From Sunflowers to Blonde Braniacs

My husband thinks I am obsessing... but I AM JUST DARN PROUD OF THEM!!! I am a fan!!!

I have watched this video tons of times, watched a few more videos from Youtube trying to find the best video recording of this proud moment. I can't believe nobody has a clearer copy!

It was the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Cheerdance Competition 2011. I graduated from University of the Philippines, where our basketball team is almost always at last place, but our cheerdancers, the UP PEP SQUAD seem to be the highlight of the whole UAAP season, because the UP PEP SQUAD rocks!

Check out their performance from 2010, where they bagged First Place by performing a Filipino Fiesta inspired routine. Complete with the symbolic sunflowers (every summer, the University of the Philippines is filled with sunflower plants!).

UP Pep Squad - Champion - 2010 UAAP Cheerdance Competition

The University of the Philippines, the country's 'state U' has been known for its liberalism. Students are academically, artistically, and morally free to do what they want. The UP PEP SQUAD has been known to be pioneers in re-inventing cheerdancing and we witness it every single year, especially through the UAAP Cheerdance Competition. I remember noticing that they are the first cheerdance group who stopped wearing cheerdancing skirts. The rest of the universities followed. Instead of the typical cutesie ribbon tied pony tails for girls... the UP PEP SQUAD cut their hair short - 'boy cut' for everyone!

This year, the buzz was that the UP PEP SQUAD has gone blonde! That's all everyone knows. I was thinking... why??? U.P.? The students who are all about being patriotic... goes blonde? There has to be valid reason for this!

And there was! Once again, THEY DARED TO BE DIFFERENT AND EVERYONE'S JAW DROPPED WITH SUCH AMAZEMENT! The group decided to pay homage to the pop-icon Madonna. They wanted to share how Madonna inspired them. This generation grew up with Madonna. Of course! They do not stop with the hair, the costume, the music... even their routines are Madonna inspired. CHECK IT OUT!

UP Pep Squad - Champion - 2011 UAAP Cheerdance Competition

At first I thought I was just biased towards my Alma Mater but after watching the rest of the competitions, and then watching the UP PEP SQUAD's routine a hundred times...what can I say??? UP PEP SQUAD was FLAWLESS, PERFECT, SUPER FAST-PACED and BREATHTAKING! Not a dull moment.

I read somewhere that they have been chosen to represent the Philippines at the 6th Cheerleading World Championships this November. Wooohooo!!!

CONGRATULATIONS again to the UP PEP SQUAD! You make us proud and more so, make us miss our U.P. days so much!

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On a different topic, I have been watching the coverage from Studio 23, the official network for the event; I even went to the past year's coverage and I have concluded...
THEIR COVERAGE SUCKS! I mean, I would think it is common sense that when covering a cheerdance competition, you should concentrate on wide angle shots and not care too much with changing from camera 1 to 2 to 3 to 4. Haay. They tend to miss showing the 'wow factor' of the poses, the jumps, the formations. See for yourself and compare the professional video coverage from the previous video recording from an audience.

Coverage from Studio 23