WHAT?S A basketball game without a pep squad? These are the guys in jackets and white pants, wearing proudly their school colors, leading the crowd head-on.
Spectators may take them for granted, but they are the unsung heroes of the game. They are there before and after each match, preparing and planning, making sure to keep the crowd alive and to show confidence performing at the center court during halftime. It is definitely no easy job.
Neill Jose wanted just that job. He?s now with the newly reorganized pep squad of San Beda, now called the San Beda Red Corps. Neill says he joined the squad because cheering is something different. ?It is something not everyone can do,? he says.
?Cheering is very hard because you need to liven up the crowd, for not everyone can face a hundred people and perform. I get the confidence when the crowd joins in with the singing and the chanting.? Not to mention most of the chants are composed of made-up tongue-twisting words.
Giving cheer
Cheerleading is not foreign to him?he was with the La Salle Green Hills squad in high school. Older Bedan alumni would remember the days La Salle and Ateneo were still part of NCAA, and when Bedans and Lasallians were allies. Now that he has crossed over to the red side, he says: ?I really like the fighting spirit of a Bedan. We strive hard, no matter what we may go through.?
Neill believes cheerleading will help build his leadership skills since it?s a team effort: ?We need each other to survive, the squad taught me how communication is important.? He would like to help make the new squad grow.
?I want the squad to be stronger than ever.
I dream that we will be more disciplined and hardworking. When I?m on the hard court, I want to show what my school taught me and that is having virtue and strength of character.?
Describe your personality.
I?m someone who wants to laugh all the time. I?m a music person and I like to travel.
Something about yourself your friends do not know about:
I?m someone you can talk to if you have problems. I?m very patient and I can be your best friend.
Most embarrassing/funniest pep squad moment?
When the band was playing the beat, I was shouting the wrong cheer?that was so wrong.
What goes inside your head when you?re performing?
I try to talk to myself and set my mind, just to concentrate and focus. I always say to myself that ?cheer as if this were the championship game.?
Aside from the squad, what keeps you busy?
I like playing the guitar and listening to a lot of music.
Three things you can?t live without:
Myself, God and family.
Name a favorite song on your play list:
?Every Breath? by Boyce Avenue
What are the first three things you notice in a girl?
Her smile, sense of humor and patience.
After college, what are your plans?
I plan to study again in the US to take up my Masters in marketing and management. I want to work at the same time. I want to help my family for my dad and mom?s future so that they will be safe and secure.
