This is not me bashing Clemson Dancers, this is not me putting them down. I just want to be honest about how I feel and about how things have been.

I feel that for the last two years, especially this last year, that Clemson Dancers, which is supposed to be an all-inclusive club, has not acted as such.

It is not because I didn't get a solo the past two years after auditioning, it is because I have experienced a lot of negative things within the club such as hearing dancers gossip about their fellow dance-mates, teachers not giving enough help, leaving the same people out of certain things because they're not: a) popular or b) on the Tiger Strut dance team, which a large amount is part of the Clemson Dancers club.

I feel that at least for the past couple of years, Clemson Dancers has been very cliquey. I am not the only one who thinks so.

Junior year, (so the dance season before last), I was contacted by the vice-president and asked why I was telling people not to come to the showcase. I was completely caught off guard and had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. I didn't know what to say for about 60 seconds, I was so appalled and shocked that someone would go out of their way to make up a rumor like this. I was really hurt and I cried.

Last year, senior year, I was unfairly left out of many chances. I was almost completely deprived. When I wanted to do a modern dance class, as well as attending two classes of hers, I was told I couldn't be in it because she "had already set the choreography for the number of people" she had had, and told me "I can't fit you in". This was shocking to me considering this was way before Clemson Dancers' rule where you have to start coming on starting on this certain date if you want to be in the showcase. It was right after we got back from Christmas break in January. Showcase material and attendance didn't start until February.

She then told me she was making a modern small group for the showcase, and that I could be part of it. Every time we were going to practice she had to cancel and she ended up having never choreographed it at all and it was cut from the showcase.

I felt abandoned and unimportant.

I felt this too when I asked for help on choreographing my solo from two different girls from the Tiger Strut dance team and they happily said yes, but then ended up canceling and backing out completely before ever meeting me with me once. I was never even given a chance to practice with them one time. They both backed out to focus on their own solos. And of course, these got into the showcase because they are on Tiger Strut.

I think Clemson Dancers acted really biased and unfair. The Tiger Strut girls get to perform all year long and have their solos because they're on a competitive dance team. Yet, when non-Tiger strut members want to have a chance in the showcase, they're either denied, or every tiger strut girl is given a solo? When they've had them all year long, I just think it's selfish. Why not include everyone in the showcase? Every year about three people are cut from showcase which I think is odd.

And again, it's a club. Not a competitive dance team. It's just performing for fun. Everyone should be able to show their creativity.

I've also witnessed people with disabilities not being given the same chances.

Now, there are some girls that I like from the club that are not on tiger strut who have always been nice to me and have reached out. I just hope that Clemson Dancers will be more inclusive in the future so that other girls like me won't experience something like the things I did.