The dance team was all set for its annual trip to the National Dance Alliance/National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship Wednesday when the bankruptcy announcement of Skybus Airlines late Friday night put a damper on their plans. As of Sunday night the team has still not received a refund for the tickets they purchased on the airline to Daytona Beach, Fla., and members are now being forced to pay out of their own pockets to get to the competition. The team is in desperate need of some help and it is clear that the athletics department is in a position to provide that aid.
Although the dance team is not formally affiliated with the athletics department, they have become a fixture at football and basketball games and fans have come to appreciate their performances as part of the game day experience. The airline owes the team $3,000 for its plane tickets, but that will not help them if they do not receive that money before they leave for the championship, which starts April 10. Even if the athletics department gave them this amount as a loan, to be paid back when their tickets were refunded, the team would still be in a better situation than they are now.
In actuality, the dance team is one of the most successful athletic groups on campus. The team has consistently placed in the top 10 in the nation for the past four years and has twice placed in the top five — including a second place finish in 2001. The group receives a small yearly stipend from Club Sports, but the majority of their money comes from members’ fundraising efforts. The team is clearly worthy of support and should not have to miss out on their biggest event of the year because of these unfortunate circumstances.
The athletics department’s primary concern is with supporting its sports teams, but this represents an opportunity for these officials to help out a group who has given selflessly to their programs and to the University. Let’s not let their hard work and dedication go to waste. The team deserves the opportunity to represent our University in front of the nation.
