inquirer: green peppers spice up the CSB games

[meekachicka]

Wed. Mar. 7, 2001,
Philippine Daily Inquirer


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Green Peppers spice up CSB games
By Jules Alcantara
Inquirer News Service

WHAT is a game, any sports game, without an
organized cheering squad? No one will ever say
it is complete, right? Sure, there will be patches
of people rooting for their team or jeering and
shouting colorful expletives at the opposing
camp. But many will surely concur that any game
is boring, lacking in spice, unless we witness a
bunch of girls and boys in colorful outfits, all
pepped up to raise the spirits of the fans, all
hoping to further inspire their team to glorious
victory.

One of the cheering squads that stand out in today's collegiate basketball
leagues is the College of St. Benilde's Cheering Squad, more popularly
known as the CSB Green Peppers.

When the College of St. Benilde decided to form its own identity separate
from the De La Salle University in 1988, the creation of a separate
basketball team that will represent the college followed. "We began to
participate in the minor collegiate basketball leagues such as the NCRAA,"
narrates Raffy Punongbayan, one of the senior members of the CSB Pep
Squad.

In line with this, a couple of members of the DLSU Main Pep Squad who
studied in CSB decided to create a cheering squad for the college. As early
as 1993, the Pep Squad had begun its formation, but it was only in 1994
that the first official batch of the Pep Squad was launched in the College
Week of CSB. Nowadays, they lead in raising the Benildean school spirit in
the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball league.

The CSB Green Peppers used the La Sallian traditional cheers, but at the
same time introduced innovations and new cheers to suit the identity of
CSB.

The use of the same cheers poses no problems for both schools "kasi
we're sister schools naman eh," explains, Irvin Palacios, one of the Pep
Squad's leading drum beaters. Although the CSB Green Peppers carry the
traditional green white and black colors of La Salle, they sport a much
darker hue of green, almost moss-like in shade.

So why are they called the Peppers? According to Franco Jayme, president
of the Pep Squad, they got the inspiration from a drawing of one of the
drummers. "We are here to add spice to the game," he explains.

Through the cheers and jeers

The job of a cheerleader is not at all glamorous. They may wear fancy
uniforms and enjoy a certain amount of popularity among their schoolmates,
but basically that's where it ends. The CSB Peppers practice every
Saturdays, and more so during games and competitions. Not considered an
athletic group, they are not given any extra privileges such as scholarships
and benefits.

In fact, their task becomes much harder since they perform at half-time in
the NCAA, wherein admittedly there is, for lack of a better word, a much
"tougher" crowd to please. It's not at all a pretty job since the cheerleaders
are exposed to a lot of elements that are not always pleasant.

For instance, sometime last year, one of the female cheerleaders was
"tapped in the butt" by one of the players from a basketball team in Manila
right after a performance. Although they complained and cried foul to the
NCAA Board, no public apologies or suspensions were made to assuage
the humiliation the female cheerleader experienced.

In another incident, the boys of the Pep Squad who came to the rescue of
two Benildean students were "harassed" by one of the members of the
alumni of the team they were going against. Last year, a fellow Benildean
harassed the squad when they decided to endorse a political party in the
Student Council elections. Despite these unfortunate incidents, the members
of the squad are still persistent in their goal of elevating the Benildean school
spirit.

A major challenge for the squad is inspiring their fellow schoolmates to
cheer for the team. "We're still searching for our own identity as a school
that's why some of the students are not that interested to cheer,"
Punongbayan says. "But with the victory of the CSB Blazers in the NCAA,
I'm sure things will improve," Palacios adds.

Interestingly, the CSB Green Peppers are not allowed to do the archer
stance (which is one of the symbols identified with all the La Sallian
Schools) during their NCAA performances.

"Whether we win or lose, tuloy pa rin ang palo."

Cheerleading, Pinoy style

What does it take to become a Benildean cheerleader? The guys have to go
through a series of trials, one of which requires going "public"-they are
asked to perform certain stunts in front of the students. "We want to see if
they have the guts, because once they get accepted, they have to get used
to performing in front of a big, tough crowd," Jayme explains.

"We don't have any height or weight requirements. We are not even really
particular with looks. As long as they know how to dance, know how to do
stunts, are dedicated and they have the right attitude," explains Sherylle
Anne Yutadco, cocaptain of the Green Peppers and one of the most
popular cheerleaders in the country.

In fact, it is a widely known fact that some of the members of the squad are
a bit on the hefty side. Some quarters insist they do not fit in the typical
cheerleader image, but Yutadco says the "bigger" girls of the squad are
"very good." Yutadco, who was a cheerleader in Texas back in high school,
says there is a big difference between the cheering style here and in the US
where college cheerleading is elevated to a sports level.

There are a lot of gymnastic stuff, a lot of lifting and basket tosses. Here it's
really more on dancing and it's really more for entertainment," she explains.

