A new sound can be heard at Hamline sporting events: the rhythmic spelling out of R.O.L.L P.I.P.E.R.S. paired with the stomp-clap stomp-clap of the new Hamline cheerleaders. 

This year, Hamline Cheer, or the Cheerios as they go by on their instagram, made its way to the forefront of sporting events. They started off with just an idea and ended with campus-wide support.

Coaches, students and athletes alike appreciate the continuous dedication and enthusiasm the cheer team radiates.

“The [announcers] shouted us out over the microphone and people were cheering for us,” sophomore Hamline cheerleader Kamari Williams said. 

After every cheer, Williams recalls the Pipers in the crowd cheering for the Cheerios  and hollering back encouraging them. 

“We were cheering for a girls [basketball] game, the scores were really close and we all stood in a line together to cheer them on,” first-year Cheerio Carmen Green said. 

Even coaches like Alex Focke of Hamline’s Women’s Basketball team had reached out to them asking them to attend games due to their positive impact on the crowd and athletes. The energy they bring radiates throughout the arena, encouraging fellow Pipers to go above and beyond in their game time performances.  

The season started off tough for Piper cheer and, like most teams, they have yet to catch their rhythm. 

“At first learning the cheers and performing them raised anxiety but over time we got cleaner and more organized,” Green said. “But still got to enjoy ourselves at the same time; now being more of a family than just teammates.” 

All cheerleaders came from different backgrounds and experiences, some, such as Williams, having never cheered before, but others have been cheer captains in high school. 

However, this didn’t stop these Pipers from becoming a team. You could often find them sitting together in the Anderson dining hall, shopping at the Rosedale Mall and even co-hosting the Piper Disco Dodgeball tournament. 

Green recalls that the team’s greatest strength is what they find in each other. At the end of the day, no matter their own individual stressors they had found comfort in each other. 

“We worked really hard to get to a certain point, and we pushed for a lot of things and were grateful that we got them,” Williams said. “Next season will definitely be a better season.”

As the season comes to an end, Cheerios have extraordinarily exciting plans for their next season. Pipers of all genders are welcome to try out for the team this April.