Tiger Beat: The beat of the Thomasian Sports

by: Lian Nami Buan

The events inside the University of Santo Tomas does not only travel through word of mouth, it is broadcasted in every buildings for all Thomasians to see.

This thanks to the Thomasian Cable Television (TomCat) who has been responsible for airing televised and recorded productions to update and entertain students who takes delight in taking their viewing hobby to school.

UST is no different to the rest of the country when it comes to sports obssession. Thomasians, too, are, in a manner of saying, more interested in the athletic world above all.

A Tomcat production titled Tiger Beat is one avenue for us all Sports fanatics. Tiger Beat is a magazine program that tackles UST’s sports news in a particular period of time. Its episode, Tips off which aired last year during the UAAP Season 70 featured segments that are dedicated in satisfying our addiction for the love of the game.
But again, we continue to tolerate our restricted mentality of the Basketball culture that has widely spread all over the country. Tiger Beat:Tips Off rolled for 9 minutes and 4 seconds clips and dialogues that are related to Basketball alone.

TomCat is not really popular for its airing consistency, making immediacy only a second priority of productions. Since Tiger Beat was only able to cover barely the first quarter of the UAAP Season, all the other sports which are scheduled on the latter part of the season were not included. Brief video features on other teams that highlights basic details like preparations and past performances could’ve done enough shifting to what we call Basketballistic attention and interests.

The student hosts for Tips-off, Mic Pabon, Gab Joves, and Theo Castillo were, so to say, a little underdressed to appear on TV. Theo Castillo, despite being deemed most effective speaker is also the show’s suspect for fashion police. He wore a casual, almost bedroom shirt in a show shot inside the University, delivering news and information to the entire Thomasian Community.

Although inevitable rookie flaw of sounding a little too scripted is committed, the hosts made it through the show alive and breathing. It helps that the script was worded in such a way that casual and relateable conversation is engaged and followed. This kept the audience from proceeding to classes and really staying by the lobbies and listen to what they were saying.

The segment Sports Break patterns the traditional news reporting. The english reportage did justice not only to the language but also to the sports it was used for. Host Gab Joves sang enthusiastically his report for his audience to enjoy while watching the video clips.

Tiger Spirit, another segment, used natural sounds for background music such as the GoUste cheer to a nicely arresting overvoice for the man-on-the-street interviews, giving the students a chance to take the spotlight and get their thoughts across. Their new segment Tiger Girl, whose host is supposed to embody the true Tiger fan girl, provides us the backstage glimpse on the University Varsity team, the UST Growling Tigers. But Tiger Girl overused the element of fun that dangerously borders to randmoness, sacrificing the script coherence which usually keeps a story alive.

In a show that aims to lead the beat of Thomasian Sports, Tiger Beat is over on the hard part; they were able to get their audience safely hooked. Now its all for TomCat to sustain the popularity.