Bramlage Coliseum welcomed a lively audience filled with K-State pride as they gathered to watch Wildcat Request Live (WRL) on Oct. 13.
WRL has been a staple of K-State’s homecoming week since 2000. Sororities and fraternities pair up to perform dances with coordinated choreography, with each group choosing unique songs that coincide with their theme for homecoming week.
Abbie Bryan, senior in psychology, criminology and dance, is the president and head of WRL for Kappa Alpha Theta. She has participated in WRL since her freshman year and is now in charge of planning the dance for her pairings.
“I think WRL and Pant the Chant are some of people’s most favorite parts of homecoming week,” Bryan said. “They’re both so fun and entertaining to watch, so I think they’re pretty central to homecoming week and the excitement around it.”
Bryan worked with two other girls, Taylor Howard and Madison Chavez, to create the intricate performance. They start with the theme for their pairings; from there, they choose songs that align with the theme, create the choreography and eventually work on costumes and props.
“The collaboration starts early on when figuring out the theme and how it will be encompassed in our dance,” Byran said. “The boys dance better if they like the song that they’re dancing to, so we always make sure that they choose or at least have a choice in what song their specific part will be to.”
Although the behind-the-scenes work is time-consuming, it is an important factor to establish a connection between pairings.
“It really helps to build bonds between the houses because we get to know those five guys really well or those 10 girls … it becomes a really good atmosphere on the floor,” Camden Patyk, sophomore in political science and foreign affairs and member of Kappa Sigma, said.
Practices for WRL start at the beginning of the school year. Participants usually practice for two hours every week in preparation for the big night.
“At the beginning you’re meeting each other, and a lot of the time the fraternity men are freshmen, so they have really no idea what they’re getting into,” Bryan said. “But by the end of the six weeks we all become friendly with each other and have a good time.”
Once homecoming week arrives, pairings are ready to perform for K-State students. While it’s entertaining to watch WRL from the stands, dancing on the floor comes with its own set of challenges.
“Other people that have never done anything like that before tend to get really nervous, especially because it’s your peers that are watching,” Bryan said. “But I think what’s really helpful is when our pairings sit together in the audience, you know where they are and they’ll always be cheering.”
For Patyk, he finds comfort in knowing the performance is a team effort.
“Don’t be scared of messing up,” Patyk said. “Not all the eyes are on you; it’s on your team, and they will always have your back when you guys go out on the floor.”
WRL is a beloved K-State tradition, and the energy students bring to the dance floor carries on throughout the rest of homecoming week.
“I’m very prideful that this is something I can do during homecoming,” Bryan said. “This is one of my favorite parts of the year, and it’s just an awesome time for community building between sororities and fraternities. But also it’s a time we get to share something that we’ve worked really hard on.”
