Dialogue with Cheerleader Qin Jing Wen, Renmin University of China
PEOPLE
2019.08.02
Reporter | Luo You Rong
Original Author | Luo You Rong
Photo by | Qin Jing Wen
WeChat Article Layout by | Zhou Yi Kang
Was originally published in The Voice of Beijing, Issue 1, 2019
This web article is the English translation of the original article.
Click here to read the original WeChat post.
Web Article Layout by | Wong Xiangyu
Q1: Why did you want to join the cheerleading team of Renmin University of China ?
A1: I have learned to dance since I was a child. This is something I have always insisted on. And I also served as a green team cheerleader twice in high school, so I naturally wanted to find similar clubs or organizations when I came to university. At that time, I saw the RUC cheerleading team recruiting new members, and I felt that I could receive more professional training after joining, so I signed up decisively.
Q2: What is the biggest difference between cheerleading in middle school and cheerleading in university?
A2: There are actually many differences. The biggest difference I think is the professionalism and standardization of training. After all, the purpose of the middle school cheerleading team is to mobilize the atmosphere of various cheerleading teams and to mobilize the atmosphere of the sports day. Its existence cycle is only a few months. Therefore, the dance foundation and physical fitness conditions of the players themselves will not be too great. However, joining the RUC team is subject to selection. I remember that when the freshman recruits in the fall, the number of applicants was nearly 100, and only 20 were selected in the end. They will evaluate your positioning, exertion, etc. After all, the school cheerleading team of the RUC is a sports organization and has a mission. Therefore, the training content and methods will be more professional, and there will be coaches to lead the team.
Q3: What motivation makes you full of enthusiasm for cheerleading?
A3: Cheerleading places great emphasis on collective understanding, consistency, and so on. For example, the consistency of force and the change of formation require much practice and running-in between the team members. After the investment, I found that I am very interested in this. The sense of identity and honor of this group is fascinating. For example, when I was in high school, I was very passionate about the cheerleading team, and the relationship with the players was also very good. When I was in the third year of high school, I was still the captain. Probably because I have a strong sense of belonging to this group, I want to give something to the team. However, the university has several trainings every week, and occasionally there is the idea of wanting to give up, but after each game, I will stay in the team more firmly, and I have been training captain until now. Haha!
Q4: What is the most impressive thing for you in the team?
A4: My first summer training! The team asked the players to return to school for training a few days before the start of school. Although the team requested to do quality check-in at home during vacation, basically I was lazy, so I was in a two-month rest state during the summer vacation. As a result, we were asked to run five laps on the playground on the first morning of the summer training, and I vomited halfway through the run. My Chinese classmates in the same class came back because of military training, so it will not be too difficult for them to sign the training. Because the whole morning training is tough training. When I rested at noon, I vomited and vomited when I went back. When I was training in the afternoon, my condition was already very bad, so I twisted my ankle because I couldn’t control my body. I clearly remember that several boys in our team took turns from the training hall to carry me back to the dormitory. That experience really made me feel the perseverance that athletes need.
Q5: How many awards have you received since your performance? Which one is most meaningful to you? Which one is the most challenging?
A5: If you count the school cheerleading team and the college aerobics, there will be a total of 10 awards. I think it’s the first time to represent a school team in a cheerleading competition at Peking University. Because it’s the first time to participate, everything is very fresh to me. I still remember the expectation and tension . Also after that match, my feelings for cheerleaders have deepened. There is a revolutionary emotion of teammates and comrades, haha! The most challenging is a rhythmic body language project that I participated in in my freshman year, which is a kind of sports dance in which the players rely on the sound of tapping their bodies or stepping on the ground when there is no music. This is a test of tacit understanding and rhythm. In addition, because I was going to participate in the aerobics competition in the academy during that time, I didn’t study the movements seriously, so I couldn’t remember the movements. In the end, the captain put me on the court, and at the beginning I stood at the front, which was considered a centre position (because I was short). I was super nervous at that time, but we still won the prize.
Q6: What is the happiest thing about joining the cheerleading team?
A6: The happiest thing in the team is to meet a group of friends. They are different from ordinary college students or other clubs. I have a revolutionary emotion with them. We have cried and laughed together for the same goal. The sense of group honor and emotion is something I can’t find in other groups, so I cherish this friendship very much.
Q7: Does joining the cheerleader make you more confident?
A7: I think it will increase self-confidence. Because I train three times a week (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday morning), there is a very regular thing to do in life. When I am interested in doing it and I am good at doing it, I will do well and enjoy it. I think this will make me change my self-confidence.
Q8: Do you have any good friends on the cheerleading team?
A8: I have two very good friends. They all joined the team in their freshman year. Now they are in their second year, the three of us have also become captains.
Q9: In addition to cheerleading training, do you do anything interesting together?
A9: We will watch movies, eat together, and go to massage together. Sometimes they would come to my room to drink and chat, and we also mentioned that we would go out together during spring break.
Q10: Do you have this feeling: Although there are many cheerleaders, sometimes you still feel lonely?
A10: Freshman will feel lonely, probably because everyone is not that close enough . At the beginning, some people may not be able to achieve a balance with their studies due to the intensity of training, so they gradually withdrew from the team. Of course, I didn’t change my love for this cheerleading team because of who joined or quit. It was purely because I liked the sport, so I stayed. After a long time, you will find that, in fact, those who stayed are just like me. We all like the sport, and we also like the people and atmosphere in the team, which is very good.
Editorial Board of The Voice of Beijing, 1st Issue, 2019
Edited and published by | AMSIB
Coordinator | Li Wei Ai, Vivian, Huang Xiao Qing
Producer | Li Jun Jin
Secretary | Wen Shi Yun, Wang Xuan Ming
Leader of the Interview Team | Cao Yi Wen, Yvonne
Reporter | Feng Qi Yang, Dong Jia Ren, Huang Jing Yi, He Jing Ling, Zhong Yi Wen, Liu Wei Yu, Huang Shi Xuan
Editor | Luo You Rong
Writer | Zhong Yi Wen, Chen Qian Jing, Zhou Yi Kang, Huang Jin Tai, Huang Mei Qi, Nur Aiin Binti Muhammad Azhar
Art Director | Yang Wen Fei
Art Editor| Chen Pei Xin, Xu Yi Ting, Yang Qian Hui, Zhou Yi Kang, Huang Mei Xuan, Huang Jin Tai