One of the many reasons the Green Peppers stand out in the NCAA is the
fact that they do pure cheering, as opposed to some cheering squads whose
performances could very well be described as "Eat Bulaga" style-more on
dancing and gyrating rather than cheering and chanting. Not exactly a sight
to behold but just the same, they manage to pep up the crowd and make
their school cheers unique and entertaining.

And the winner is . . .

The Green Peppers have been reigning RX 93.1 Cheerleading Champions
for the last three years. The competition is open to all NCAA and UAAP
cheering squads. In 1998, they won against the formidable cheering squads
of University of the Philippines and University of Sto. Tomas. There were
supposed to be four teams competing in the 1999 competition, but some of
the teams (UP and UST) who were beset with injuries backed out, thus
leaving CSB to compete with sister school, DLSU.

Some quarters suggested the competition be turned into an exhibition
instead since both schools come from the same system. But this was not to
happen since if they had both wanted to avoid competing with each other,
one of them should have joined the RX 93.1 cheering competition to begin
with.

The CSB Green Peppers emerged victorious over their neighbor on Taft
Avenue. In 2000, the Peppers battled neck in neck with the acclaimed
cheering squad from the University of Sto. Tomas. Again, the Green
Peppers prevailed.

When asked who they admire among the cheering squads here in the
Philippines, Franco Jayme says it is definitely the DLSU Pep Squad, the
No. 1 on their list. "For us, they are the best in the UAAP! They're the
ones that really do pure cheering," he says.

Despite their successes, the Green Peppers are still raring to prove
themselves some more and excel in the field of cheerleading. They definitely
have what it takes to jumpstart their team in the upcoming NCAA
basketball season.

Definitely, a welcome "spice" to the game.

[sofia g9]

hey guys...i read the article...kewl...


animo benilde!

[Holier than thou]

Nice article. by the way, san don si khakishrt????

[ishikawa]

Originally posted by Holier than thou
Nice article. by the way, san don si khakishrt????

Is khakishrt from Benilde too??

[swizz]

*** KAYA DON???????????

[vAin_bRat]

hmm... i'm not sure if i should be babbling about who khakiskrt is.... just look for the really cute girl!!!! here's a hint, she's on top of the heap!! hehehe peace, friend!

[[Mang]mang]

i read it ok nga eh sikat na kyo.

[meekachicka]

no [mang]mang, sikat tayo!!!! hehehe
take care!!!

animo benilde!!

good luck kei sofia!!!!

[AltarBoy^_^]

SIKAT NANAMANG TAYONG MGA PAKER!!!

ANIMO BENILDE!!!

[khakiskrt]

Originally posted by vAin_bRat
hmm... i'm not sure if i should be babbling about who khakiskrt is.... just look for the really cute girl!!!! here's a hint, she's on top of the heap!! hehehe peace, friend!

Hi vain! wow... thanks for the compliment ha... see you soon! miss you how's your babe?


sino ako dun??? hmmmmm..........
sino kaya?

[AltarBoy^_^]

Originally posted by khakiskrt

Hi vain! wow... thanks for the compliment ha... see you soon! miss you how's your babe?


sino ako dun??? hmmmmm..........
sino kaya?

Yabang mo paker porke may picture ka dun! Taksil ka pa rin! Hope to see you in Porch kung tuloy ka man o INDYANERA ka pa rin!!! Pak U!!!

[khakiskrt]

Originally posted by AltarBoy^_^

Yabang mo paker porke may picture ka dun! Taksil ka pa rin! Hope to see you in Porch kung tuloy ka man o INDYANERA ka pa rin!!! Pak U!!!

PAKER!
sira ka talaga!

[Jackal]

muka kayong sprongklong paano kayo naging sikat

[meekachicka]

*** does SPRONGKLONG means b tlaga?

[AltarBoy^_^]

Hay salamat at sumipot na rin ang dapat sumipot sa Porch! Pak U mga pakers ng Porch!

[Jackal]

nako si khakiskrt nanaman ang sikat!!!!! lalagay talaga namin ni montanna pic mo para makilala ka talga khakiskrt bwhahahaha paker na ulikba na sprongklong sumipot kayo lahat sa porch.... si altarboy magpapainom

[AltarBoy^_^]

Originally posted by Jackal
nako si khakiskrt nanaman ang sikat!!!!! lalagay talaga namin ni montanna pic mo para makilala ka talga khakiskrt bwhahahaha paker na ulikba na sprongklong sumipot kayo lahat sa porch.... si altarboy magpapainom

Pak U!!! Manlilibre ako kung HINDI NA TAKSIL si Khakiskrt!!! Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!

[Holier than thou]

Originally posted by ishikawa

Is khakishrt from Benilde too??

I heard that she is from CSB-AKIC e, yung hotel-school.

[khakiskrt]

Originally posted by Holier than thou

I heard that she is from CSB-AKIC e, yung hotel-school.

yup! I'm from AKIC

[AltarBoy^_^]

PAKER KA PA RIN AT TAKSIL KHAKI!!! PAK U!!! PORCH ULIT!!!