Hawks out of class is a feature column sharing the behind-the-scenes Blue Hawk talent at Rock Hill.

Oviya Omprakash is a sophomore on the Rock Hill Color Guard. She always has a smile on her face and is known to radiate positive energy. Her friends describe her as “fun and bubbly.”

Hill Top Times: How long have you been dancing?

Oviya Omprakash: I’ve been dancing since I was in kindergarten. So ten years.

HTT: What do you like about it?

OO: There’s just a lot of different styles to dance. There’s a lot of things you can do with it. I like dance because it gives me an opportunity to express myself and perform.

HTT: Why did you join Color Guard and what’s your favorite thing about it?

OO: Well actually, it was a very spontaneous decision. I didn’t know anything about it. I joined color guard to try something new. My favorite thing about it is probably the amount of friendships and the amount of new experiences I have. I’ve never really experienced performing in this kind of style, so it’s really cool.

HTT: Band is very time consuming. How do you balance your time with other things, such as schoolwork?

OO: For band, I kind of have to cut off other things. It’s also time management. Time management is a key thing for any extracurriculars you’re doing. Also not slacking off, that’s a big thing. I try to balance my time, like after band, I come home and make sure I finish all my work or get ahead.

HTT: Band placed 8th at finals this year. How do you feel about the band’s first year in 6A and this season overall?

OO: I actually feel really proud. I think we did a really good job, considering how this is our first year in 6A, competing against huge bands like Hebron. To me, winning isn’t everything, it’s more of the experiences [that help us] get better. I feel really good about us getting 8th at finals and about this season overall. It might’ve caused me a little mental breakdown here and there, but in general, it was a really good experience.

HTT: You’re also in Bollywood Dance Club. What’s your favorite part about it?

OO: There’s a new connection with me and Bollywood, because the first day I came here, to Rock Hill, I literally went to their auditions. My favorite thing about it is being with my friends and being able to do what I love, which is dancing.

HTT: What is the most challenging thing about color guard and dancing in general?

OO: One of the most challenging things about guard, dancing, and performing is pushing past your limits. It’s pushing past what you think you can do. It’s basically breaking the limits to the limits. It’s almost like you think you’ve reached a high point, but no, you gotta keep pushing further. That’s a really challenging thing that I’ve had to overcome.