By: Junelie Anthony Velonta
The ball flies high amid the tense air emitted by both sides of the court. Heavy and booming screams are echoed by a maddened crowd eager to raise the morale and fighting spirit of their teams. Shouts like “Shift namo!” and “Kung wala’y maestra, wala’y engineer!” repeat endlessly as the players in the court struggle in controlling the ball. The scoreboard glared out two seconds on the clock as the ball is released by one of the players. Just as the blaring sound indicating the end of the game resonates, the ball is shot in the ring: Buzzer beater! This is a typical scene in any intramural game, and that is how exciting it should be.
‘Intramural’ is taken from the Spanish or Latin ‘intra’ meaning inside and ‘muro’ which means wall. ‘Intramural,’ which literally means “inside the walls,” refers to games played by certain groups inside or belonging to a certain school or institution against each other. The idea of intramural games began when different organizations belonging to a common institution in the West staged games against each other for the purpose of competition.
Inherent to the 5C’s of Silliman Education is the development of a well-rounded Sillimanian as he or she travels the different stages of school life. The athletic court aspect of the 5C’s aims to make a student physically adept, flexible, active, and alert. To show how developed students are in terms of physical achievement, some join the varsity teams with chances of competing nationally or even internationally. Others, however, stick loyal to their colleges and participate in the Intramurals.
According to several issues of the Weekly Sillimanian dated in the early development of Silliman, sports were taught to the students for a well-rounded developmental approach. As Silliman grew in both numbers and facilities, more students adept in sports were produced. Later on, Foundation Day celebrations were then celebrated with game matches of different sports. This was the first form of Intramural games for the Silliman University, according to Samuel Buot Sr., a retired businessman and alumni from the College of Law, from a conducted interview.
The advent of the Second World War forced a dent in the operations of Silliman University. This signaled for a brief half in the Intramural games. After this pattern was solved and when Silliman sprung back into action, the Intramurals revived itself once again.
By 1951 until 1966, Silliman Intramurals became a bit like ‘extra’-murals with the influx of the University of the Philippines-Diliman. For sixteen years, players from both Silliman and UP-Diliman battled for the title until they both were tied 7-all with two instances of a tie.
More and more sports were incorporated to the Intramurals and more and more colleges and institutions came to life as the years went by. This called for an entire week allocated to sports and sports only, and so birthed the format of the Intramurals which we know of today. In the Marcos Era, however, universities all over the Philippines were forced to close, including our very own Silliman University. This forcefully left another dent in Silliman University as well as the history of the school’s Intramural Games. After the era, however, Silliman stood tall once again. The sporty life of all students continued by then as newer sports were later added to the repertoire of games played during the Intramurals, according to Erwin Ian Almagro, an engineer based in Mandaue, Cebu, and an alumni from the College of Engineering and Design.
Over the course of the last five years, a few certain names were eminent during the Intramurals. Among which is the College of Business Administration (CBA) who has had repeated victories. Other names also shine like the College of Education School of Basic Education team-up which tied with CBA in the 2012 Intrams. College of Engineering and Design and College of Arts and Sciences also made their names known. Complaints against opposing teams were made but most of such complaints have been settled.
If we look into it deeper, the Intramurals is there to give us all an avenue to look at how sports affect and influence our lives. It does not only promote physical development but also mental, emotional, and spiritual growth. The players themselves are perfect examples on how sportsmanship, healthy competition, and critical planning mixed with faith and respect for the opposing teams lead to a sweet victory. Now that the Intrams has ended, let us all remember that all the glorious moments of last week are now written in history and that all we have witnessed are manifestations of how awesome Sillimanians can be.
