ADMU, UP student councils: Black is color of UAAP 81 – not blue, not maroon

Students of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and University of the Philippines (UP) are expected to be cheering on the opposite sides of the basketball court, but come Game 1 of the UAAP Season 81, their hearts will be beating as one after the student councils of both universities urged the students to wear black shirt “for a cause” during the so-called “Battle of Katipunan” championship game on Saturday.

Despite the school rivalry and brewing tension between the two schools, both student councils posted on social media a unified call asking their respective students and supporters to wear black on Saturday to send a strong message against violence and set aside its school rivalry.

The game was dubbed by netizens as the #BattleOfKatipunan given the location of the schools along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City.

“In the #BattleOfKatipunan tomorrow, let us always remember that our struggles go beyond the game that we’re cheering for, and these struggles are always within our community,” the UP Diliman University Student Council said on its Facebook page.

“Use your voice and fight to end tyranny, impunity, and misogyny in our country!” it added.

https://www.facebook.com/USCUPDiliman/videos/2174773892794506/?__tn__=-R

The post was then accompanied by a nine second GIF with the words One Big UP Fight, a joint school chant of UP and ADMU.

Supporters of Ateneo are known to cheer One Big Fight during basketball games while supporters of UP are known to cheer UP Fight.

In a separate Facebook post, the Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila also urged its supporters to wear black for the most-anticipated Game 1.

“Win or lose, it’s the nation we choose!” it said.

“We urge everyone to wear black for tomorrow’s game as a protest against violence, impunity, and misogyny.”

https://www.facebook.com/ADMUSanggu/posts/10156235678993075

The Game 1 of the best of three Finals between the Fighting Maroons and the Blue Eagles will start at 3:30 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena. /jpv