To most, the life of a professional NFL cheerleader might seem glamorous. It might even seem easy. But the reality is that it is just as competitive as professional sports in general. Dancers and cheerleaders must be at a peak physical condition at all times. A fluctuation of even a few pounds can make or break a cheerleader in the middle of a season. An unflattering photo or rumor can also mean a pink slip.
All of this for less than $100 a game, in most cases.
It had been her dream to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader since she learned there was such a thing. Her father was a deeply dedicated Cowboys fan and her family spent many weekend afternoons together immersed in Cowboys games. Even Thanksgiving was about more than turkey and cranberry sauce - it was about the Cowboys.
Her bedroom was a tribute to her dream. Each year the new squad's poster would hang above her bed. Every restricted meal, every work out, every dance class - every day of her life revolved around becoming a DCC.
Finally, it was her turn. She was 18 and a senior in high school; she was eligible to audition at Texas stadium.
Her heart raced as she signed her name and picked up her audition packet at the registration table. The air was tense and thick with hairspray. She passed girls much leaner, tanner, and blonder than her. It became painfully clear that ten years of training may not have been enough. Though her talent may be enough, her hair might not be big enough or her teeth not white enough.
She sailed through the first cut with ease, moving on to the choreography round where she would be grouped with a few hundred semi-finalists to learn actual DCC choreography INSIDE Texas Stadium. On the actual turf! She didn't want to forget a second of the experience.
As she came through the entrance tunnel the sheer size of the stadium stole her breath. She could literally hear the screams of fans that would soon fill the thousands of seats that surrounded her. She took her spot at center field and bent down to feel the turf. She closed her eyes and combed her fingers through the plastic blades.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
He rolled over to glance at his clock.
5:43am.
He flopped out of bed, threw on a pair of untied shoes, grabbed a sweatshirt from the top of his laundry basket and stumbled out the door.
He melted into the crowd of students leaving the building with the redundant sound of the fire alarm in the background.
They walked out the east door, as the always do, and towards the lawn.
"Oh my God! It's a real fire!" someone shouted.
He turned back toward the building to see the massive cloud of thick black smoke billowing from the fourth floor.
"Should have grabbed my laptop," he thought.
5:43am.
He flopped out of bed, threw on a pair of untied shoes, grabbed a sweatshirt from the top of his laundry basket and stumbled out the door.
He melted into the crowd of students leaving the building with the redundant sound of the fire alarm in the background.
They walked out the east door, as the always do, and towards the lawn.
"Oh my God! It's a real fire!" someone shouted.
He turned back toward the building to see the massive cloud of thick black smoke billowing from the fourth floor.
"Should have grabbed my laptop," he thought.
Holy Yogurt
"Ten!" a nearby voice shouted.
It was thick. It was pink. It was lumpy. But he could almost see the bottom.
"Nine!"
His heart began to race, he was so close.
"Eight!"
He scooped the last spoonful of goop from the seemingly bottomless pit of strawberry yogurt.
"Seven!"
He hated strawberry yogurt. It reminded him of an unfortunate tricycle accident that landed him, at three-years-old, in the hospital.
"Six!"
The nurse gave him a strawberry sucker to ease the pain or possibly to distract him, he wasn't sure. Either way, the smell or even thought of the terrible fruit haunted him to this day.
"Five!"
He held the spoon to his mouth. What a terrible fate. He was just trying to impress a girl.
"Four!"
It had to be strawberry, didn't it?
"Three!"
He took a deep breath.
"Two!"
He closed his eyes and shoved the spoon into his mouth.
"One! Stop! Everyone stop!"
He needed a trash can, but he lacked the strength to make the five foot journey.
He waited as they counted and inspected the contestants' cups. He could see his seven cups were neck and neck with another contestant's pile.
"It's a tie!"
He felt like collapsing.
It was thick. It was pink. It was lumpy. But he could almost see the bottom.
"Nine!"
His heart began to race, he was so close.
"Eight!"
He scooped the last spoonful of goop from the seemingly bottomless pit of strawberry yogurt.
"Seven!"
