History of Cheers

For many oldtimer Ateneans, it's amazing how cheering has evolved from the rah-rah guys in the 1920s to the cute and perky cheerdancers that you see today.

The history of cheering in the Ateneo goes back to the late 1920s when the University of the Philippines was beating the Ateneo basketball team in a rematch. Fr. Austin Dowd noted how disheartened his players were and to boost their morale, he composed the "Jewish Yell" (or the "Fabilioh") and "Fight Fight Blue and White". He then asked Ateneo supporters to gather and yell and cheer their team on.

This signalled the birth of the Blue Battle Battalion and of cheering in the Philippines (not sure about this, I have to ask my UP friends or check UP archives).