By Lauren DiGregorio
The Romanettes do it all: perform at football games in the fall, basketball games in the winter and pep rallies throughout the year. They practice constantly to bring an energetic performance to the audience. This team has a range of performers, from athletes to artists, musicians to journalists and students to teachers. The Romanettes are a large and lasting part of the school community.
Source by Anna Dekte
Senior captain Ive Li poses for the crowd; the Romanettes count off before their fall pep rally performance; senior captain Grace Aderibigbe shows off her kick when the team members' names are announced.
Being a part of the Romanettes takes time, energy and dedication from perfecting routines to supporting one another, literally and figuratively. When performing their signature kickline they must connect simultaneously and support each other evenly so that the line does not break or fall. Outside of the kickline, the Romanettes are not only teammates, but friends. After grueling 6:15 a.m. practices, some of the group members can be seen eating breakfast together or catching up on homework before school starts.
“Sometimes we all go get breakfast since most of us have been up for at least two hours. It is a nice time right after practice for us to bond and catch up on what has been going on in our lives and become the close team we are today,” senior Romanette Briana Dunn said.
During their “off” season in the winter, the Romanettes still perform at basketball games. In between periods, the Romanettes demonstrate their exuberant moves and end with their signature kickline to keep the crowd going and bring some pep to the gym.
The Romanettes also have a range of different traditions with their Pom-Pom Parties being the most popular. Before important performances, the group gets together to make their famous pom-poms. This tradition has been passed down for generations of Romanettes; the upperclassmen become teachers and explain how to make the perfect pom-pom. After a mixture of friendship, music and snacks, the Romanettes end up with piles of pom-poms.
Source by Julia Esposito
Senior Captain Samantha Chang holds up her freshly made pom-pom at the team's party.
“Pom-pom parties are really fun and exciting. All the girls hangout and get to know each other on a deeper level. It feels great to be a Romanette because I first saw how uniformed and great their kicks looked at pep rally and I knew I wanted to perform like that, too. I also wanted to meet new people and make some new friends,” senior Jacey Cho said.
A unique part about the Romanettes is the generations of group members that have returned. Chemistry teacher, Ms. Stone, was a Romanette when she was in high school. One of her fondest moments at NHP as a student was being on the squad. Another NHP teacher, Ms. Deegan, was a Romanette when she attended NHP and is now the adviser.
“The ‘high kicking, vivacious Romanettes’ continue to entertain spectators through their high energy routines at half time. It is a joy now to work at NHP and see the future generation of Romanettes perform and to see the traditions live on. One thing the squad is known for is their colorful sneaker pom-poms, as was the case when I was a member; only a Romanette knows the pain-staking effort it takes to make them! Fun fact, back in the day I was known for having the most symmetrical pom-poms,” science teacher Ms. Angela Stone said.