He hated strawberry yogurt. It reminded him of an unfortunate tricycle accident that landed him, at three-years-old, in the hospital.
"Six!"
The nurse gave him a strawberry sucker to ease the pain or possibly to distract him, he wasn't sure. Either way, the smell or even thought of the terrible fruit haunted him to this day.
"Five!"
He held the spoon to his mouth. What a terrible fate. He was just trying to impress a girl.
"Four!"
It had to be strawberry, didn't it?
"Three!"
He took a deep breath.
"Two!"
He closed his eyes and shoved the spoon into his mouth.
"One! Stop! Everyone stop!"
He needed a trash can, but he lacked the strength to make the five foot journey.
He waited as they counted and inspected the contestants' cups. He could see his seven cups were neck and neck with another contestant's pile.
"It's a tie!"
He felt like collapsing.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Putting West Plains, MO on the map.
(This is an entry from my political blog for my internship. Please comment here and there. =) www.schroederonpolitics.blogspot.com)
A few years ago, while I was on my college visit to Washburn, my mom and I stopped by the capital building since we were in town. I remember seeing a sign that with Topeka's Word of the Day - "Deference: yielding to the judgment or opinion of another. Courteous submission out of respect for the wishes of others." It struck me enough at the time to take a picture.
It seems like a silly thing to make a sign for - silly that we need to be reminded to respect each other. But apparently a few folks in Missouri need that sign plastered on their foreheads.
Recently, an anonymous citizen put up a billboard depicting presidential candidate Barack Obama in a turban and with the middle name "Hussein." The billboard also claims that electing Obama will "equal" more abortions, same sex marriages, taxes, and gun regulations.
Well obviously, Mr. Anonymous, taxes and gun regulations may increase due to any candidate getting into office, but I fail to see the connection between electing a candidate and guaranteeing an increase in the number of abortions or same sex marriages as a result. If a person chooses to get an abortion or to get married, in general, it's not because the president told them to. That's like saying if you move to Kansas you will be swept away to Oz by a massive tornado.
Might an elected official pass laws to support these two scenarios? Possibly. But jumping to such conclusions and going as far as trying to influence voters with them, is crossing the line.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all about political activism and am a staunch supporter of freedom of speech, but I am thoroughly sick of how offensive and negative so much of the political outreach is today.
I wonder what would happen if a campaign were run solely on the positive aspects of a candidate. Would it be refreshing to voters to see only positive ads?
So friends, the moral to the story... We should respect our RIGHT to freedom of speech. That means that not only should we respect every American citizen's right to say whateva the heck they want, but we should also respect the right itself and honor it with restraint. As citizens, we should take this right seriously and actually think before we speak and even (gasp) consider how what we say will affect others.
Or, let's at least be a little more creative in attacking a candidate.
http://media.www.washburnreview.org/media/storage/paper1140/news/2008/10/13/Opinion/Obama.Sign.Offensive.Walks.The.Line.Of.Free.Speech-3484218.shtml?reffeature=recentlycommentedstoriestab
A few years ago, while I was on my college visit to Washburn, my mom and I stopped by the capital building since we were in town. I remember seeing a sign that with Topeka's Word of the Day - "Deference: yielding to the judgment or opinion of another. Courteous submission out of respect for the wishes of others." It struck me enough at the time to take a picture.
It seems like a silly thing to make a sign for - silly that we need to be reminded to respect each other. But apparently a few folks in Missouri need that sign plastered on their foreheads.
Recently, an anonymous citizen put up a billboard depicting presidential candidate Barack Obama in a turban and with the middle name "Hussein." The billboard also claims that electing Obama will "equal" more abortions, same sex marriages, taxes, and gun regulations.
Well obviously, Mr. Anonymous, taxes and gun regulations may increase due to any candidate getting into office, but I fail to see the connection between electing a candidate and guaranteeing an increase in the number of abortions or same sex marriages as a result. If a person chooses to get an abortion or to get married, in general, it's not because the president told them to. That's like saying if you move to Kansas you will be swept away to Oz by a massive tornado.
