Ava Lavigna



Projects by Ava Lavigna

Sidelines & Study Guides: How IU Cheerleaders Make It Work

Sidelines & Study Guides: How IU Cheerleaders Make It Work

By:
Ava Thompson
Ava Lavigna
Dash Glasberg

BLOOMINGTON, IN (April 3, 2025).

The All-Girl Indiana University Cheerleading team is more than just a high energy presence on the sidelines. They’re dedicated student athletes who balance busy academic schedules with the physical and mental demands of their sport. With intense training, travel commitments, and the pressure to perform at the highest level, these young women demonstrate the discipline, teamwork, and resilience that defines true athletes. Their story shines a light on what it really means to wear an IU uniform,  not just in the stadium, but in the classroom and beyond. The All-Girl team has 36 athletes who have built a legacy of excellence both on and off the mat. They compete at the UCA College Nationals held every January in Orlando, Florida. The team has claimed six national championships; a demonstration to their dedication, skill, and relentless drive to succeed. Each year, they train for months leading up to this competition, proudly representing Indiana University on a national stage and continuing to raise the bar for college cheerleading.

Balancing school and cheerleading is no easy task, but the members of the All-Girl team have learned how to manage it all with discipline. They have practices, workouts, games, and competitions filling their schedules, staying on top of academics takes serious planning. The team practices three times a week, lifts twice a week, and regularly cheers at both football and basketball games,  all while juggling full course loads. And when most students are relaxing during Thanksgiving and winter break, these athletes are training harder than ever, practicing twice a day, every day, to prepare for nationals. Sam, a fifth year on the team, shared her strategy for success: “Do your assignments as soon as you get them. Make a list at the beginning of every week outlining all of your practices and all your work assignments.” Her advice reflects the mindset of the entire squad; staying organized, being proactive, and making sure their responsibilities as students are never overlooked, no matter how busy the season gets.

Addisyn Schroder bonding with teammates while stunting at practice. Moments like these highlight the strong bond within the Cheer Team.

Despite their demanding schedules, the All-Girl team continues to excel academically, proving that they’re just as committed in the classroom as they are on the mat. The program boasts an impressive average GPA of 3.3, with nine athletes earning a perfect 4.0, a true reflection of their hard work and determination. The team is made up of students pursuing challenging majors, including many in the Kelley School of Business, the School of Nursing, the Media School, and the School of Education. Their ability to balance their academic paths with the physical and time demands of cheerleading showcases the dedication and resilience that defines them not just as athletes, but as outstanding students.

While the All-Girl team finds success both athletically and academically, it doesn’t come without its challenges. One of the biggest struggles for these cheerleaders is time management. Trying to balance classes, practices, workouts, games, and a social life can be overwhelming. Addisyn, an incoming freshman shared her experience: “My biggest struggle is definitely time management. There’s a lot that goes into it to make yourself the best you can be out there for your sport and school.” Learning how to stay ahead of deadlines, prioritize rest, and maintaining a healthy routine is an ongoing process for many cheerleaders, especially as they adjust to the demands of college life and a competitive cheer program. Still, their commitment to both sides of the student athlete experience helps them push through the tough moments and continue to strive for excellence.

Outside of cheer and school, the All-Girl team is like a family, especially for those who are from out of state. With all the time spent together at football and basketball games, traveling for games and competitions, and hanging out outside of practice, they form amazing friendships outside of their sport. The shared experiences and support they offer each other create a sense of community, making IU feel more like home for those far from their families.

Addisyn Schroder watches how to do a new stunt. She is putting in the extra work to prepare for upcoming team tryouts.

As the school year comes to an end, the cheerleaders begin preparing for one of the most important moments of the season, tryouts for next year’s team. Even returning members must earn their spot again, which means putting in extra work. Many attend the IU cheer clinics, go in to stunt outside of practices, and staying involved in the cheer community to maintain a strong presence. It’s all about showing dedication, improvement, and the right attitude to make a lasting impression during tryouts.

https://youtu.be/HfXEJlNnoGk

Apple Watch Launch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Apple Watch Launch

Media Contacts
Dian Zhong
Ava Lavigna
Hayden Pope

Cupertino, California, U.S.A.(September 9, 2014)-Apple officially unveiled the Apple Watch, a smart device worn on the wrist, at a launch event at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California, U.S.A. on September 9, 2014. This is a brand new product that combines technology and fashion with a sense of interaction and experience between the product and the user, and this has made a huge breakthrough in product innovation, especially for Apple as a company. 

