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Cheerleaders, Power Dancers Work to Foster Campus Camaraderie

Linda Nguyen, staff writer of The Mercury — the student newspaper at UT Dallas — wrote this article.

UT Dallas Cheerleaders

The UT Dallas Cheerleaders spread school spirit, and not just at Comet sporting events. They also can be found at other on-campus events, including the Texas Party during Welcome Week.

On the sidelines of a recent volleyball game, cheerleaders shouted and jumped in hopes of pumping up the crowd. While UT Dallas isn’t renowned for its raucous sporting events, spirit leaders are working to foster a sense of camaraderie on campus.

But UT Dallas Cheerleaders and Power Dancers still face challenges in firing up the crowds.

Cheerleader Brooke Knudtson, political science junior and Student Government president, said one of the hardest things is getting crowds to participate.

"They yell a little,” she said. “It’s frustrating because I’m putting so much effort into getting you to yell three words, ‘U-T-Dallas.’ I understand people are there to just watch the games and relax. That’s the one thing, I wish the spirit was more energetic.”

In addition to volleyball and basketball games, the cheerleaders attend soccer games and other sporting events, hoping to encourage the crowds. Both groups also perform at University events, including the Texas Party during Welcome Week.

UT Dallas Power Dancers

The UT Dallas Power Dancers perform hip-hop, jazz and a variety of other dance styles during events. The team also competes against other dance squads.

“The spirit program is a special part of the campus,” said Briana Lemos, director of student development. “It would be a little quieter and a little less exciting if they weren’t around. They help build tradition on campus.”

But sometimes members feel like people forget they are also part of the larger University community.

“People see us, and they think, ‘Oh they’re just dancers. They don’t do anything else besides just dance,’” said Abigail Madsen, Power Dancers' co-captain and biomedical engineering junior.

“But we have neuroscience majors, accounting majors and business majors. We have a lot of really talented and smart girls on our team, and I hope people can recognize that we can dance and also have our careers.”

Oftentimes, students on campus don’t even know the cheerleaders exist, Knudtson said. She said they’re visible when they’re at events in uniform, but other than that, there is a common misconception among students that the school doesn’t have a cheer squad.

But Lemos said she has seen the increase of the number of students interested in trying out for both teams, and she said the teams are quite different from what they were even six years ago when she began to oversee the Spirit Programs.

The spirit program is a special part of the campus. It would be a little quieter and a little less exciting if they weren’t around.

Briana Lemos,
director of student development

“I really think a big part of the spirit program would be to bring out spirit with the students; that’s their first focus, and then making sure students are excited about their experience at UTD,” Lemos said.

Lemos, who hopes that more students will continue to want to get involved in the Spirit Programs, said the attendance at sports games has increased.

“I think as the University becomes more like a traditional university, with more on-campus housing and more students wanting that traditional college experience, it just brings that natural spirit,” she said.

Aside from trying to motivate crowds at games and events, both teams also compete in their respective sports.

“(The cheerleaders will) compete against other cheer teams, and we’ll compete against other dance teams,” Madsen said. “They do a lot of stunts and chants, and we do more dancing to other music. We both do a fight song together.”

Knudtson said she is thankful that the mentality behind the Spirit Programs is school first, then cheerleading or dancing.

She said they usually begin practice with chants and cheers and then move into tumbling. Then, they practice stunts that people are most familiar with — usually involving a girl “flyer” who is elevated in the air by another group of girls who are the bases.

When practicing stunts, it is important to consider safety first, Knudtson said.

“Someone’s life is at stake,” she said. “Being a flyer, I’ve never had a bad experience. No one hits the floor. We think safety first.”

Similarly, the Power Dancers begin practice with warm-ups, then move into dance technique and choreography for their performances.

Knudtson said it has been exciting to see how the cheer program has progressed from her first season on the team. She said her experience as a cheerleader influenced part of her platform as SG president.

“You get a lot of pride when you wear the uniform,” she said. “It makes me feel like I’m part of UT Dallas, and you want to have a good attitude about yourself when you put that uniform on.”

Media Contact: The Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [email protected].

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