The new faces of Piper pride – The Oracle

A new sound is heard at Hamline sporting events: the rhythmic spelling of ROLL PIPERS coupled with the stomp-clap-stomp-clap of the new Hamline cheerleaders.

This year, Hamline Cheer, or the Cheerios as they roam on her Instagram, have battled their way to the top of sporting events. They started with an idea and ended up with campus-wide support.

Coaches, students and athletes alike appreciate the ongoing commitment and enthusiasm that the Cheer team exudes.

“The [announcers] called us over the mic and people cheered us on,” said Hamline sophomore cheerleader Kamari Williams.

After each cheer, Williams recalls the whistles in the crowd cheering for the Cheerios and yelling back at them for encouragement.

“We cheered for a girl [basketball] In the game the scores were really close and we all lined up together to cheer them on,” said first-year Cheerio Carmen Green.

Even coaches like Alex Focke of the Hamline women’s basketball team had reached out to her, asking her to attend the games because of her positive impact on crowds and athletes. The energy they bring radiates throughout the arena, encouraging other pipers to give their all in their in-game performances.

The season started off rough for Piper Cheer and like most teams they have yet to find their rhythm.

“Initially learning the cheers and performing them was a concern, but over time we became cleaner and more organized,” Green said. “But we still have to enjoy ourselves at the same time; being more of a family now than just teammates.”

All cheerleaders come from different backgrounds and experiences, some, like Williams, have never cheered before, others were cheer captains in high school.

However, that didn’t stop these Pipers from becoming a team. They often sat together at the Anderson Dining Room, shopped at the Rosedale Mall, and even hosted the Piper Disco dodgeball tournament together.

Green recalls that the team’s greatest strength is what they find in each other. At the end of the day, regardless of their own individual stressors, they had found comfort in each other.

“We worked really hard to get to a certain point and we pushed for a lot of things and were grateful that we got them,” Williams said. “Next season will definitely be a better season.”

At the end of the season, Cheerios have extraordinarily exciting plans for their next season. Pipers of all genders are welcome to try out for the team in April.