One of the most important things to me is community. Growing up, so much of my life revolved around other people. College was the first time I have experienced the ability to figure out who I am, what I like and so on. Given this, I tried so many things during my first semester at Saint Louis University (SLU). I attended open gyms for club volleyball, joined about a million GroupMes — I still get updates from clubs whose meetings I have barely attended — talked to people in dance groups and even briefly started the sorority rush process (which is crazy for me). All of these offered something different: a sport, an activity, friends, opportunities.Â
During my first semester, I attended SLU’s involvement fair, and it was there that I found XQuizit. According to their group page, XQ is “Saint Louis University’s only premier Hip Hop Dance Crew.” I have been a dancer my whole life, and I competed for a lot of that time. I dabbled in basically every style, but did not have any major focus in one or another, though I have always been fond of contemporary and hip hop. That being said, joining a dance team with a specific style is daunting, especially when you have not spent a ton of time training in that style. I was nervous, to say the least.Â
XQ held a clinic before auditions, and since I enjoyed meeting them at the fair, I decided to attend. This came after the sorority recruitment process, and all my friends were beginning their sisterhood journeys with the various sororities on campus. I was not exactly regretting my choice to drop the recruitment process, but it was hard to see all my friends venturing off while I felt stuck and sort of lonely for the first time since coming to college. As soon as the dance clinic began, this all melted away. The energy in the room of an XQ event is truly unlike any other. You can feel the positivity, support and love radiating all around you. Even though I was nervous to audition, the veteran members were so encouraging and made me feel so confident.Â
In case you could not tell by the tone of this article, I made the team. It has truly been the biggest blessing in disguise. I thought this would be a good way to meet some people, potentially make a friend or two and keep dancing and staying active in college. It has been so much more than that. XQ has given me some of my best friends, as well as connections to so many people and opportunities I would otherwise not have encountered. Everyone comes from different personal and dance backgrounds, and we have a wide range of ages and majors on the team. A few weeks ago, we welcomed 11 new “XQties,” or new members, and I am beyond excited to see what this year will bring for us as a team.Â
From our “T-UP” bonding events — monthly team hangouts — to fundraisers to performing all around St. Louis and even in Chicago, XQ has given me so many memories. Besides that, it has given me a family on campus. I know that whenever I need to talk with someone, or even just want to hang out or grab a meal, I can text the XQ group chat and somebody will be there in no time. We stick together, look out for each other and motivate each other to be the best we can be. Believe me, this is important when you are spending late nights perfecting every detail before a performance — it can get a little tense at times. But no matter what, we all show love for one another, the team and our art every single day.Â
The point of this article is not to tell you to join a dance team – if dance is not your thing, that is fine! My advice, though, is to go find your XQ; find a place that feels like going home, where the love is strong and the energy is positive. College can be hard for everybody at times. Finding a place where you truly belong — be that a club, a leadership organization, volunteer work, a fraternity or sorority or any other group — can change your life in more ways than you could ever imagine. I, for one, am so happy I found my people and got my groove back in the process.