Might an elected official pass laws to support these two scenarios? Possibly. But jumping to such conclusions and going as far as trying to influence voters with them, is crossing the line.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all about political activism and am a staunch supporter of freedom of speech, but I am thoroughly sick of how offensive and negative so much of the political outreach is today.
I wonder what would happen if a campaign were run solely on the positive aspects of a candidate. Would it be refreshing to voters to see only positive ads?
So friends, the moral to the story... We should respect our RIGHT to freedom of speech. That means that not only should we respect every American citizen's right to say whateva the heck they want, but we should also respect the right itself and honor it with restraint. As citizens, we should take this right seriously and actually think before we speak and even (gasp) consider how what we say will affect others.
Or, let's at least be a little more creative in attacking a candidate.
http://media.www.washburnreview.org/media/storage/paper1140/news/2008/10/13/Opinion/Obama.Sign.Offensive.Walks.The.Line.Of.Free.Speech-3484218.shtml?reffeature=recentlycommentedstoriestab
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Debate over attendance: She was just "busy?"
(This is an entry from my political blog for my internship. Please comment on it. www.schroederonpolitics.blogspot.com)
Oh, how I love the smell of politics in the morning.
The tight race between Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., and Republican state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins heated up this week as Boyda raised the issue of Jenkins absences at important KPERS meetings.
It has been reported that Jenkins missed 12 of 46 meetings. In other words, Jenkins was MIA 26% of the time. Boyda reportedly tagged the state Treasurer's absences during such a crutial time for the fund and the Kansas citizens it affects as "irresponsible."
Rather than addressing the accusation, Jenkins has chosen to skirt the issue and avoid giving valid reasons for missing these meetings at a time when the KPERS fund by $1 billion in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2009. Instead, Jenkins told the public she was "busy."
Interesting.
Jenkins and her camp have chosen to throw back criticism of a ten minute absence on Boyda's part during a recent congressional meeting. Boyda reportedly removed herself from the meeting (for only ten minutes, folks) because she felt the speaker was disrespecting Congress.
So... let's put all this together. Jenkins was absent from just over a quarter of KPERS meetings during a time that the fund, that is so important to Kansans, was struggling. Annnd instead of explaining to these citizens that she is seeking to represent the reasoning for her absenteeism, she chose to slam her competitor for standing up for what she believes in by stepping out of a meeting for ten whole minutes. As a young Kansas citizen and active voter, I am left a bit confused.
After all, aren't we as citizens hungry for politicians who not only do their job but actually stand up for what they (and we) believe in?
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/oct/08/campaign_wont_elaborate_jenkins_missing_kpers_meet/?city_local
Oh, how I love the smell of politics in the morning.
The tight race between Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., and Republican state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins heated up this week as Boyda raised the issue of Jenkins absences at important KPERS meetings.
It has been reported that Jenkins missed 12 of 46 meetings. In other words, Jenkins was MIA 26% of the time. Boyda reportedly tagged the state Treasurer's absences during such a crutial time for the fund and the Kansas citizens it affects as "irresponsible."
Rather than addressing the accusation, Jenkins has chosen to skirt the issue and avoid giving valid reasons for missing these meetings at a time when the KPERS fund by $1 billion in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2009. Instead, Jenkins told the public she was "busy."
Interesting.
Jenkins and her camp have chosen to throw back criticism of a ten minute absence on Boyda's part during a recent congressional meeting. Boyda reportedly removed herself from the meeting (for only ten minutes, folks) because she felt the speaker was disrespecting Congress.
So... let's put all this together. Jenkins was absent from just over a quarter of KPERS meetings during a time that the fund, that is so important to Kansans, was struggling. Annnd instead of explaining to these citizens that she is seeking to represent the reasoning for her absenteeism, she chose to slam her competitor for standing up for what she believes in by stepping out of a meeting for ten whole minutes. As a young Kansas citizen and active voter, I am left a bit confused.
After all, aren't we as citizens hungry for politicians who not only do their job but actually stand up for what they (and we) believe in?
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/oct/08/campaign_wont_elaborate_jenkins_missing_kpers_meet/?city_local
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