasoned Ultimate players were invited to his school. Fast forward five years, he is a regular in local and national Ultimate tournaments, earning various accolades in the process. His recent achievement was steering his college to the first ever ultimate Frisbee championship of the XU intramurals.C
Lito Baylosis | Table Tennis Men This top-seeded spinner first played table tennis when he was in Grade 1. Though he stopped playing in the fourth grade, Lito’s passion towards the sport was renewed when he was in high school. This Eagle gets his inspiration from the love of his life, his parents, family and God. His precise serves and surefire smashes have brought him to Milo tournaments and various fiesta invitational games, making him a heavily-awarded player in the sport.C
John Claude Salas | Volleyball Men John’s love for volleyball dates back to his elementary days. His talents didn’t go unnoticed when he entered college as he was once part of the University volleyball varsity. This Tiger was appointed as team captain by his teammates, a title to which he did not disappoint. Leading a team of champions made him a valuable player, continuing last year’s legacy and calling everyone on his squad “the best players”.C
Ayn Magracia | Lawn Tennis Women This sophomore Business Administration student started playing tennis in Grade 5 and had won many tennis tournaments like MILO competitions and regional meets. Had it not been for the support of her parents and her barkada, BANGS gang, she would not have been successful in defending the Eagles’ title. Her fascination towards shawarma rice, pasta and ice cream inspires her to own a business in the food industry someday.C
Kathlyn Villanueva | Softball Women A Business Administration student in her third year, Kathlyn has also been the Eagles’ pitcher for three years now. She started playing softball and joining interschool competitions when she was in high school. Some of the competitions she participated in such as PRISAA, Triangular, Regional and National meets were held in Lanao, Tangub, and Tarlac. Kathlyn said that she targets the batters’ weakness by varying the direction of her pitches, which is one of the reasons why the Eagles’ softball team remains unbeatable.C
Zara Jade Barberan | Volleyball Women With her statuesque figure and seasoned game play, Zara was a standout since the elimination matches. Having played volleyball and been in the varsity team in high school, her experience in the sport is apparent in her winning spikes and blocks. Though many would assume that she’s been playing in the Intramurals for long, it was her first time to play for her college– and play she did, as she was most instrumental in taking the Tigers to the top spot.C
Kimberly Alia | Athletics Women Showing promise in the field of speed and garnering gold for four years straight, Kimberly, now on her fifth year in BS Civil Engineering humbly smiles on her achievements. Her secret? Focus—not to think of anything else, just the finish line. This Warrior has also participated in basketball, soccer and softball in the past years. Now graduating, she leaves her legacy for the next Eng’g runners to come.C
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Design by Francis Ryan Avellana
Campus Feature
By Princess E. Tolentino and Jacquel ine P. Uy
D
ancing shoes, sparkling dresses and several pairs of dancers from the various colleges owned the floor of the XU Gymnasium on September 18, 2012 for this year’s Dancesport competition. Albeit being on a Sunday, the spectators were hyped up and ready to cheer for their favorite pair who was vying for the gold in the Latin and Modern Standard category. When you spend days of watching manly sports, you’d want to see something different. Indeed, after a week of ball games and a whole lot of athleticism, it was time for a night of glitz, glamour and grace. The heated Latin showdown Swift spins, splits and sexy dance moves seemed to be the theme of the Latin division that night as the pairs seduced the audience with their striking performances. Different from the elegant Modern Standard category, the Latin category is more fun and playful in nature. The contestants’ sequin-embellished costumes and miracle fabrics emphasized movement while the eight pairs representing their respective colleges performed traditional dance styles including Cha-cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive. Now who would’ve thought that pair 007 from the Center of Integrated Technologies
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Design by Janrick Carl T. Romales
would take the place of champion in the Latin category that night? “Honestly, I didn’t expect to win gyud,” modestly expressed Chuck Sasuman. “Knowing that sa finals gamay ra among supporters, but with that few supporters and our families, they [boosted] our confidence to perform well.” Without a doubt, Sasuman and partner Aira Legaspi’s supporters wailed in excitement as the pair donning yellow and white with gold accents was announced winners. Being neophytes in the competition wasn’t all that obvious as they skillfully danced their way to gold. Eagles Michael Formentera and Jumaline Luga won second place while Bullriders John Ong and Harlie Abejuela bagged third place. Flight to the Modern Standard The Modern Standard competitors were second to regale the audience. Pair 011 Dryan Anthony Illana and Valerie Irene Claveria of the School of Business and Management wowed the crowd with their elegant moves as they sashayed around the floor of the gymnasium. Aptly dressed in a red and black number, the pair danced to the slow beat of the music with poise and confidence, eliciting cheers and nods from the crowd. They worked hand-in-hand to create the dance that made the audience swoon.
