Raiderette Nation
Raiderette Nation
Tiffany Yasus
The Capitol Morning Report
September 10, 2013
Two staffers from Sen. Steve Knight’s Capitol office share more than a passion for politics. They have both cheered on the Oakland Raiders from the sidelines.
Communications Specialist Ali F. sported the black and silver uniform of an Oakland Raiderette from 2004 to 2008 and scheduler Melanie H. just joined the squad this Spring.
Ali, 31, learned how to dance as a kid by taking tap, ballet and jazz classes and also performed with the Hornets girls dance team at Sac State. After college, she decided to audition for the Raiders’ cheerleading team. She made the 40-member squad in 2004 after competing with nearly 300 women. “I think I’m more proud of that accomplishment than anything else I’ve ever done, because the competition is so fierce,” Ali said. And, she says practices were tough too. She traveled from Sacramento to Oakland three days a week for practices that were typically 3-4 hours long. “It’s not just a few dance steps, you learn so much choreography and they drill it into you,” Ali said.
She was a Raiderette while also maintaining a full time job in Sacramento. Because of the demanding schedule and long commutes, Ali decided to retire her Raiderette uniform in 2008. That’s the year she joined then Asm. Knight’s office. (Ali, who has a degree in Criminal Justice, first started at the Capitol during her junior year of college when she served as a Capitol Security Technician and was stationed at the building’s entry points to check IDs and people going through the metal detectors.)
Melanie H., 28, met Ali in 2011 when she joined the now-defunct United Football League’s Sacramento Mountain Lions dance team, which was led by Ali, the team’s assistant director. They were on the team together for two seasons. This January, they became co-workers in Knight’s office. Ali encouraged Melanie, who has a degree in Journalism and Marketing from San Francisco State University, to apply for an open position. Melanie says she was also inspired by Ali to audition for the Raiderette squad, and was selected to the team in April.
This Sunday is the Raiders’ home-opener (against the Jacksonville Jaguars) and Melanie, who’s already cheered in to pre-season games, is excited for the big day. “The energy in the stadium is electric, it really is a cool feeling,” she said.
Even though their boss who hails from the Southern California desert town of Palmdale isn’t a Raiders fan, the women say they hope to organize a staff outing to a game with the Senator. Ali, who is nearly 8 months pregnant with her second child, also hopes to get to a game this season. One person Melanie knows will be at most of the games is her fiancé Mike, who bought season tickets when she made the cheerleading squad. “This year has been such an incredible journey so far and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come,” Melanie said.
