Discourse Community Analysis Paper

Pamela Gueco Discourse Community Analysis Final Draft Dance the Night Away At the beginning of my high school days when I was a freshman or “fish” as the upperclassmen would call us, I never knew where I really belonged. Every clique or group that I tried to become a part of did not truly fit my personality. Just like the upperclassmen had said, I felt like a small fish in an even bigger sea. It all changed when one day a pep rally was held in honor of our first football game of the season. As I sat in the rickety bleachers and watched the cocky football players walk out followed by the overly-spirited cheerleaders, I sat back in dismay. But then following the cheerleaders,
Bonding was important in this organization because we spend a copious amount of time with each other. We were required to attend practice every day at seven a.m., attend every Friday night football game, and even attend weekend practices and performances. The hierarchy of our team started with the captain, then a group of officers, followed by a group of social officers. Without this hierarchy, our practices would not be organized and nothing would get accomplished. When put in formations, the veterans were always put in the front while the rookies, most of the time, were placed in the back. Along with practice came discipline. If you showed up to practice late, wore the wrong practice outfit, or forgot to bring your dance shoes, the officers made you kick one hundred to one hundred and fifty high waist kicks. The reason for our strict rules and discipline was so that we would not repeat the same wrong doing again. Although the practice and discipline were extreme, it became all worth it when we performed in front of a
The purpose of praying was not only to ask God to bless us, but to also give us the strength and motivation in order to have a perfect performance. Our group prayers were led by the social officers who also announced the dancer of the week and spirit girl of the week. If you were named as one of these girls, your name was announced at the start of every performance. Since we had such a big team, this tradition was started so that we could be individually recognized for our hard work. After the performance we would walk off the field and watch our band and the opposing drill team’s performances and applaud loudly for them so we could show our school spirit and sportsmanship. Once halftime was over, our director would tell us to go back to the stands and sit as a group. Whatever the captain and officers did, the whole team had to follow. From sitting with our legs crossed, to standing up and cheering for our team, we all had to be in unison. It gave the audience a more professional look compared to the other groups, like the cheerleaders and spark