ANIMO LA SALLE!

These three words are the most popular cheer of my school. To many, it's the unbridled proof of the show of school pride, as droves of people pour into the Araneta Coliseum through scraped cars, overpriced tickets and whatnot to support the De La Salle men's basketball team in the UAAP games. But upon entering college, I begin to realize that those three words mean nothing but shit. They're not really cheering for the school's greater glory. They're cheering because they want a break!

Unlike many students of De La Salle University, I was also a student of De La Salle Zobel back in grade school and high school. Hence, the words "Animo La Salle" and "school pride" actually mean something to me. When our team wins in the UAAP games, I'm not jubilant simply because the administrators of DLSU promised to suspend classes the next day. I watch the games and I cheer for my team because I want my school to do its best under pressure. I want DLSU to beat the living crap out of those arrogant Ateneo bastards.

It's actually sad getting to college seeing that school pride isn't as important as it was back in my childhood. Perhaps I'm simply a jaded idealist. I guess I forgot that in college, grades and a cumulative GPA are the bottom line...