7 people you see in UAAP games
MANILA, Philippines - They say that your college years are the most memorable years of your life. They’re probably right. It’s the time when you learn how to survive on your own, successfully write a 1000-word paper in under four hours and experience “iconic” sporting events such as the UAAP finals.
It is the season when people of different ages, backgrounds and opinions on how the referees should call fouls gather. They wear their school colors and sing their school cheers in support of the athletes playing for their university’s honor. Of course, not everyone watches for this purpose alone.
We know it’s hard to take your eyes off the game when the MVP of your heart is on fire. But watching people in a UAAP game is as good as observing how humanity reacts in high-pressure situations. Some people take advantage of it (scalpers), a few try to take control of the situation (alumni), but some just enjoy the ride (fangirls). Think of it as a social experiment for your anthropology class, only it’s not credited and it’s actually fun.
1. Aggressive Alumni
Just like fine wine, school spirit gets better as we grow older. Well, sometimes. There are a few university alumni whose school spirit is stronger than a shot of tequila (which is not wine at all). They get into shouting sprees with the referees when they think their team is getting the short end of the fair-scoring stick. If you’re seated next to them, try to understand how they feel. You’re probably headed in the same direction after graduation. 
2. Passionate Patrons
There are different options by which you can support your school in a UAAP game. You can dress in your school color and cheer as loud as you can when your star player scores a three. This, however, doesn’t include dissing and getting into heated arguments with the opposing university’s supporters. These events are for promoting camaraderie, not rivalry. 
3. Cutie Scouter
There are talent scouts who go to games with the mission of finding the local LeBron James or Serena Williams. And then there are cutie scouts. Their mission? Find a cute UAAP player or audience member to stalk a la Adam Levine in Maroon 5’s Animals music video. If things go better than expected, they might just score a date way better than their recent Tinder match (who isn’t that attractive anyway).
4. Flirty Fangirls
There’s no denying that some collegiate athletes rise to celebrity status because of their skills and, yes, faces. And with great fame comes an obsessive but ever supportive fan club that screams “Ang sexy mo!” louder than the rest of SM Arena. When you happen to be seated beside them during the game, you can either control your urge to strangle them or your inner fangirl. If you fail at the latter and you start jumping around like 13-year-old at a Daniel Padilla mall tour in Ever Gotesco Mall, we won’t blame you. It’s bound to happen anyway. 
5. Snap-for-Instagram Supporter
Among thousands of people in the crowd, there are probably a few who have their faces buried in their phones. You might be thinking: Are they even interested in what’s happening on the court? Maybe. But what we’re more sure of is their ultimate goal for coming—a VSCO-ed to the max Instagram post that announces that yes, they definitely did attend the UAAP game.
6. Peer-pressured Playgoers
Not everyone who goes to UAAP schools likes watching the games. But being the good friends that they are, they join their sports-crazed friends in the hopes of having a good time. They probably have no clue who’s playing, how the game works or how the school chant goes. But they really try, even though their cheers sound more like a slurred version of Hey Mickey. 
7. Subtle Scalpers
The UAAP is not just a season for sports and showing your school pride. Some capitalize on the event and buy tickets to an in-demand game to re-sell for a higher price. For scalpers who are not successful at their business venture, they go to games and look for future customers to recover their losses. So, don’t get creeped out when someone offers you passes for the next Ateneo-La Salle game. They’re probably legit. But you can never be too sure....