Ultimately, their grace and charisma made them fitting champions in the Modern Standard category. “Faith in ourselves made us win the gold,” shares Claveria. Their passion for dance was evident in the way they moved and grooved to the music. Pair 009 from the College of Agriculture placed second with Emily Balistoy sporting a fun orange ensemble and Julius Borres in a black trail suit. College of Engineering’s Nory Cagatin and partner Jesus Rangcasajo placed third. *** The annual dancesport competition is one of the most anticipated events in the intramurals. But not evidently so this time, as the gym was hardly filled with eager viewers. As experienced every year, it seems that majority of event goers is composed only of the competitors’ intimate supporters as well as athletes anticipating the awarding ceremony. This year is no exemption. Even though Dancesport 2012 was easily overpowered by the closing ceremony, it was still an energetic and stylish event to close this year’s intramurals.C
Vol. 39 No. 3 September 2012
Lampoon
Cora Contrabida The Purple Curse T
here comes a time in a girl’s life where she takes a wrong turn and the whole world collapses. Some get knocked up too early. Some choose the wrong career path. My biggest mistake was when I bleached my hair purple just before XU Intrams 2012. Can you blame me? Purple hair looked cool at the time. But the odds were never in my favor; not only did the cheap hair-dye formula kill my precious locks but it also sentenced me to school alienation. A bit like the Jews tagged with colored badges made mandatory by Hitler, my purple hair screamed “disrespectful student” in the eyes of the school all because a bunch of cheer squads thought hair color could help them win the competition. And I wasn’t even a cheerdancer (not like I want to be one... cough, cough)! More odds beat me down when the infamous cheerdance competition passed right under my nose. Where were the posters? The neon signs? Or even blaring jingles from dump trucks? Maybe I need to check my glasses and ears cause I saw and heard zilch. Imagine my heartache when a pretty little bird told me it was the LAST cheerdance XU will ever see. No more stunts. No more throws. No more waiting for an accident to complain about. Crud. It did cheer me up to hear from the same pretty little bird that the people who dazzled their eyes with the cheerdancers’ moves and skirts also almost shattered their eardrums from a host’s high-pitched cheering. Although it still would have been a treat
to have heard Fr. Bobby, the beloved Kung Fu Panda’s speech. “Win or loooossseee, it is Xavier we choooossseee…” Sigh...double crud. Unfortunately, the darn odds did not stop at turning its mischievous head my way. Classes and the projects that came with them kept bombarding the time I could have spent watching the expected clash between the Warriors and SBM. Even the NSTP class was unforgiving. I feel bad for all those intrams players who missed all those quizzes and oral recitations in the name of their respective colleges. The creepy thing about this ordeal was the feeling that my misfortunes affected other people. It was as if I was put under a curse and unfortunate events followed everywhere my purple hair went. The few times I managed to watch a soccer game, a player got injured and incidentally, no medic came. She was just set aside, groaning in pain, and the game continued as if she was invisible. The curse also came with me while I watched a basketball match. The players always ended up rolling on the basketball court. A player literally FLEW outside the court and landed in the bleachers. I swear! I saw it with my own eyes (and I made sure my glasses were totally fine by then)! I tried to tell myself that curses were just downright ridiculous. Maybe it was normal for the first aid people to not be there when they are needed and maybe basketball players liked to kiss the basketball court for good luck. But I couldn’t help but wonder... what if all those people got hurt because of my purple hair?
