Although I walked into Swype’s weekly meeting to simply observe for the purpose of writing this article, it wasn’t long before I found myself following stepby-step instructions on how to perform the Wobble. Swype, a dance group created by third-year public health student Phu Nguyen, invites everyone, regardless of skill level, to come and enjoy themselves. A third-year political science student and Swype’s President of Business
“One important thing for Swype, and something I like doing,” William says, “is interconnectivity of organizations because it’s mutually beneficial and can help everyone grow.” Swype plans to organize events this fall that bring together other oncampus dance organizations as well as Student Government. With the wide variety of people in Swype, I naturally peg William as an expert dancer himself. However, although
intro to dance class. With all the people in Swype, it’s a good motivator to keep dancing and to push my own limits.” Moving forward, Swype hopes to create a small but formidable crew to compete in state or even national competitions. Both Phu and William aim to build Swype into an entity that will permeate across several universities long after they’re gone. “When I came into this I didn’t expect to see more than 10 to 15 people,”
“We have a select few people that perform at our showcases, and we have people that want to cut up and just do it for fun, and they can do that.” Development William O-Shields encourages a model in which people can come for any reason, from having fun with friends to training for participation in oncampus events. “We have a select few people that perform at our showcases, and we have people that want to cut up and just do it for fun, and they can do that,” he says. Just last year, the group put together “Swype for a Cause,” an event that raised more than $350 to benefit Relay for Life. This free event was open to everyone, and donations were rewarded with pizza, drinks and raffle tickets.
he and Phu are roommates (and even went to high school together), he actually doesn’t dance at all. “Phu handles the choreography and meetings, while I do all the boring stuff,” he laughs. What’s also surprising is that Phu only started about five years ago, not really for an innate passion for dance but because of his requirements. “The first time I got into dancing was because I needed fine arts and [physical education] credits out in California,” Phu says. “I wanted to knock out two birds with one stone, so I took an
Phu says. “But as it grows bigger we’ll continue to raise the bar. One of our bigger goals is to be recognized by other dance schools across the state.” These may seem like lofty plans for an organization built from the ground up only a year ago. Nevertheless, if Swype continues on the path it’s already paved, its goals will be well within reach. So dance on, friends, dance on.
BY XAVIER EDWARDS PHOTOS BY HEATHER FOWLER DESIGN BY DANIEL SHELLEY
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