70 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, February 17, 2017
Post kickline team in search of coach BY S H E L BY TOWNSEND The LIU Post kickline squad has been around since 2010, but until recently, it was just considered a club on campus. Last year, it became an official spirit team, along with the dance team and cheerleading squad, but the newcomers are facing some challenges as they try to expand their team. The squad does not currently have an official coach. Katelin Townsend, who is also the head cheerleading coach and a success coach, is voluntarily serving as a temporary advisor, and is looking for volunteers to fill the coaching position. The team’s two captains, Fallon Boyle and Erica Bergen, are in charge of running the team. “We choreograph our own dances and organize everything we do,” said Boyle, a senior public relations major. “Our biggest challenge is definitely not having a coach, as it is hard to run every aspect of the team while being a full time student,” Bergen, a junior arts management major, said. Kickline, cheer, and dance are all three separate spirit
PHOTOS BY SHELBY TOWNSEND
teams; the spirit teams became an official part of LIU Post athletics in 2014. According to Boyle, kickline is different because they incorporate three different aspects in their performances: dance, pom, which is similar to some cheerleading routines, and kickline. “Kickline is definitely unique,” Boyle said. “We always have one long kickline that is visually pleasing to watch. Think
of the Rockettes. That’s exactly what we do.” The team performs during football halftime shows and basketball games as well as some campus events like Midnight Madness and Relay for Life. The kickline team held official tryouts on Jan. 22 and is still looking to expand. They currently have six active members, but are looking to build a team of 12 members. Along with practicing new rou-
tines, the girls have been working to build campus awareness of the team and have created accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @liupostkickline. Boyle said that being a part of the team has been a great experience because not only has she met new friends, but it is great to be a part of a spirit team and cheer on other Pioneer athletes. “I’ve been dancing since I was little so to be able to con-
tinue in college is an amazing experience,” Boyle said. According to Bergen, they plan on holding another tryout session at the end of the semester or over the summer to build their fall team. This article was originally published in the Pioneer, the award-winning student newspaper of LIU Post, www.liupostpioneer.com, and is republished here by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.
Post Rugby team seeks NCAA status BY Q U E D US BABALOLA The LIU Post women’s rugby team has made it clear that it is a force on campus not to be ignored. On Feb. 18, 2016, Bryan Collins, the university’s director of athletics and recreation, announced that the school
would be adding women’s rugby to its list of sport clubs in the 2016-2017 academic year. Fast forward to January 2017, and the women are in the process of becoming an official NCAA team. The team now has 18 players, three managers and one coach. A majority of the games so far have
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been on other campuses, including Manhattanville College and Bard College. As a result, support from the Post campus at those away games has been scarce, but when the match has been brought back home, many have been cheering this team on. Support for the rugby team has grown as it has become more successful. William Monroe, an LIU Post senior finance major, was surprised the team was even still around. “I have seen teams and clubs come and go left and right, so it’s surprising but amusing to hear that they are still around, and even about to become an official team; they should pat themselves on the back,” Monroe said. Many LIU Post students are still unaware that the rugby team has been formed. The school’s official social media accounts don’t include posts pertaining to the team. And because many of the team’s first games have been away, Post students have not travelled to watch the matches. Taylor Hill, a junior broadcasting major who is the team’s captain, feels as if the lack of promotion hasn’t benefitted the team in any way.
“It’s frustrating because we should have more promotion regardless [of whether] we are a varsity team or not,” Hill said.” “We’re also in transition into becoming part of the NCAA, so I feel as though we should be promoted more. Many people don’t know that we’re still on campus and we’re always looking for members.” While they are looking for more teammates, Shakira Clarke, a sophomore public relations major, is pleased with her team the way it is. “I honestly love my teammates. I’ve met some of my closest friends through rugby,” Clarke said. “Our bonds are unbreakable. I think the coach brought the best group of girls together and created a beautiful little family.” With their first pre-season game coming in March, the team is practicing every day to get ready for the season. No pads, No helmets, Just a ball. This article was originally published in the Pioneer, the award-winning student newspaper of LIU Post, www. liupostpioneer.com, and is republished here by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.