With the comeback of the competition following an 8-year hiatus since 2016, the School of Nursing (SON) Panthers were hailed as this year’s Palarong Atenista ‘24 cheerdance champions.
The SON cheerdance team swept the other contestants by getting 1-1-1 scores from the judges, ranking first in the said competition.
SON Cheerdance Event Head Voltaire Conrad Potot described the victory as a game-changer for the nursing community in this year’s Palaro season.
“It feels surreal because way back pandemic, the School of Nursing, ang code namin is parang ‘we are the underdogs’, but right now being the champion and titleholder for this year’s cheerdance competition, I believe [that] we are not underdogs. We are powerful and can compete with other clusters,” Potot stated.
Potot also added that bagging the champion title came with struggles as they were having a hard time trying to find the right schedule to practice after their classes.
“We already have RLE schedules and duties, with that, after duty, diretso agad sa practice… nahirapan kami where to find [a] fit schedule for us to practice,” Potot added.
Meanwhile, the Business and Management (B&M) Vipers ranked 2nd in the said competition with a score of 2-4-3, while the Accountancy (ACC) Griffins received a score of 3-5-2 and came in 3rd.
Palarong Atenista ‘24 Overall Head Andy Judd Lumain shared that the goal of this year’s Palaro is to abide by the current branding: Game On!
“I envision the branding, Game On!, as a sense of hope, dedication, and perseverance… Game On is centered on the idea that athletes, in general, are really prepared and ready, dedicated, and committed at the starting line as they embark on the new journey towards sportsmanship and camaraderie, grounded on Ignatian values, athleticism, and character formation,” Lumain stated.
Furthermore, Lumain shared that the University Athletics Office initiated to bring back the cheerdance competition this year, after its last appearance in the Palarong Atenista 2016.
“The University Athletics Office, in partnership with SAMAHAN, really pitched this idea, to really revamp the concept of cheerdance… I really think that the component here that is being improved and being revamped in this aspect is the sense of being back at the campus life,” said Lumain.
The Palarong Atenista ‘24: Game On! opening commenced on the 4th Floor Martin Hall on September 6, 2024.