Cheers to bring out the Animo Spirit

After an exciting play completed by a Lasallian athlete, either a Jeron Teng drive or a Mika Reyes block, the crowd is suddenly set ablaze.  Opposing crowds are shouting aimlessly at each other, as the Lasallian community battles out the opposing crowd’s noise with everything their throats could bear.

A silent ticking of drumsticks can now be heard as the Animo Squad tries to organize the Lasallian crowd – this time, with one unified chant. Nearby cheerleaders can be seen as they perform the chants loud enough for the community to follow suit. Then a very powerful strike to the bass drum suddenly gives you a tingling sensation, and without even knowing it, you’re already shouting your hearts out to the chants of, “D-L-S-UUUUUUU, Animo La Salle!”

The chants of “Animo!” suddenly echo throughout the arena as a crowd of unified Lasallians, whether it be students, faculty, staff, and even alumni, overpower the opposing crowd’s noise, giving the team in Green-and-White a much needed boost from the community.

Moments like these are when you feel so proud of being a Lasallian. A sudden feeling of belongingness catches you as you cheer for your team. However, the cheers that people shout their lungs out for are not just a plain mixture of noise. The Animo cheers are very rich in history and tradition, and the very cheers that we shout at the arena have been passed on by generations and generations of Lasallians.

Shows of spirit

The 325 years of “Faith and Zeal” of the La Sallian Brothers led to the coining of the term “Animo”, meaning the La Sallian “Spirit to Fight.”  “Faith” is symbolized by the Signum Fidei star from Bethlehem while “Zeal” is symbolized by the three chevrons. The very reason why “Animo!” is chanted during games when the team badly needs the support of the community is because Animo also means One La Salle. The elements of purpose to make a difference, to practice teamwork, and strive with courage can also be found here.

The cheers of De La Salle have been intelligently constructed in a way that it suits the sound of the crowd’s chorus when chanted. The cheers are both symbolic and traditional, each movement and stance having meaning, not just for the sake of show.

Chants like the “La Salle Spelling” and “Who’s to win this game” will surely keep the crowd going as the lyrics shout out school pride and spirit throughout the course of the cheer. The Animo Squad backs the cheers up to give them an exciting tune for the community to follow.

The “Rektikano” cheer has a deep meaning besides it having a catchy name fit for t-shirts and posters. Head Snare Jet Reyes of the Animo Squad explains, “Rektikano means ‘right to rule’, so this means La Salle’s right to rule is not only in sports, but also in every aspect.”

“Boom-ma-kaya” is also another noteworthy cheer worth studying. “Boom ma kaya means ‘one loud roar’, then “Imakadiwa” means from a relentless warrior, so it means ‘one loud roar from a relentless warrior’,” shares Reyes.

Some chants, however, have some interesting historical value that was inscribed in them. The “Strawberry Shortcake” chant can be heard from the Animo Squad when watching games. As told by Reyes, the “Strawberry Shortcake” cheer was actually coined by the Animo Squad years ago. The history of the cheer is quite comical, in the sense that it was the favorite dessert of the La Salle brothers residing in the University.

When to cheer?

The La Sallian cheers have been overlooked by most members of the community without them even knowing that these are historical words that have been chanted too by the generations of Green-and-White that came before us. Understanding and knowing the extended history of this Lasallian tradition will further accomplish the goal of “Animo!”, which translates to the penultimate goal of the brothers of being One La Salle.

Cheering has no specific time to be practiced, and whether your team is winning or losing, they deserve to hear you cheer your heart out. Giving your support and encouragement is what is more important at the end of the day, and it adds to the excitement and experience of watching a game.

All the cheers of La Salle translate to an equal amount of Animo that anyone could use to cheer for the Green-and-White. As said by an Animo Squad member, “It’s more on who’s the one doing the cheering more than anything else.” Whether the Green-and-White are winning or losing, cheering and believing in them is the best gift that you can bestow upon the Lasallian athletic community.