POMS
As the huddle begins to form, the adrenaline immediately kicks in. Finishing up its final stretches and mentally running through the routine one last time, the team looks out into the stands getting more nervous, but also more excited to go out and perform. The Titan varsity Poms, decorated in glitter and makeup, get pumped up to show their skills in the football halftime show.
Junior Gabbi Oppenheimer said this is her absolute favorite part of being a Pom.
“We do our big pump-it-up cheer led by our captains and that is just like the moment your blood starts flowing and the adrenaline starts going,” Oppenheimer said. “It just gets you really pumped up and really excited to go out there and perform.”
The girls storm the field and the instant the stadium lights illuminate their faces, the girls need to be ready to dance. The varsity Poms have been bringing the spirit to South football and basketball games for years, but according to senior captain Grace Abiera, this year is especially unique.
“The past two years, we’ve had the exact same team but this year it is a totally different team,” Abiera said. “At first it was pretty hard to adjust to the new team but in the end it was super rewarding for me to see how we can grow in a certain amount of time.”
The team participated in a summer camp together not only to prepare for the halftime shows but also to get ready for its state and national tournaments later in the year. According to the girls, the team is satisfied with their performance at the national tournament called the Universal Dance Association National Dance Team Championship in Orlando and hope to do well again.
According to sophomore Tess McKerr, one thing many people aren’t aware of is that the captains make up most of the routines and teach the rest of the team.
“[The captains] are amazing,” McKerr said. “I love them so much. Chelsea [Jerominski], Katie [Vanderveen] and [Abiera] are amazing leaders. They teach the team a lot and lead everything.”
Besides the captains, the girls are led by Coach Julie Smith along with seven other current seniors.
Abiera, along with the other senior dancers, made varsity their sophomore year and through those two years have grown a lot closer with each other.
“Basically, when we had our tryouts in May, our team already has grown so much since then,” Abiera started. “Poms is the entire year so we spend a lot of time together.”
Oppenheimer agreed. “I’m so close with [my team], and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without the support I get from them and the outlet I get from my love of dance.”
DE LA CRU
Loud roars erupt from the stands as the sophomore men’s football team departs from the field. It’s the halfway mark that fans have been waiting for; hip-hop dance club De La Cru is about to take the field.
De La Cru is not the typical high school dance group. It is a unique clan because the organization has both a beginning level (JV) and advanced level (Varsity). The JV level is known as De La Cru Club, and the advanced level is simply known as De La Cru.
The JV level performs at Glenbrook South’s annual dance show, accompanied by Orchesis and Poms. Occasionally, the club has the opportunity to perform at women’s varsity basketball games.
“We add entertainment,” senior Melanie McNulty, De La Cru captain, said. “It’s just all fun and to keep hip hop culture alive, I guess you could say. It’s the only thing like it at this school and some schools don’t have it so that’s why it makes it special.”
On the other hand, varsity has a much busier schedule. They perform at various events throughout the year such as sophomore men’s football games, women’s varsity basketball games, school assemblies, Hip Hop Coffee House and the Variety Show. But one of the most hectic seasons of the year for the dance club is Homecoming.
“When homecoming comes up, there’s going to be a lot more practices and a lot more after-school commitment,” McNulty said
McNulty was a member of De La Cru Club freshman year, but by sophomore year she was dancing on the big stage. This year, she was named captain of the squad. According to McNulty, becoming captain isn’t an easy task, it requires hard work and dedication.
“In previous years I had choreographed dances, and I worked really hard to help improve the team and lead the team to it’s highest potential,” McNulty said. “As captain, there are a few more things I have to do [like] just making sure we stay focused for all of our performances.”
De La Cru Club was created about 10-15 years ago and has been progressing every year since. The dances are becoming increasingly more complex, and the dance members themselves have even changed. Last year, De La Cru even had two male dance members.
“The vibe has definitely grown throughout the years,” McNulty said. “If you go online, and you look up on YouTube the older videos, just seeing the older V-show videos and how we’ve transformed as a team, we’ve definitely grown a lot.”
With Glenbrook South comes various extracurricular options. De La Cru Club contributes as an “all are welcome” club where students can learn how to hip hop dance. De La Cru, however, requires tryouts.
“Some schools do have hip hop teams and some schools don’t,” McNulty adds. “I think of it as a privilege that we have the opportunity to choose between different types of dance at this school.”
