Campaigning to preserve Earth’s aquatic resources, the Accountancy (ACC) Griffins’ dance company, ACC Jaguars, cascaded their way into the hearts of judges and audience members during their winning performance in Sayawtenista 2023.

In an interview with Atenews, ACC Jaguars’ captain and event manager, Kent Lejarso, stated that the assigned theme posed a significant challenge for the dancers, leading to difficulties in planning and practicing their choreography.

“Pag hatag jud sa concept, actually nag lisod jud pati among choreographer sa pag conceptualize [sa] everything. […] Then, inconsistent pa jud pero ang pag-learn jud namo sa choreography is mga three weeks ata. Consistent late-night practices siya,” he said.

Lejarso added that despite the challenges faced, the Accountancy cluster consistently gave the participants the support needed.

“In terms of financial, need jud namo ug dako na fund because, as we all know, grabe jud ka competitive ang Accountancy and grabe pud ilang pag support sa amoa. Every practice, even if maabot mig 2 am, pirmi jud–especially si Vince na amoang rep–always gyud sila naa sa practices.”

However, Sayawtenista was interrupted by hardware malfunctions in the tech booth, causing the whole 4th Floor of the Martin Hall to experience a power outage for over twenty minutes. 

“I believe na dili man jud siguro ma control, pero I think before pa jud nila i-run ang whole Sayawtenista proper, I think they should have… Ikapila pa jud siya i-run jud, like i-test mga five times, para ma iwasan ang mga disruptions,” Lejarso said when asked about the technical interruption.

The rest of the clusters were able to perform their piece, and the closing program ensued after Institutional Communications and Promotions (iCOMMP) fixed the issue.

Meanwhile, first runners-up Social Sciences (SS) Dragons highlighted ‘raw emotion’ to deliver a powerful message, calling for accepting LGBTQ+ relationships in modern Philippine society. 

“…we were able to bring such social issues to light and that we got to deliver a personal story which I know touched the hearts not just of the community we’re representing, but also of the entire Ateneo community,” SS Dragons’ Talents Director Alyanna Clemeña told Atenews. 

Amid technical difficulties, the Business and Management (B&M) Vipers ranked second runners-up, showcasing the dangers of AI. 

“I still can’t believe we placed 2nd runner-up after the technical difficulties that lost our momentum at first, but I am grateful pa rin sa result kasi I know we slayed,” B&M Talent Head Kaye Moscoso said.

The other clusters’ performances also reflected relevant social issues, with the School of Engineering and Architecture Tigers giving importance to mental health, the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Falcons highlighting gentrification, the School of Education Sharks focusing on cancel culture, the School of Nursing Panthers featuring the Philippine history, and the Humanities and Letters Wolves targeting social injustice.

The event was held on October 14 at the 4th floor of Martin Hall. Recaps of the performances can be watched on the Ateneo SAMAHAN Productions page.