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LUM | Culture > Entertainment

Why DWTS Has Me Rooting for People I Barely Knew Before

Julianna Pitucco Student Contributor, Loyola University Maryland
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at LUM chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Back in September, one of my roommates proclaimed that we would start watching the new season of Dancing with the Stars every Tuesday. Surprisingly, I had never watched it before, and I was unsure if I would like it. I’m the type of person who finds one show I like and watches it on repeat for the next five years. But I can confidently say that it has won me over, and I am all into the DTWS lore. 

Going into the season, I thought my favorites would be the stars I already knew of, like Julia Stiles and Ciara Miller. Although I do love them and think they are both fantastic, I found myself rooting for underdogs that I never expected myself to. I had no idea who Connor Wood was before this season, and now I am following all of his socials and know about his podcast. I didn’t know who Ezra Frech was, but now I am inspired by his story and captivated by his personality and talent. 

One thing about Connor Wood that I think captures exactly what the show is all about is improving over time. He was at the bottom of the leaderboard up until about a week or two ago, but you could see him clearly trying and improving every time. I was absolutely captivated by his horror night dance. I thought that the choreography and concept by Rylee were fantastic, and both of them carried it out so well.  Same with Tatyana; Although I don’t think her dances are as high-level technically as some of the others, she is putting in a great effort and undoubtedly improving. 

This past episode was Disney Night, and it was just so much fun. I was shocked to see that Tatyana had first pick of her team members and did not pick the highest-scoring or most experienced dancers. People are complaining that “Team Wildcats” was such a stacked team, but that is fully Tatyana’s own doing. I personally was obsessed with Team Wildcats’ dance and have already watched it several times. I was sad to see Julia go, but it was definitely her time. I thought it was going to be Maura, to be honest; I feel as if she has gotten more fatigued as the competition has gone on. 

I am unsure how many pairs will be in the finale. If I had to predict four final groups, it would be Ezra and Daniella, Amber and Pasha, Connor and Rylee, and Harry and Jenna. As the season is winding down, I am curious to see the order of eliminations going forward. I cannot believe the finale is in three short weeks. I do think it is getting harder to predict who will be eliminated next since everyone left is at a high level of rigor now. I cannot wait to see how everything unfolds, and I can confidently say I am now a DWTS fan.

Julianna Pitucco

LUM '27

Julianna (Juls) is currently serving as the Editor in Chief for Loyola's chapter of Her Campus. She is a Senior at Loyola University Maryland. She grew up in Somerville, New Jersey her entire life.

At Loyola, Julianna is pursuing a degree in Communication and Media with a specialization in Advertising and Public Relations and Sociology. Along with HerCampus, she is the Vice President of Professional Development for Loyola's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, a Copy Editor for The Greyhound newspaper, and the President of Lambda Pi Eta (Communication Honor Society). She studied abroad in Copenhagen during the Fall 2025 semester.

On Julianna's free time, you can find her going to the gym or workout classes, watching romance movies, listening to music and podcasts, or going on long walks with her dog.