It’s that time of year at Hampton University when the freshmen and their leaders are starting to get ready for what may be the biggest freshman event of the year, Battle of the States.
This infamous battle between each region takes place every year, and the start of second semester marks the race for Battle of the States, also known as BOTS.
For those who have no idea what I am taking about, BOTS is a unique freshman competition that takes place every year at Hampton University. HU students from the North, South, Mid-West, DMV and the West compete in different segments of fashion, dance and talent to figure out who is the BEST region.
In last year’s competition, the North came out on top defeating the reigning three-year champions, the South. Then came the former champs the South and the Mid-West in third.
The schedule can be rigorous for freshman, having to handle their social life, academics, and countless hours of nonstop daily practices. Freshmen are expected to be able to balance out all of these in order to compete while maintaining a 2.5 GPA.
However, where does all the choreography, modeling poses, costumes, make-up and music mixes come from? That is the job of the BOTS leaders. As a leader this year, I can tell you that there is so much work that happens behind the scenes of the show.
Leaders spend countless hours dedicating their time to make sure that the show is the best. This includes meetings before and after practices, making sure the fashion and dance mixes will get the crowd and judges into their region’s music, as well as coming up with the choreography for the dance and fashion sections.
It can be a stressful and overwhelming time, especially for leaders because they have to stay focused on their studies too. A majority of the leaders (at least in my region, shout out to the West) tend to be sophomores that are just starting to take classes in their major, making it a crucial time in their college careers.
Working together is easier said then done. Drama can get in the way of things making it difficult for leaders to separate their personal from BOTS business. Spending so much time with one another can get frustrating and irritating especially if everyone isn’t on the same page. However, we must remember that we all have one goal which is to come out on top and be crowned the Battle of the States champions.
Even though it can be a stressful time, leaders still need to work together so that they can put on the best show for the audience to enjoy and impress the judges so they can get the highest score possible.
Good luck to all regions competing and hope you are all getting ready for Battle of the States 2016!