Almost the whole team came today one hour early so that we could do some last minute reviewing and help each other out with the different dances we had learned throughout the first month of practices. Everyone had something different that they couldn’t quite grasp or just needed a little bit more review on… mine was the four sidelines. Some other rookies would confuse the fight song, and even a few of the Vets needed help for the Pom that one of our Captains taught us. Everyone was just about in the same boat, which I think got all of us to bond even more since we all sympathized with each other. While the actual evaluations were happening, we were all routing for one another, but once it was my turn, I would try to relax and just think about having fun. I thought Brenda would’ve seemed a little too intimidating, so much so that I wouldn’t be able to remember the dances. But as intimidating as she was, I still felt comfortable with her enough that I really COULD have fun when I was dancing. I just pretended like I wasn’t even being evaluated, that I was just entertaining a few people in the room. Speaking of which, we had two girls come in as well and they were doing an assignment for their ENC 1101 class that were there throughout the evaluations and then interviewed a few of us, me included. They were doing a sort of article on stereotypes in dance. I told them about how most people think we’re not intelligent, but I myself am in the Honors College, so that wasn’t credible. Also how most people think that we’re too girly and have a pricey upkeep, but I myself like playing video games and shopping at Wal-Mart. They asked a few Vets the same questions as well to get an average answer. What was really cool about the day of evaluations was the surprise that we all got when we learned we were going to get our uniforms that day. I WAS TOTALLY PSYCHED ABOUT GETTING UNIFORMS I COULDN’T EVEN HOLD MY EXCITEMENT AND I TRIED IT OUT RIGHT WHEN I LEFT THE STORAGE ROOM. In fact, I had it on backwards until a Vet told me I had it on wrong, but that was fine because I finally had the ‘famous’ uniform. It was definitely a really GREAT day! 
We ran two miles. I don’t even KNOW how I could’ve kept going, in fact I really didn’t. I had to stop and start walking, and if it weren’t for Peggy, a Vet, inspiring me to keep going, then I don’t know if I would’ve been able to even make it with the rest of them. I had to keep playing mind tricks on myself and telling myself that I’d get to one part of the lap and then we’d start walking… but when we didn’t it was just that much harder until my muscles finally just gave up. After this whole ordeal we started stretching, but I definitely wasn’t up to it since my legs started giving way and I started feeling a little light headed. But after a while I was fine, like I knew I would be, and before I knew it I was just looking forward to being able to start going over the dances from the previous practice that we had learned. However, before we did that Peggy, head of the Spirit Committee announced that the committee this year was starting a new idea of Dazzler of the Month, and wouldn’t you know it? Because Winnie and I stayed after practice that second day, or first for the both of us because of the practice, the Spirit Committee granted both of us Dazzlers of the month! That was the best pick me up I could’ve ever gotten and from that second on, I somehow could pick up and retain all of the movements from the, I believe, eight dances that we had learned throughout practices since the 18th of June. However, everyone was still freaked out for evaluations next practice.
Today we did something a little bit different compared with every other day. We all split up into four different groups and came up with 4 eight-counts worth of a hip-hop type sideline. I don’t really know how long we were given to come up with the dances, but I know that I would’ve rather had more time to learn the sidelines from the other three groups. Besides trying to come up with choreography, we then had to learn everyone else’s routines. I’ve never been so dumbfounded about how horrible I am with remembering dances then I was that day. This day was one where my mind took more of a beating then my muscles, but in the end I at least had a vague idea about the dances, I was just hoping that next practice we’d be able to go over them again.
It really was Christmas in July!!!!! =D It was practice as usual. We ran, did some across the floor, practiced and learned a few dances… but then there was a surprise for us at the end of practice. WE GOT OUR BOOTS, ADIDAS BAG AND POM POM’S!!! All of us rookies started putting on our boots and trying them on, making fun of each other, and showing them off. It was SOOOO much fun, and it gave me something to look forward to and a reason why I was working so hard to start dancing better then before. It was awesome to get all that gear that we could start adding to a pile for all the other free Dazzler stuff we’d get. 
Well… for the fourth of July weekend, practice was cancelled but I knew how hard it would be for me to take a week long break from running and then start up again with a mile. So I started going to a gym close to my house and running on the treadmill. I even started running a mile and a half, which I was extremely proud of, so that by the time practice started again I wouldn’t be as worn out as I would have been if I hadn’t been running for that week. Besides that though, it was nice to have a bit of a break for my muscles to go back to not being so sore.