Dun dun dun. Crud to the power of a billion. Grandma Contrabida was right. Maybe curses were real. Oh, purple hair, why me? Why did you have to be disrespectful? Why did you let hectic deadlines move me to deactivate my Facebook and make me miss that post about the cheerdance? Why did you have to make all those people suffer? Why couldn’t you be just like all the other normal purple hair? I couldn’t take it anymore. The disrespectful purple hair had been driving me crazy long enough. I did what I had to do: dyed my locks back to black. I will not doubt you again, Grandma. Things were normal after that. I might have missed the unexpected rise of the ArtScies to the Intrams throne but there was nothing I could do. Classes continued as if the intrams never happened. The persistent colored manes around campus were the only trace of the sport event. University life moved on. *** The mistakes we make shape us to become a better person. It teaches us things. The road to bleached hair has transformed me into a less vain Cora and I congratulated myself on becoming a hero of sorts for having saved a lot of people from the curse, although I was the only one who knew about it. If there was one thing I did learn—never again will I go purple. Next time, I’ll try green.C
Illustration by Rico M. Magallona
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Dear ate Charot, Te char, nakoy problema, wala koy kwarta! Echos! Bitaw, tawaga nalang ko sa pangalang Aryana K. Isda. Nakoy kutob ate na akong bf kay nay lain. Kay sauna walay password iya phone, karon kay naa nay password iyang brief. Joke! Naay nanawag sa iya ate and ingon siya iya daw barkada and ang name kay Charot. Joke again. Ang name kay Ann. Unsaon mani nako ate? Unsaon nako pag buking? Ngnong lisod basahon ang bisaya? Nganong bugnaw na siya sako? Nganong lahi rajud akong pamati? Unsay bisaya sa cake? Nganong musakay paman ug elevator kung second floor ra taman? Tabange ko ate. Pleyas! I’m Vegging you! P.S. Paki paging ko sako nawala na lola. Adtong niaging adlaw pa siya nag jogging hantod karon wa pa kabalik. Matsala. Dear Aryana, Bahala ka sa buhay mo, jokens! Sorry langga kay ako na iya lab. Joke again. Well, kana jung kutob kutob kay sometimes tinood jud na noh. Like ako, nakoy kutob nga gwapa kaayo ko. Sus, tinood jud! Well, sosyal imo uyab kay nay password iyang brief. Wala na sakong nunal kay nay wifi. Sunda siya sa iyang lakaw. Pag spy sa iyaha. Pag ala Angelina Jolin girl! Dear Ate, Gi stalk nako siya and nahibaw-an nako nga si Ann ay Anndrew pala. Well, anyways salamat!
Na! Aryang wala najud koy mabuhat ana if nag change man diay ug taste imong bf. Basta live life to the police, Joke! Foolish bitaw. #YOLO Hanggang sa muli... Hala sige babye!
Sa ulo nga nagbabagang baga! Usa ka building sa XU hapit nasunog! Mga estodyante abi ug fire drill! Usa ka lalakeng estodyante niambak sa building, Iyang last word, “DARNA”! Usa ka baka nisulod sa lata, Corned beef na! Hilumon nga lalake gikasuhan sa pagka tabian! Upaw nag suot ug turtle neck naalalan nga Roll-on! Akyat bahay gang sa DV nianaog! Wakwak nanamin, nahadlok!
To join: photocopy this Kurisearch with your answers and submit your entry to TheCrusader Publication office at STC 302 with your name and contact number. Lucky participants will recieve limited edition collectibles. Congrats sa mga winners sa last Kurisearch contest! Hurrah! Dawata ang usa ka sako nga bugas, luto na! Joke lang best! Get your prizes at TheCrusader Office STC 302. And the winners are... “Tantananan!” : Jezryl V. Butaya, Gypsy Gem Gayonan, Robert Ramos Jr. Congrats!!