Bring on the Minnesota Gophers! The 11 Sioux cheerleaders on ice are ready for them. They will be wearing white to help carry out the great whiteout theme for the weekend games, and they will have pink ribbons in their hair. That's because of the effort for a weekend of awareness of breast cancer.
Megan Kvasager says the big crowds at The Ralph are intimidating. At the same time, they bring out the adrenaline for the cheerleaders as they skate out on the ice to welcome the crowd and welcome the Sioux. In her real life, Megan is a junior at UND majoring in psychology. She grew up watching the Sioux with her parents. She always wanted to be a cheerleader for them. Now, she's captain of the team.
She started skating with the local park board programs and went on to skate with the Border Blades. She was a hockey cheerleader at Grand Forks Central High School, as well as a football cheerleader. She graduated with Sioux player Mario Lamoureux, and she was in high school when Jake Marto, another Sioux, was there.
When the Sioux cheerleaders aren't on the ice, they are sprinting up and down the stairways of the arena hoping to get everyone fired up.
Elsie Bjerke says it's the student section that makes the most noise. And noise is what she likes. Elsie played hockey for three years at Fargo South. She first started skating at the rink by Centennial School in Fargo. When she came to UND, she decided to skate with the cheerleaders. It's where you find the action on a hockey weekend, and she wanted to be part of it.
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The other cheerleaders are Brittany Fixen, Cassie Johnson, Karen Ennis, Michele Sullivan, Kendra Patten, Jamie Carter, Natosha Fagerholt, Kelly Eck and Kyle Kohns.
They get no pay and not much glory -- except that they are doing what they like to do. After the game, they're more likely to be hungry than tired. Megan goes for something substantial like pasta. Elsie has a hankering for ice cream.
Rodents on ice
The weekend is at hand with the football team from University of Sioux Falls coming up Interstate 29 to do battle with the Sioux on Saturday afternoon ... and the Minnesota Gophers crawling along Interstate 94 to grapple with the Sioux skaters tonight and again Saturday at the Ralph. ... Gone are the days of mischievous Sioux fans throwing rodents on the ice. ... But the competition is just as keen ... Sioux fans will hear from the coaches at the luncheon at noon today in the Alerus Center. ... Winners in the Potato Bowl parade will be recognized and receive their plaques at the same time, which will not leave much time for Lowell Schweigert, the emcee, to tell of the good old days in southwestern North Dakota. ...
There's an Art Wine Walk on Saturday afternoon downtown. ... And a local euphonium-tuba group will perform a polka-waltz-march concert at 4:45 p.m. at the Empire Arts Center. ... North Country Fiddle and Dance is holding a dance Saturday evening in the Grand Forks Senior Center, with squares, reels and circle mixers being taught to live music. ... The annual fall dance with the Chuck Gust Band begins late afternoon at Parkwood Place. ... Flutist Eugnia Zukerman will perform Sunday afternoon at the North Dakota Museum of Art.
Ask Marilyn
Q. Whatever happened to Stuart McDonald?
A. He was living in Denver, but he has moved to Evansville, Ind.
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There he has started drawing local cartoons for the Courier and Press newspaper. That's what he did in his spare time for the Grand Forks Herald years ago. He even put out a book of his cartoons.
Q. What's the best vanity license plate you saw this week?
A. There was one that said W8N4FRI, and it took me a while to figure out that it means waiting for Friday.
Paul and Cindy
Cheerful person of the week: Paul Robson. Runner up: Cindy Lotyz.
Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or at (701) 772-1055.
