COACH'S GAME BALL: Brandi Smith

Brandi Smith, a senior mass com­munications major from Greensboro, has been selected by head cheerlead­ing coach Ronnisha Cornelius for this issue's Game Ball.

Cornelius, who is a former Red Team cheerleader and alumna of WSSU, said Smith was the first per­son she thought of when asked about choosing a recipient for Game Ball. Smith has been cheering for Winston- Salem State for four years.

"Every year, she has put her heart and soul into it and became the face of WSSU cheerleading," Cornelius said.

"She was very shy when she first came in but she worked hard and just kept improving and now she is a role model for all cheerleaders here at WSSU. I'm just happy I got a chance to coach her."

During her four years as a cheer­leader, Smith has been awarded the Most Outstanding Cheerleader on White Team in 2010, the Most Outstanding Cheerleader on Red Team in 2013 and All-CIAA Cheerleader in 2013. This March, she was even chosen by her peers to receive the Rams Choice Female Student of the Year award.

Q: How long have you been cheer­ing?

Smith: I've been cheering since about 2005. I was little and shy and my best friend convinced me to cheer so I would get out of my shell. I didn't really take it seriously until I got to varsity in high school. It was more complicated in high school and that's when I got more passionate about it. I think it worked because I have been cheering ever since.

Q; Do you prefer cheering for foot­ball or basketball season?

Smith: I prefer basketball season because it's more intimate, the interac­tion with the fans and the atmosphere makes it so exciting.

Q: What is your most memorable moment as a cheerleader?

Smith: My most memorable moment is when I became captain last March. Another moment is at the Cheerleading Exhibition in Charlotte when I did my first ever back tuck basket toss.

Q: What other things do you like to do?

When I'm not cheering, I like to exercise, read and dance.

Q: What will you miss most about cheerleading?

I will miss the bond I have with my teammates.

Q: Do you have a favorite cheer?

Yeah, it's called "Hey Everybody" because when I first came here, other than Regan (Hales), Brittany Lowery was my favorite cheerleader and she always used to call this cheer. So when I would see her, I would always say, "When I join Red Team, that's going to be my cheer." Now, I'm the one that always calls it off.

Q: How do you get in the zone before going out to cheer?

When I actually put on my uniform and put on my red lipstick, I get in the zone. It's like there's Brandi and then there's Sweet Seduction, my alter ego. I look in the mirror and I start getting that confidence like "We're about to kill it, we're about to have a good game."

Q: How do you feel when people say cheerleading isn't a legitimate sport?

I guess I could understand where they're coming from because we're not the team that is actually out there competing every other week and one of our major things is being pretty. However, they don't understand the work that goes behind cheerleading; we lift people, we exercise more than half the teams on this campus. It takes a lot of endurance, time and dedica­tion. Cheerleaders compete at national championships. People don't take the time to see what goes into it. They just see us out there looking pretty but they don't know how hard it is to do that for four hours straight during a game.

Q: What are your plans after gradu­ating in the fall?

I am going into the Navy. I'm not sure if I want to make a career out of it yet. Eventually, I do want to get my master's but I don't know if I want to pursue another degree in commu­nications. I want to travel for a while too because I don't want to settle so quickly.