Construction has left no place untouched, as the pom team has learned.

Since September, construction around the pom gym has left the team without a solid place to practice. That means practices can end up taking place everywhere from the rotunda to E2.

“It’s a little embarrassing because, a lot of times, there are things going on,” senior Emi Neilson said. “The other day, we had practice in the rotunda when there was a FAFSA meeting. All the people were watching us.”

But the problems go beyond just privacy.

With eight girls on the team, practicing routines requires plenty of space to move and dance. That makes practices harder to run in places like the rotunda, where space is limited.

“There are constantly interruptions, and you can’t do certain things spacing-wise,” junior Annie Goldman said.

The pom gym has wood floors that make dancing easier, and moves on the ground safer, than the concrete rotunda. That concrete floor can make it slippery to dance.

“It’s hard to do certain things on the floor,” senior Allie Grammer said. “And we don’t want to hurt ourselves.”

Not only is it unsafe to practice on concrete floors, it also limits what they can do in practice. KSHAA’s Hard Surfaces National Federation Rule 2-1-5 says concrete and asphalt surfaces are never allowed for stunting.

The pom team does not know when they will get their gym back. Coach Kaitlyn Lugo was told it would open around the beginning of January, but plans are unsure.

For now, the team is making do with what they have, and hoping to gain their space back soon to keep a steady flow of practice without interruption.

“In the pom gym, it’s all you guys, and it’s really focused,” Goldman said.