As a UP student, I feel so overwhelmed these past few days. Our most recent headliner has got me positively shocked. I’m sure people still aren’t over what many are calling “the game of the century.” If you’re online, this particular news is most probably bombarding your timeline or feed. Browsing through Twitter, you’ll see a lot of them are funny and witty, and if you’re a fellow isko or iska, damn relatable.
Dear UP students,
I have been monitoring your promises should UP win today. You promised to finish your theses, complete your incompletes, get readmitted. See me starting tomorrow to fulfill. Otherwise God will get angry and it will be your fault if we lose next game.#UPFIGHT— Sylvia Claudio (@seclaudio) November 28, 2018
EXEMPTED NO MORE!!! #UPFight pic.twitter.com/svugdxAV1J
— UAAP – NCAA Memes (@UAAP_NCAA_Memes) November 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/BryleLeano/status/1067731786405429249
It’s understandable that UP’s win seems to be all that’s in people’s minds right now. This, after all, is no big deal. Not to us, anyway. I have attended UAAP basketball games in the past, when I was still a student. So yeah, I know what the emotional roller coaster of watching a game feels like. I have had my voice hoarse from all the cheering, and my heart broken several times for hoping that maybe, finally, this is it for us. This victory is a long time coming. Seeing how people cheered for the game and raised their fists to “UP Naming Mahal “after the game, was very emotional for me. Sports has a great way of bringing people together, and maybe we needed that win now, more than ever—especially after the previous news that hounded the halls of the University: the alleged leaked Upsilon conversation which has also got me shocked, but in the opposite way.
Again, I know how important this victory means for the UP community, so believe me when I say that I hate to be the one to ruin the party. But I just want to remind everyone to not forget about pressing issues, like, how are we moving forward with the Upsilon allegations?
BONFIRE NA!!! PANGGATONG LONSI EXHIBIT!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA AKALA NIYO LIMOT NA NAMIN!???!?!!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— 🧈⁷ 𝗟𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗖ᴵᵁ⁵ #SulongWagPatinag (@MarchingHere) November 28, 2018
RT if you’re proud of the MBT but also if you still hate Upsilon
— nasanction na ba mga UP frat (@MustaNaUpsilon) November 28, 2018
I’m tired of people moving on too easily from crucial issues. As a feminist, as an iska, and as a Filipino, I find that particular thread completely horrific and sickening. I’m not saying we should completely stop celebrating and disregard the historic win—I just want to know that something as beautiful as our victory won’t be used by some people as a means to dust a pressing matter under the rug. Especially since our chancellor previously gave a statement which seems to want to appease people’s anger over frat-related violence by relating the fraternity’s support for the varsity, and particularly, to the UP Men’s Basketball Team.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10212436374812098&set=a.10200857726953138&type=3&theater
Again a respite from the controversy is okay—but that’s all it should be. If we can overcome obstacles and get to the finals as a team, maybe we can do the same in regards to the Upsilon controversy: come together and demand for accountability.
Art by Marian Hukom
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