By Emily Gianni
Manhattan Madness has not happened since 2019. I am currently a sophomore on the Manhattan College cheerleading team. Madness was cancelled my freshman year because of Covid-19. Before 2021 Madness, I was super anxious; I had no idea what to expect. My team, the dance team, and the pep band worked really hard to prepare for this pep-rally; however, half of us have never even been to Manhattan Madness so we did not know what to expect. Those who have participated in Madness before just reassured us that it isn’t scary, instead, it is super fun and there was nothing to worry about. Excitement and nerves rushed through the air, but in the end, it was so worth it!
Pep-teams arrived two hours in advance to warm up, practice, and set up what we needed to. Doors opened at 9:10 p.m., and things started to feel surreal. Cheerleaders and the dance team welcomed everyone in. Cheerleaders did stunts and tumbling to show off some skills before Madness began. Finally, Madness started: the lights turned off and the spotlight came on. The band played the national anthem and it was such an experience to hear everyone in the crowd join in to sing it. Cheerleaders performed right after that; it was definitely different from how we practiced because there were no lights and it was hard for us to see. It was over before we knew it, and just like that, our first performance was out of the way. The crowd went crazy when we finished and while we performed. That made it less scary to perform; it also helped that all of the lights were off. The basketball teams were announced and all of the players had really funny and fun dances. The dance team also performed and did AMAZING; they had amazing technique and their creativity for the dance was great.
My first Madness was definitely an unforgettable experience. I am really happy we finally got this performance and I cannot wait for the next one. I cannot wait to see how the dance team changes or adds to their routine and I can’t wait to see and be a part of the new skills that Manhattan cheerleaders will perform.