In Conclusion: The Culminating Rites of USC Intramurals 2015

Photograph by Angelo Nico Daroy

In the light of coming together, sportsmanship and camaraderie, the annual week-long activity again reached denouement as the ever proud Carolinians gathered, blew horns and raved for their respective schools inside the Anselmo Bustos Sports Complex of the Downtown Campus on August 28.

At exactly 3:00 p.m., the culminating rites of USC Intramurals 2015 themed ‘Cleaning the Education Slate: Consolidating Renewed Foundation’ commenced, as the hosts Lara Mendoza and Jonathan Cimafranca, a host in the Sunday morning television show ‘MagTV Na!’, fired up the stadium, requesting for the loudest cheers the different schools could deliver.

An invocation, performed by the USC Theatre Guild, then followed, dazing the audience, as it tackled one of the most disheartening issues prevalent in the country – concubinage. The moral edified was about how innocent children result to drug abuse, alcohol, and other detrimental means for relief during and after the matter. Solemnity continued with the USC Choristers’ singing of the school and national anthems.

Immediately after, the awarding of the first batch of games – chess, swimming, table tennis – took place; trophies and medals were presented to the victors by the Director of Student Services, Fr. Emmanuel Sarabia, SVD, assisted by the Mr. and Ms. USC Intramurals 2015, 1^st and 2^nd runners-up, respectively.

Dubbed as the Katy Perry of the university, Melody Hodgson, a 4^th year Psychology major, alongside the USC Dance Club, added fuel to the already burning flames as she sang and got down to the artist’s popular song: Roar.

In succession, the second wave of awards were given to the winners of the 1^st set of major games (e.g. badminton, lawn tennis, soccer baseball) by the Vice President for Finance, Fr. Generoso Rebayla, Jr., SVD, assisted by the Mr. and Ms. USC Intramurals 2015, 2^nd and 1^st runners-up, respectively. Undefined Juniors, a group of children, aging from six to ten, who are competitors to the Hip-Hop Internationals in San Diego, California, then performed an impeccable hip-hop routine.

Later in the program, deafening roars and cheers filled the gymnasium as the most awaited activity of the day – The USC Pop-Jazz Competition – kicked off. Performances by the representatives from the different schools ensued and took spotlight.

The themes, as presented by the competitors, were intricate: entry number one, bronze ape world; two, Sia for ‘sale’; three, blue ninjas; four, black and yellow scorpions and chains, five, modern jokers; and six, sleek-matrix era. Most notable though were the performances of entries number two and four wherein the former’s robotic movements and forceful dance formations came off as equally sublime as the latter’s sharp stunts and impactful agility.

A grand showdown among the performers then followed, closing the contest proper.

Another awaited performance followed, as the USC Taekwondo Team put into show their mastery of the sophisticated art form through exhilarating rounds of sparring, which included a number of ply-board splitting techniques and taekwondo forms (taegeuk). The great belief that these forms of art are exclusively traditional and hesitant to change was disproven right after the team twerked and danced to the tune of today’s hits: Twerk it Like Miley and Watch Me.

The USC Dance Troupe’s graceful performance of the sway and jazz dances to the songs ‘Stuck on You’ and ‘Cheerleader’ ended the intermissions.

The last wave of awards were given to the winners of the 2^nd set of major games (e.g. basketball, football, volleyball), which was again led by the Vice President for Finance, Fr. Generose Rebayla, Jr.,SVD, assisted by the title-holders of Mr. and Ms. USC Intramurals 2015, Clarence Jacques Lim and Charissa Claire Rama.

Bacon was taken home after the School of Engineering (SOE), entry number four, defied gravity with its 2^nd consecutive championship of the pop jazz competition. The School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design (SAFAD), entry number two, finished second and School of Health Care Professions (SHCP), third. Further announcements and the flocking of students to the court marked the end of the closing ceremonies.

This year’s closing ceremonies was one to remember – yet again. Yelling overwhelming chants, such as ‘daog na’ and ‘1,2,3,4,…’, as if counting the dance steps trodden by the competitors, as well as heckles and boos, the bright yellow engineering side, bold and audacious as always, has to step up its game as surely, other schools have theirs intensified already.

Future intramurals might turn out so differently for it has been proven that the fight for greatness is not yet over.