Homecoming, the annual celebration of the return to a new school year at Morton West, consisting of football games, pep rallies, and parades, but behind the scenes, who helps make the magic happen? Cheerleaders!

Every year students get fired up for homecoming week. The week is full of several opportunities for students to get excited and involved with the school and their peers. Throughout the week the cheerleaders will perform routines and cheer for the pep rally, football game, and soccer game, as well as cheer through the annual homecoming parade. Absorbed by all the positive energy, students tend to forget to credit the group that is keeping their spirits high during these events. The Morton Cheerleaders spend weeks prior preparing and perfecting their routines to bring liveliness to homecoming week each year.

Nevaeh Sisneros, Senior varsity cheerleading captain says, “Cheer isn’t always seen as a sport but it takes so much physical and mental strength not a lot of people are aware of.” Sisneros has been on Morton’s Cheerleading Team all four years of her high school experience. People usually stereotype cheerleading as being easy, and many refuse to even consider cheerleading as a sport. In reality, the team puts in countless hours of effort and dedication, especially for occasions like homecoming week when the student body is most present. Sisneros said, “In order to prepare we extend practices and make sure to do a ton of run-throughs of our performances to make sure we get it just right.”

Fatima Maldonado, another Senior varsity cheerleader, shares similar views, “Never have I been in a more hardcore sport than being in cheer.” This was Maldonado’s first year being on Morton’s Cheerleading Team, she shares her homecoming week experience, “It was very fun and also stressful being with cheer, and although we faced some obstacles along the way,  we made it work.”

The cheerleaders are the ones who bring the spark and spirit to every occasion, they never fail to get the crowd pumped and show support to the athletes they cheer for.

So, behind the bows and pretty uniforms is truly a major support system of homecoming week. Let us take a moment to acknowledge Morton’s Cheerleaders, the ones who make us feel at home during homecoming week.