At the conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook presented that the Apple Watch will be a highly personalized product of Apple, which can track the user’s health status, communication, and other functions, providing users with an unprecedented convenient experience. No one had ever seen this type of product before!

Student wears Apple watch at breakfast
An Indiana University student toggles through his Apple watch while enjoying his breakfast. His watch enables him to check his calendar, his messages, his health, the weather and much more right from his wrist!

Both models include the A15 Bionic chip with a 5-core GPU, which offers incredible performance and efficiency for demanding workloads, and is designed with privacy and security built in.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce critical safety capabilities such as Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite, a first in the industry. And with amazing battery life, industry-leading durability features, and super-fast 5G, this iPhone lineup is more advanced than ever before.

Employee wears Apple Watch at Work
An employee at the Sugar and Spice cafe, located inside the Indiana Memorial Union, wears an Apple Watch while working the early morning shift. As she works, her Apple Watch monitors her health metrics and keeps her in touch with the world!

This product has a design sense of appearance and the new Digital Crown, realizing the breakthrough of human-technology interaction experience. In addition, Apple Watch can not only check the time, receive notifications, track health data, Apple Pay, but also connect to a cell phone, providing users with a more convenient and faster experience.

Apple Watch is available in different versions for different target user groups, which are mainly divided into three different series:

– Apple Watch: This has a delicate stainless steel case and a sapphire glass screen, the classic design is suitable for business people.

– Apple Watch Sport: This includes a lighter aluminum alloy with a durable Ion-X glass screen for those who love sports.

– Apple Watch Edition: The 18-karat gold case and top-of-the-line craftsmanship provide a premium experience for high-end consumers.

Apple Watch comes with a wide range of interchangeable bands, from sporty rubber bands to classic leather bands, to meet most users’ individual needs and personalize the look of the watch.

Apple Watch features a 24/7 health monitoring system that tracks and records user health data in real-time. For example, the Apple Watch will automatically detect heart rate data every 10 minutes through optical sensors; the program algorithm recognizes the user’s walking, running, cycling, fitness, and other exercise modes and switches the calorie counting model according to different exercise modes to provide users with more accurate calorie consumption data; and the sedentary reminder function reminds the user to stand up using slight vibration of the watch. Apple Watch’s unique “Activity Circle” can also visualize the goals set by the user, encouraging the user to maintain good health and cultivate exercise habits. In addition, the Apple Watch features personalized fitness. It provides suggestions based on the user’s exercise habits, visualizes the user’s fitness goals, and encourages the user to develop good exercise habits.

Apple Watch features a new operating system, which will give users a new experience, and a Retina display with Force Touch technology that recognizes the difference between a tap and a press, providing a more accurate interaction experience. In addition, the Taptic Engine vibrates slightly to notify users of new messages, providing a more natural interaction experience.

Apple Watch connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing users to easily answer calls, read text messages, and check emails, and users can also operate via Siri voice assistant. The unique Glance feature allows users to quickly browse weather, calendar, news, and stock market updates with a single swipe to get the information they want. On top of that, Apple’s industry analysts point out that the Apple Watch will expand the audience for the item by differentiating the product. This layered design can also help Apple more quickly complete the watch brand intelligent transformation.

Apple officially revealed that the first batch of Apple Watch products will be carried out in 20 key cities around the world for experience activities. As the date of Apple Watch’s full launch approaches, this new concept product may redefine the way people interact with smart devices, provide more convenient services for people’s lives, and offer more new possibilities for the future development of technology.

Apple Watch Introduction_1

Kevin Lynch explores the new possibilities of the brand new Apple Watch. The Apple Watch comes with multiple unique and creative innovations for the user. 

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