February, 2024
By Maria Arredondo and Brisa Gomez, Staff Reporters
The 2023-2024 cheer team has been preparing for their competition season since the summer break of 2023. Their first competition was on January 27, where they performed a chant and dance. While the team did not win the competition, the team learned from the experience. Cheerleaders Litzy Moreno, Arelly Mendoza, and captain Lisette Reyna, as well as Coach Dorianne Santiago, talked to the Cardinal Post about the big day and the preparation that led to it.
This year’s cheer team is undoubtedly full of talented and passionate girls; the energy they created when they performed was astounding. The choreography they executed was full of impressive stunts. They started off the season strong and are looking forward to improving their dance for upcoming competitions. Apart from being talented, the team is composed of generous girls who bring great representation to KAC. Coach Santiago shared a story of how she was thanked by another coach for the kindness her cheerleaders showed. “They remembered us from last year and how kind our girls were to the girls on their team,” Santiago said. “They wanted to thank me for the really nice experience their team had because of our girls.”
Cheerleader Litzy Moreno told us that the competition “did not go as expected; it was more fast-paced than I thought.” Nonetheless, the team was content with their performance. Captain Lisette Reyna said, “We had practices after school and during the summer. I’m very proud of each and every single one of my team, and it’s hard starting off, but it’s rewarding.”
After their first competition, Coach Santiago would like her team to know that “whatever you put in is what you’re going to get out.”
One of the most common complaints students have about the school is the lack of a tackle football team and school spirit. Reyna believes cheer is helping fix that problem. So does team member Arelly Mendoza. “Our school is a charter school, and we’re not as surrounded by sports as other schools, but I think cheer brings back that school spirit. Furthermore, it can bring joy to our school,” she said.
Reflecting on the first competition and all of the work that went into it, Santiago emphasized the message she wants her team to take from their participation. “Continue fighting, keep on working; hard work always pays off,” she said. “And you know, you may not see it now, but you are definitely preparing and paving the way for others who come after you. Right now, you’re definitely an inspiration to little girls in elementary who want to come to KAC because they want to do what you’re doing. Even our students who have graduated, after they look back and see that, ‘Oh my God, they have a program now that I would have wanted to be a part of.’ So yes, keep on fighting, keep on doing it, and keep on cheering.”
The Cardinal Post 