Adelphi’s cheerleading team, which competes annually in the college championships, took root in 1977 thanks to the passion, persistence and school spirit of determined alumnae Waju Akiwowo ’80 and Alvena Morgan Clark ’79, MSW ’80.
After meeting at the student center, former high school cheerleaders Waju Akiwowo ’80 and Alvena Morgan Clark ’79, MSW ’80, formed a friendship that continues to this day. After joining the small existing cheerleading squad at Adelphi in 1977, the two determined to expand the team that cheered and enlivened basketball games.
“We decided to up the ante with school spirit,” Akiwowo reminisced. “We had persistence, and we didn’t quit. We were optimistic. When you’re young, you don’t have a lot of doubts. We just knew we’d get more girls if that’s what we had to do.”
To prove the point, Morgan Clark added, the friends walked around the campus posting handwritten fliers at the student center and on telephone poles, hoping to recruit new cheerleaders.
The two trailblazing women soon reignited interest in cheering, establishing a thriving team of about 10 young women and arranging for a faculty team adviser. They laid a foundation for what has continued to be a proud and spirited part of campus life.
Adelphi’s cheerleading program will officially celebrate its 50th anniversary at Spirit Weekend in 2027.
A Lasting Legacy
Head cheerleading coach Alex Campbell ’98, MS ’01, has been coaching Adelphi cheerleaders for 27 years. As an undergraduate, she captained the cheerleading and dance teams. As a master’s degree student in special education and TESOL, she became the team coach.
Acknowledging the legacy of Akiwowo and Morgan Clark, she said, “I’m proud to be part of the growth and development of the program. I love watching the athletes grow, learn and become better. We build a family atmosphere here from the moment they come in to see if this is where they will be comfortable.”
Recalling the fledgling team’s early days, Akiwowo said, “You got a sisterhood and were able to share some college concerns outside of cheerleading. You gained another support network on campus. It was a big commitment.”
Morgan Clark also noted that what mattered most was the sisterhood with others, the leadership and commitment, as well as the “sharing and having fun.”
“We got a lot of support because we were students trying to make a difference,” she said. “People started clapping when a basket was scored. We did have an impact, and we started something special for people who liked to come to games and feel part of school spirit.”
Just as important, Morgan Clark continued, “Minority students came out in support of the team and us.”
Akiwowo explained, “As Black women, we were able to help integrate the cheerleading scene. We were integrated without thinking about it, because we had that shared human interest of being young women.”
From Performance to Athletics
Like Akiwowo and Morgan Clark, Coach Campbell depended on creative ways to recruit talent at first. “It’s become easier and easier for me to reach out to athletes as I get a list from admissions of interested students. So far this year, I’ve recruited four new cheerleaders,” she said.
Coach Campbell has also helped transform Adelphi cheerleading from a performance team to a stunt group that performs locally and competes nationally.
“In 2017, our first team went to the Universal Cheerleaders Association College Nationals and made history for our program and for our University,” she said. Since then, the students have competed in the championships in Orlando, Florida, every year over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend against the roughly 25 teams in their division.
Competition is intense, but while the team placed close to the top 10 in one of its appearances, it’s the experience that matters most. “They love being in the cheerleading culture, and meeting, engaging and making connections with cheerleaders from all over,” Coach Campbell said.
If you were a member of Adelphi’s cheerleading team, please let us know so we can share details of our upcoming 50th anniversary celebration at Adelphi’s cheerleading program in Fall 2027. Email us at alumni@adelphi.edu.