The Towerlight, October 20, 2011

ATHLETICS ENACTS NEW TICKET POLICY Page 24 Ana Martinez Chamorro/ The Towerlight 'T'lriSl J ; ' f >' 9L 1 I ■ * ■■ ■ I l ■Г / Ш Courtney L., a Towson University senior and Ravens cheerleader, is in her fourth season dancing with the squad. When Courtney was not chosen as a member of the Towson University Dance Team her freshman year, she tried out for the Ravens cheerleading program. The Ravens cheerleaders practice twice a week in Owings Mills. Two students spend time outside the classroom at M&T Bank Stadium LAUREN SLAVIN Editor-in-Chief Like many of Towson University’s commuters, Courtney wakes up at 7 a.m. to prepare for an hour drive, drives in circles around a packed parking garage, and goes to her 9 a.m. class. Sweatpants are the norm, and dab¬ bing on mascara is an effort. If it weren’t for her Ravens bag, lanyard, shoes and accessories, it would be dif¬ ficult to remember she doesn’t spend her Sundays in Cook Library, but cheering at M&T Bank Stadium. "They think we wake up looking like this. I try to keep it on the DL at school, because if people know I'm a cheerleader, at class I feel like I can’t just roll out of bed and wear sweat¬ pants to class,” Courtney said. Courtney L. is among several Ravens cheerleaders who have spent time off the field in classrooms at Towson University, but is one of only two cur¬ rent students on the squad. Courtney, a senior, has been a Ravens cheerleader as long as she’s been a Towson student. Junior Brittany W. is only starting her rookie season after attending an open tryout in March. The women could not give their full- last names for privacy reasons stipu¬ lated in their Ravens contracts. Both girls balance full-time class schedules, part-time jobs and weekly appearances at home games with the Baltimore Ravens. I have a Steelers [fan] f^cTeherTTfis year. She announced the first day she was from Pittsburgh and I was like, ‘Please don’t let this affect my grade.’ COURTNEY L. Towson University senior, Ravens cheerleader "It’s all about prioritizing," Brittany said. "It’s difficult. At times it can be stressful. It’s like having 10 jobs when you have five classes." But this job is one Brittany has dreamed about since she was 10 years old. She started cheerleading at age five, and at 10, one year after the Ravens won their first and only Super Bowl, Brittany participated in the LiT Ravens cheer program. She continued cheering through high school, eventually becoming the captain of her varsity squad. Courtney, on the other hand, had never cheered before she tried out for the Ravens. She came from a dance background and originally applied to Towson University for their dance pro¬ gram. But an unsuccessful attempt at making Towson’s 13-straight national championship winning dance team left a hole in her extra-curricular activities. "My nerves got the best of me, so I messed up really bad,” Courtney said. "I think that prepared me, because two months later, I found out about the tryouts for Ravens.” Courtney's experiences as a Ravens’ veteran cheerleader have helped Brittany through the Ravens rigorous practices, according to Ravens dance team coach Karen Kreitzer, a Towson University alumna. "Our veterans really help guide our rookies, so it’s great to have Courtney, who's a great dancer, great leader, help guide Brittany, just help navigate her first year with the program," she said. The 21 women who make up the dance team portion of the squad, which has 41 females and 20 males in See RAVENS, page 21 Ana Martinez Chamorro/ The Towerlight Junior Brittany W. is in her rookie season with the Ravens.