Growing up, Black Hawk College Chemistry professor Emily Thomas was a cheerleader and dancer. These experiences not only shaped her as a person, but as an instructor and leader.
Thomas shared that one way she has connected with students is by wearing a cheer-related T-shirt, which has sparked many conversations. This led them to question why BHC does not have a cheer squad.
Realizing that this is a genuine interest students have, Thomas reached out to Student Life Coordinator Jana Koch.
"I just sent her an email saying something like 'BLACK HAWK CHEER SQUAD' and the contents were something like 'LET'S DO IT.' That was all it took," Emily said. "BHC works hard to get students more involved on campus and in athletics space as well. This was the perfect moment for all of us to come together."
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With a high interest level, it is important to have more than one coach leading the team.
Health Sciences department chair and Occupational Therapy professor, and fellow former cheerleader Abi Swidergal, then heard about the opportunity. Her program is a small cohort, and she mostly interacts with OTA students.
"I'm lucky and fortunate that my office is not by my classroom in the Health Sciences Building because that's how I even learned about this," Abi said. "I think we have a number of opportunities to create more interconnectedness on campus."
Jana believes that Abi and Emily are the right fit for coaches because of their positive attitudes, excitement and shared commitment to inclusiveness at BHC.
Having students more involved on campus is a BHC priority. At the beginning of the decade when COVID hit, students had a desire to be involved even if it looked different, but entering the social world again was challenging. Like many colleges and universities, the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges when hosting on-campus events for student clubs and organizations.
However, over the last few years, Jana has noticed a significant increase in students' desire to be more involved during their time at BHC.
"Students really want that in-person experience, which is really nice to see… on average, events and activities are up over [over 30 percent] in attendance," she said.
Those moments help strengthen communities, as BHC's mission calls for. Like building school spirit, these communities need to be strong to build a foundation.
Emily and Abi saw this firsthand at the first Spirit Squad camp on June 5.
"Abi and I talked after the first camp, and we couldn't have been prouder of the attendees. Everyone picked up the cheers and choreography so fast; I was genuinely impressed with their skill," Emily said. "Personally, I appreciated that they helped me to edit a few words of the fight song. Working together on sorting out a few lyrics made me see the true future of what this Squad was going to become."
Looking ahead, although the Spirit Squad is currently listed as a club, they are changing the game of athletics at BHC.
"The Spirit Squad will bring school spirit and pride to the College. It will enhance overall engagement with faculty, staff and our students," Director of Athletics & Community Recreation Arnie Chavera said. "From an athletic standpoint, it will impact home games, but it will bring a great deal of positive energy to our home [men and women] basketball games."
