Jasper Dancers cheer on their seniors as they walk onto the center court to be honored during senior night.
ANGELINAPEREZ/COURTESY
By Angelina Perez, Engagement Editor/A&E Editor
Friends and families gathered in Draddy Gymnasium for a heartwarming senior night celebration of the Jasper dancers and cheerleaders.
During half-time between Manhattan College and Marist College’s men’s basketball teams, senior members were introduced and brought to the middle of the court with their family and friends, as their achievements were highlighted and cheers were heard.
Cheerleaders Mikayla Brown and Carter Silane reflected on their time at MC performing for the basketball team throughout the years.
“It’s bittersweet, especially this year our team has become the closest we’ve ever been over the past three years that I’ve been on the team,” Silane said. “It’s really exciting to be a senior, but it’s also really sad to leave such an amazing group of girls and coaches.”
Brown has had the experience of being on a cheer team throughout her childhood and high school. Leaving the MC cheer team brought a lot of emotions upon her.
“I’ve been cheering since I was 10, and when I graduated high school, I knew that I wanted to continue and since I came here, it’s only grown more,” Brown said. “Leaving cheerleading is going to be hard for me, but I’ve learned a lot and have met so many people that I’m so thankful for. Cheer has given me everything.”
Silane told The Quadrangle that she started cheering her junior year of high school after dancing her whole life.
“I played every other sport but nothing really clicked as well as cheer and that feeling has just gone up since I started,” Silane said.
The cheer team had the opportunity to travel to London in 2022 with the men’s basketball team, as well as other parts of the U.S. They were also able to travel to the University of Kansas this year and Atlantic City, NJ as part of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament (MAAC).
“This year is our first year going to nationals and in order to do that you have to go through a two-day camp and that really brought us all together because we spent countless hours that whole weekend together,” Brown said.
Despite the moves and poses teams put forward throughout the season, Silane emphasized the strength it takes to get hurt and keep performing with a smile on your face, something cheerleaders and dancers know all too well.
“I would definitely say we push through adversity,” Silane said. “What you don’t see on the court is that we are constantly falling during practice, and if someone gets hurt you get back up and help each other.”
As Brown and Silane looked at each other with tears in their eyes, they brought thanks to their family and teammates as the reality set in that this game would be one of the most significant ones in their college careers.
“Thank you for a great four years, and especially this last year, everything I could have wanted, going to nationals, was so important to me and I’m so thankful that our coaches really pushed for it,” Brown said.
Dance team senior member Lauren Kawecki told The Quadrangle how fast she felt this night crept up on her but is thankful for her fellow seniors in the crowd who attended the game.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Kawecki said. “It’s like that imposter syndrome where it came sooner than you thought. I’m happy with the crowd and the energy tonight. Honestly, we haven’t had support for the basketball team in a while and it was good to have real people give positive energy.”
Katie Rachman described her senior night as one she has been waiting for through obstacles such as COVID and budget cuts. Along with her teammates, she looked on the bright side of everything and looked back on what the dance team had accomplished during her time at MC.
“Tonight’s hip-hop routine was choreographed by all five seniors collectively, which was really awesome,” Rachman said. “It was my first time having choreography on the court, and it was just unreal.”
Kawecki reassured that her love and appreciation for dance will continue beyond graduation and follow her for the rest of her life.
“I’m always going to appreciate dance more,” Kawecki said. “When I’m at another basketball game or being with friends and dancing, I’m going to miss the energy of being out on the court and I’m grateful for all the time, energy, blood, sweat and tears that they’ve put into me, and I hope that I’ve done the same thing.”
Both seniors on the dance and cheer teams wished each other luck during their national tournaments and had the utmost love for everyone who showed up for them during senior night.