This week, the Review’s sports editors decided to attempt an athletic endeavor known for its test of strength and agility, as well as its controversial recent popularization as a fitness practice: pole dancing. The Cleveland area has a number of locations that offer pole dancing classes as a form of exercise, and after extensive research, we settled on Expressions Fitness’ Beginner Level 1 & 2 class in Berea, OH.
As sports editors and recreational athletes, we felt confident going into the class. But even Khalid McCalla, our contributing sports editor and a former Division-III varsity football player, was breaking a sweat just ten minutes into the class. We were very naive.
Pole dancing is physically d...
![On any given day, many of Oberlin’s club sports teams that compete outside — such as club soccer, rugby, frisbee, and quidditch — can be found in North Fields.
However, North Fields becomes inaccessible with the arrival of Ohio’s frigid winter months, when temperatures can drop below zero and snow and ice almost always covers the ground. To avoid the chill, club sports teams will often move their practices into Williams Field House. The space is also used by varsity sports teams, which take priority. As a result, some club sports frequently start practice as late as midnight — like the club soccer team pictured above.
“Late night soccer is great because the energy is different from our regular [afternoon] practices,” said Laila Telles, College fourth-year and club soccer team captain. “I think everyone feels more loose and comfortable and we all laugh even more than usual. [The fact] that we will play soccer at any time of day shows how dedicated we are.”](https://oberlinreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/FeaturePhoto_LailaTelles_WEB-475x300.jpg)
![A Thursday morning announcement revealed that six Oberlin varsity football players earned All-NCAC Honors for their exceptional independent performances this past season. Among them, fourth-year linebacker Von Wooding and second-year tight end Brandon Davies were named All-NCAC second team. Fourth-year defensive players Devin White, Jabree Hason, and Justin Godfrey and third-year offensive lineman Chandler Laird earned All-NCAC honorable mentions.
Next year, the team will lose the combined efforts of Wooding, White, Hason, and Godfrey, but Davies and Laird will return to the field. Davies viewed the All-NCAC Honors as a good omen when looking ahead at next year’s season, especially considering the team won only a single game this year.
“It was really encouraging since our season didn’t go as planned,” said Davies. “I feel like it can only get better from here on out and hopefully we can improve as a team [and I can improve] my own performance.](https://oberlinreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Feature_GoYeo_WEB-475x300.jpg)