Q&A: P.J. Maierhofer
Now in her third season as Blue Sapphire, the featured twirler of the Touch of Blue,
Pamela Jo Maierhofer continues the proud legacy of twirling at Penn State. Recently, PJ took the time to answer a few questions, sent during three-a-days, for
William World News.
WFY: When did you realize that you wanted to be the Blue Sapphire?
PJ: I was in 4th grade and a friend of ours was a Penn State Majorette and so we came to see her at a game… and I remember looking out there and going, "Mom! Mom! Who is THAT??" And I remember her explaining to me that that was the Blue Sapphire. I looked at her and told my Mom that that was going to be me someday (and she laughed) …BUT here I am :)
WFY: Is your routine integrated are your routines with the rest of Touch of Blue?
PJ: The Jettes and I have separate routines obviously, considering there are 12 of them and 1 of me. They synchronize all that they do which is a totally different and impressive skill that was never my forte. I was definitely a much stronger twirler twirling individually… I would have a really hard time doing what they do. From time to time we will twirl together and I really enjoy that.
WFY: How scary is it to twirl
burning batons? (nota bene: sadly, the audio is NSFW)
PJ: Fire baton? Ha - It's awesome… it just adds another element to the crazy adrenaline rush I already get. It's not scary, when I was young, my Mom made me try it and as a result I never developed a fear that a first time older athlete would more than likely have. I rather like the challenge it brings.
WFY: What is your favorite part of a football Saturday?
PJ: EVERYTHING! Ha Ha, I think if I had to pick I would say my favorite part of Saturday game day is walking towards the stadium after we perform in BJC at Tail great. As a band we "march" over and sing the Singing Lion…. And as we get closer to the stadium, people up above that are already in the stadium start leaning out over the edges and cheering… and everyone starts coming towards Beaver Stadium…it makes me feel like at Penn State, you don't just go to college and get an education and graduate, you become a Penn Stater and Beaver Stadium is where all the past and present Penn Staters unite….it's kinda like home.
WFY: Is there a rule that Blue Sapphires have to have the middle name "Jo"?
PJ: Very Funny, I actually read your blog on this topic. It is strictly coincidence. My Mom's name is Pam and my Dad's name is Joe…so I was born Pamela Jo…. And the day I left the hospital I became a PJ :)
WFY: Do you know your predecessor,
Bobbie Jo Solomon well?
PJ: Bobbie is an amazing girl. I've known her for a long long long long time and she was someone that I will someday owe a great deal of gratitude to because I spent the majority of my twirling career looking up to her. She is an awesome athlete. She twirled on a team with my older sister when I was little and so that's how I met her… and have admired her ever since.
WFY: Why does the Blue Sapphire always wear a white uniform?
PJ: It's just a way for her to stand out a little bit from the rest of the band and auxiliary. This year, my new costume has a little more blue than my last did, but it is still mainly white.
WFY: How do you and the other members of Touch of Blue keep from getting hypothermia during the latter part of the season?
PJ: Hahaha…. The band actually has these awesome cloak kind of coats that we wrap around us until we get ready for halftime and they keep us super warm. Plus, when you love Penn State and twirling as much as we do… you know that you have a job to go do and nothing is going to stop you. We wear lots of layers and when it is show time…we go :)
WFY: Football players often grumble about two-a-days during fall practice. How many times do you practice during the run up to the season?
PJ: We actually just finished our band camp which consisted of three, 3 hour sessions each day for 4 days straight. However, I twirl competitively so I train on average at least 2 hours a day during competition season. Right now, we have practice as a band 2 hours every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and 2½ hours on Tuesday
WFY: The video "
Meet the New Blue Sapphire" has been viewed nearly 3,900 times on YouTube. Other than performing, how involved were you in the production of the video?
PJ: Well,
Matt Fallabel the videographer for the Blue Band produced that video as part of our end of the year DVD. My transition from 11th grade to college and also my journey to create my own version of Blue Sapphire took some hard work. Matt and I became friends via band practice and he got to know me pretty well. Although a few of the things he targeted in the video were things we talked about, he did all of that on his own… trying to express to people who I was, so needless to say it was pretty effective.
WFY: Does the first song ("Brazil" by
Django Reinhardt) in that video get stuck in your head like it does mine?
PJ: Haha I honestly don't watch it that much – that'd be kinda weird.. lol
WFY: Can we look forward to more videos like that in the future?
PJ: Hopefully :)
WFY: Over the years there has been a great deal said about teams playing on artificial turf but I never hear about what the half time performers think. What are your feelings on artificial turf?
PJ: My high school in Altoona had Astro and it was just different. Personally, twirling in Beaver Stadium is like twirling in Heaven and I find it perfect, but a good performer can adjust to any situation.
WFY: Which was a better bowl trip, Miami or Tampa Bay?
PJ: While Miami was really neat, I loved Tampa. We, the Blue Band, were so much more a part of the whole bowl production at the Outback bowl than we were at the Orange…and it just really made for an amazing trip, despite the rain!
WFY: What are the best and worst away games you have been too so far? Do you go to all the road games?
PJ: Michigan in 2005 nearly broke my heart…. Not gonna lie!
WFY: What halftime show was your favorite thus far?
PJ: Last year we did a show from the Broadway show
The Wiz… and it was super cool. I got to wear baton shoes that we painted red and glittered to be like Dorothy's red slippers… I was loving it ;)
WFY: In 2005, you and the Blue Band were
the toast of the fashion world, but in 2006, there were no appearances at fashion shows or in the glossy magazines. What are you doing to bounce back after a season that included no performances during New York Fashion Week?
PJ: They told us right off the bat that that was a rare occasion… and probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life as well. We took tons of pictures and made lots of memories.
WFY: Please finish this song lyric "When we stood at childhood's gate..."
PJ: I know I know…Shapeless in the hands of fate – not funnnnnyy! :)
WFY: Which Penn State song is your favorite?
PJ: Definitely the singing lion and Lion Special
WFY: Do "Touch of Blue" alumni give you a hard time, "back in my day, we had to practice out in the snow (barefoot) from August through November," for having it so easy now that there is a Blue Band building?
PJ: No they are really cool, I mean, I think I would be jealous, too if I came back and saw what we have now, but they are really nice.
WFY: The Nittany Lion mascot is also a student in the college of communications; do you have any classes with him?
PJ: He is actually a year above me, but he and I are good friends.
WFY: In 2006,
you endorsed a ticket for the USG election, but I don't recall you repeating that last year. Did the dissolution of USG have anything to do with your silence?
PJ: I was actually at practice that night and a friend of mine who was helping Nick and Pat's campaign as
Starbucks, closed, coffee
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