Athletics steps up, Dance team steps out
Tim Gross
Issue date: 1/29/10 Section: News
The Reilly Center sidelines grew quiet, and the basketball timeouts tamed as the university's dance and hip-hop teams withdrew from performances last semester.
For sophomore Brittany Feldmeyer and the SBU Hip Hop Team, the lull in the group's rhythmic clapping and stomping came about toward the end of the semester, as outside obligations pulled available participants under the 10-performer minimum set by the athletics department.
"Everyone was so busy with finals and projects, and we had upperclassmen who couldn't come," Feldmyer, the team's captain, said. "We couldn't perform without them, so we stopped so that they could keep their grades up."
The Step Team, averaging 10 to 12 members at a time, held tryouts Jan. 20 and 24 for interested students.
It plans to perform at basketball games this semester.
The SBU Dance Team bears a different story.
Performing on-and-off since 1998, the dance team reached an "off" period in Fall 2009. With other programs like the cheerleading squad, step team and hip hop team competing for the same interested students, the dance team fell into trouble as members started leaving, junior Marissa Sangiacomo said.
One girl moved to California. Another took off to take up a student teaching job.
With the dance team numbers decreasing, the athletics department expressed its concern.
Michelle Scannell, the university's marketing and promotion coordinator for athletics, explained the decision to set the minimum at 10 performers for in-game entertainment at basketball games.
"Because we're a Division I (school) we had to step everything up," she said.
Sangiacomo offered the dance team's interpretation.
"(Athletics) thought that more numbers meant a better show," she said. "They wanted to make the overall quality better because we're supposed to be a (Division I) school."
In a 2,000-student university, Sangiacomo questioned the need to add more dance groups and keep strict membership requirements.
For sophomore Brittany Feldmeyer and the SBU Hip Hop Team, the lull in the group's rhythmic clapping and stomping came about toward the end of the semester, as outside obligations pulled available participants under the 10-performer minimum set by the athletics department.
"Everyone was so busy with finals and projects, and we had upperclassmen who couldn't come," Feldmyer, the team's captain, said. "We couldn't perform without them, so we stopped so that they could keep their grades up."
The Step Team, averaging 10 to 12 members at a time, held tryouts Jan. 20 and 24 for interested students.
It plans to perform at basketball games this semester.
The SBU Dance Team bears a different story.
Performing on-and-off since 1998, the dance team reached an "off" period in Fall 2009. With other programs like the cheerleading squad, step team and hip hop team competing for the same interested students, the dance team fell into trouble as members started leaving, junior Marissa Sangiacomo said.
One girl moved to California. Another took off to take up a student teaching job.
With the dance team numbers decreasing, the athletics department expressed its concern.
Michelle Scannell, the university's marketing and promotion coordinator for athletics, explained the decision to set the minimum at 10 performers for in-game entertainment at basketball games.
"Because we're a Division I (school) we had to step everything up," she said.
Sangiacomo offered the dance team's interpretation.
"(Athletics) thought that more numbers meant a better show," she said. "They wanted to make the overall quality better because we're supposed to be a (Division I) school."
In a 2,000-student university, Sangiacomo questioned the need to add more dance groups and keep strict membership requirements.
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