Soph White-

Brrrrr! It’s cold in here. It must be some Gusties in the atmosphere! Two, four, six, eight! Who do we appreciate? It’s Gustie Cheer! Enough about other sports, let us make way for cheer – one of the most disciplined and graceful sports known to humankind. If you were heavily invested in the Netflix series about the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, you might be shocked to find out that cheerleading looks different and more inclusive, on this campus than this elaborately decorated team.

Unfortunately, cheerleading has not been a sport showcased at Gustavus for much of the past few years. Football games have been lacking the school spirit that comes with the enthusiastic performance of cheerleaders. Indeed, there is an overall deep sense of pride Gusties have about their experience at Gustavus, but where else is that deep sense of pride brought to the surface but in the unification of arts and sport. This is what a liberal arts education is all about; bringing the different interests of the individual into a workable reality. We have been without our best example of this outspoken pride for too long.

Yet, in the face of a post-pandemic world full of absence, Gustie Cheer is making a comeback this year with only starting with one student involved in making it a reality. It is now back in full swing with the amount of people who signed up for the Involvement Fair. The dream will soon become reality as the football season will be their first opportunity to flip, fly, and shake pom-poms. If you are as excited as I am, you better make it to their home games at the football field on October 5th and October 12th where you might come for the football, but keep coming back for the cheer. They will continue their cheer schedule by cheering at both women’s and men’s basketball games.

The Gustavus Cheer Team is coached by Darby Hulbert who also coaches a local High School cheer team. The Cheer team is open to all skill levels and talents – even if your skill is school pride. No prior experience in cheerleading is required, but if you are inclined to dance and find joy in performance then this might be the commitment you’ve been looking for.

One of the Gustavus cheerleaders informed me that she feels that cheer helps her feel tangibly involved in school spirit. She shared that in coming into college for her first year she feels lucky to have “such a fun environment” with “a great coach and friends as teammates.”

They are still looking for more cheerleaders to join for this year’s cheer season with a lot of games still left on the docket. Practices are twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on most evenings. Practice takes place in the Sponberg Gymnastics studio which is in Lund 217. Find courage and learn a new skill or continue a skill that you’d like to develop further with Gustavus Cheer!