Save HPU Cheer and Dance!!!

After 23 National Championships, cheerleaders and dancers at Hawaii Pacific University are experiencing budget cuts at its finest. After returning home in April from the Cheer and Dance National Competition, HPU participants were told this would be their last year of competition. 

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Ohana for life.
Photo Credit: HPU Cheer and Dance

According to Todd Simmons, Hawaii Pacific’s VP of Marketing and Communications, “We’re bringing expenses related to this program, more in line with what we want the size and scope of the cheer and dance programs to be. They’ve grown significantly in expenses over the past four years and we’re trying to bring the cost in.”

HPU's dancers circle up before their friends and family sendoff for nationals.
Photo Credit: HPU Dance

Despite the upsetting news, these college athletes are pushing harder than ever to keep their tradition alive. In the efforts to do so HPU cheerleaders and dancers have participated in may activities to raise awareness on this issue and have raised over $7,000 to go towards their team accounts.





2011-2012 National Champions!
Photo Credit: HPU Cheer

Petitions, social media support, fundraisers, flash mobs, and much more, have been a contribution to this debate. Cheerleaders and dancers hope the school will recognize their effort to save the Hawaii Pacific cheer and dance legacy and their decision will be influenced by their love for the program. 

Small Town Girl

Tracey outside of her beautiful country
home.
Photo By:Brittany Watson

When she’s not raising hell in honky tonks, or driving 500 miles a day in her Chevy truck, Tracey Dyleski is your everyday college student.  She is currently a junior at Kansas State University where she fits right in.  Distinguishable by her boots, Tracey lives a country girl life. She was born in raised in Albuquerque, NM, where she started riding horses by the age of six. Tracey grew up with a brother three years younger than her, and they have been close her entire life. Her dad’s job moved the family to Kansas in November of 2004, to a perfect home in the country side. She graduated from Kansas City Christian in 2008 and started off college in Texas, before returning back to Kansas. Tracey was raised in a Christian home where church and bible studies are very important. Her love for the lord and faith has helped shape the women she is today.

One of Tracey's many prized possessions.
Photo By: Brittany Watson

In her free time, Tracey enjoys spending time with her family, riding her horse, shopping, and traveling to her favorite states. These states include New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. She also loves spending time with her friends, working out, and watching reruns of Grey’s Anatomy. She hates cooking but most definitely has an appetite for freshly made sandwiches.  After graduating from Kansas State in December 2013, Tracey plans on taking her degree in Social Sciences and Family Studies, back to Texas. She intends to work as a trauma counselor, specializing with troubled teenagers. Her dream come true would be to live outside of Austin, Texas with a family of her own, her amazing horse, Zig, and cat, Houston.

Family horses, Surprise and Garcia.
Photo By: Brittany Watson

Tracey’s younger brother is a bull rider and has been doing so for the last two years.  The first summer that he started rodeoing, Tracey was unable to attend any of the events because they were living in separate states.  The first time that she had the opportunity to see him was a special moment that she will never forget.  Nineteen year old boys tend to be pretty tough but this situation brought them closer than ever.  As Tracey was nervously chewing off her nails in the bleachers, her brother was preparing himself to climb aboard an 1800 pound explosive animal.  Right as he was about to climb on, he looked over at Tracey, mouthed that he loved her, and made his 8 second ride.