Hi! My name is Arianna, and I'm a sophomore ('27) from Georgia. On campus, I am involved with the Cheerleading Team, Dartmouth Caribbean Connections, the First-Gen Office, and the Minority Pre-Law Association. My aim is to pursue a degree in History modified with Public Policy. I love reading, listening to music, and meeting new people. Follow along through this blog as I traverse my wonderful experiences!
Guess what time it is? Basketball Cheerleading season!!!
Last term (my first-year fall), I tried out for the cheerleading team and experienced my first football season on the sidelines. Now that it's winter term, football season has ceased, and basketball season has commenced!
Once a student has been admitted onto the cheer team, it is flexible to work around what terms you would like to cheer for. Some girls choose to cheer in the fall, others cheer in the winter, and we don't cheer in the spring. Even if your D-Plan (an academic calendar of where you are on campus or off campus) prohibits you from cheering, it is very flexible to work around!
In high school, I was on the basketball sideline cheerleading team, meaning I only cheered during basketball season. Therefore, I am excited to incorporate more stunting into what I am accustomed to doing. I enjoy watching basketball, and cheering on Dartmouth to victory is my passion.
As temperatures drop and snow frequently falls in Hanover, it would be challenging to stunt outside. That is why I love cheering indoors in the winter for the men's and women's basketball teams, as the weather doesn't get in the way of our performance. Cheering indoors means that we are closer to the crowd and surrounded by them, allowing the gym to echo our cheers and help people hear what we are yelling. The fast-paced environment of basketball keeps our spirits high and makes us anticipate the outcome of the game.
Recently, the cheer team had a Youth Cheer Day that provided a ticket to our game against Brown University's men's basketball team, a pre-game clinic with the team, an in-game cheer routine, and an autograph session after the game. It was a great experience to guide kids that shared our interests to cheer, and they were determined to master the routine that we taught them.
The cheer team signing autographs at the end of Youth Cheer Day.
While many people might associate cold, long, snowy winters with hardship, I've found that winter at Dartmouth is full of potential to be just as fun as other seasons.
In just a month, I went from a complete beginner to a proficient skier, smoothly making my way down the green and blue runs at Dartmouth Skiway. Read about my journey and how I made such rapid progress!
