A Gathering of Legends

By Lim Wei Hao

LIBERTY TO SHINE: Hall 7, performing as Cleopatra, executes their assisted partner stunt with grace and poise.
PHOTO: Matthew Chew

Team Vikings from Hall of Residence 5 dazzled the crowd with their performance at the annual NTU Inter-Hall Cheerleading Competition (IHCC) 2015 last Wednesday (11 Feb), bettering last year’s second place finish to emerge as champions this year.

Cheer teams were given full rein to express their creativity, based on this year’s theme Legends, with their cheer routine, storyline and props.

Teams’ interpretation of Legends varied. From the Chinese mythological figure Monkey King (Hall 11), to fantasy character Tooth Fairy (Hall 2), to sports personality Michael Jordan (Hall 10) and music icon Lady Gaga (Hall 15), there was something for everyone.

Cheer teams were judged based on their execution of complex stunts like partner stunts, basket tosses, jumps and pyramids. Other criteria included crowd appeal and dance concept.

Efforts paid off

Crowd favourites from Hall 5 performed as warrior king Leonidas, executing their challenging stunts perfectly to score the victory.

The championship title was a culmination of their intensive training sessions. “We started recruiting freshmen in August and training for IHCC began then,” said Ng Yang Han, 24, captain of Hall 5’s Vikings and a second-year student from the National Institute of Education.

According to Ng, a common goal and team chemistry are important ingredients for any team’s success.

“I think the difference between us and other teams is our passion. Some may see cheerleading as an obligation, but not for my team. Intrinsic motivation is inbuilt into our character,” Ng added.

More than just winning

Hall 10 snagged the Best Team Spirit award despite finishing second. Rounding off the top three was Hall 12 (Chinese protection deity Ne Zha), whose mascot was crowned Best Mascot, while fourth and fifth places went to Hall 8 (Walt Disney) and Hall 16 (Legend of Aang) respectively.

For Hall 16’s Team Xtreme, IHCC is not just about winning medals. “Ultimately, it was the knowledge that we had tried our best, completed all our stunts, and gave it our all. It is this memory that we will take with us,” said Lee Lin Ping, 23, captain and second-year student from Nanyang Business School.

Spirit of IHCC

IHCC brought residents within and across halls together. Decked in their hall T-shirts, more than 400 residents packed Sports Hall 3 at the Sports and Recreation Centre.

“The performances by all the hall teams were superb! You could really see the hard work and dedication put in by the teams to perfect their stunts,” said Clinton Yeo, 21, a first-year student from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS).

The atmosphere was electric, with the crowd cheering throughout the night. Ashley Teo, 19, a flyer from Hall 11, said: “The crowd was really instrumental in elevating the mood of IHCC. It’s rewarding to see people cheer for and with you, regardless of which hall they’re from.”

“Learning how to fly as a freshman was hard at times, but the feeling of weightlessness and accomplishment you get from pulling off a stunt cleanly and beautifully makes everything worthwhile,” the first-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information added.

Joint effort

The IHCC Organising Committee, comprising 30 social secretaries from the 18 halls, oversaw the entire event. Despite beginning preparations from October last year, organisers still encountered challenges.

“We faced a lot of constraints, like space constraints. We didn’t know if we were going to hold the event at SRC. All of us are relieved that IHCC is now over,” said Isabelle Kang, 22, co-chairperson of the Committee and a second-year HSS student.

As the cheer teams regroup and reflect on a wonderful showing, we can all look forward to IHCC 2016 for another adrenaline filled night.