Sitting in the student section of Sanford Stadium is electrifying when the Dawgs are giving it all they’ve got. Most students would say that football season is their favorite part of the school year. We wake up on Saturday, get all dressed up in our classiest red and black dresses and bow ties, tailgate like it's our job and then walk to the one and only Sanford Stadium to cheer on our beloved Dawgs.

But what is it like for the select few that get to cheer on the Dawgs BETWEEN the hedges? To the common Georgia fan, cheerleaders are a central part of the spirit and atmosphere of the game. They lead us in the chill-inducing stadium wide cheer of “GEORGIA... BULLDOGS.” Those two simple words will send the stadium into a frenzy of screaming students, alumni and Dawgs alike. For those who wear the red and black uniforms, it can be even more fun. When being energetic and cheerful is your job you’re bound to have a good time. Games like the Auburn game last November (SIC EM!) are exhilarating for our cheerleaders. They can’t help but feed off the energy of the crowd and dance as if 92,000 people aren’t watching.  

Chloe Deitrich, sophomore cheerleader, says that from her perspective a typical UGA football game is one word: Loud. When asked what her absolute favorite part of cheering in Sanford Stadium is she said, “Standing on the field with the stadium surrounding me while they play battle hymn. I shed a tear every time… I have a flare for the dramatic." No one in the stadium is immune to the fervent atmosphere of the DawgNation coming together to watch the Dawgs play, not even when they’re required to be there. That’s when you know they’re a true Dawg.     

So what happens after football season is over and most students settle into the routine of a calmer spring semester? This is when the cheerleaders step their game up and prepare for Nationals. While cheering on the sidelines is fun, preparing for and cheering at Nationals is intense and proves that our cheerleaders have extreme skill. For the first few months of each new year, cheerleaders are spending more time practicing physically demanding routines. However, it’s all worth it when they roll in on the bus to Daytona. In April, cheerleaders from colleges all over the country come together to compete on one stage that’s only a few yards away from the ocean while the rest of us are in class. Not bad.    

Most would imagine Nationals to be similar to “Bring It On” with the crazy stunts, catfights, and forbidden love. However, only one of the three is true. Most cheerleaders don’t find their star-crossed lovers and catfights are few and far between because Nationals is simply five days of “hanging out with friends and doing what you love.” But the “Bring It On” fan in me is happy to hear that cheerleaders gathering round and showing off their skills is very much real, and even has a name: Stuntfest. It’s basically a slap in the face to those of us who aren’t blessed with coordination. We can leave that to our UGA cheerleaders though, who proved their flawless coordination by taking home third place last year, and are In It to Win It this year. Go Dawgs!