Did you attend the winter assembly? You know, the one in the auditorium with loud music and dancing right before our holiday break? If you attended Assembly A (the one starting at the first half of class), you must have seen the dance group performing to “Winter Wonderland / Here Comes Santa Claus” by Anna Kendrick and Snoop Dogg.
This dance group is called Rams Without Limits, a club building a community where neurodivergent students can learn to dance.
According to Angelina Del Gaudio, they are “an after-school, neurodivergent dance program where we give students from our special education department and neurotypical students the opportunity to come together and form a rich community based on dance.”
Angelina Del Gaudio is a senior in QUEST and the president and creator of Rams Without Limits. Del Gaudio is the type of student who does a lot for her community. She is a Girl Scout, is on the LBUSD superintendent’s student advisory board, and completed Youth Leadership Long Beach in 2023.
With the help of administration, especially Principal Mr. Vega, Assistant Principal Mr. Hayes, and Dance Instructor Ms. Waters, she created Rams Without Limits last school year in January, which was a part of her gold award for Girl Scouts.
Rams Without Limits has improved our Millikan community by connecting students and bridging the gap between individuals with disabilities and those without disabilities.
By introducing students in the special education program to dance, they have also created a community of trust with friendships and have allowed these students to show that they have many abilities to offer.
The cool thing about this club is that anyone can join. You don’t need a background in dance, or even know how to dance. This way, anyone can help build a better and more diverse community.
Rams Without Limits performs during the winter assemblies each year, as well as the spring show with dance. The way that they prepare for shows is to start with a name game to get to know each other and build trust. Like any other dance group or class, they learn a part of the dance bit by bit, until they can perform all the choreography.
Del Gaudio has already seen the effects of her club on the Millikan campus. Volunteers high-five their dance buddies, bridging the gap between individuals in special education and students in the general population.
“It makes [participating students from special education] feel good and also it makes them feel seen. Not often do you see pieces where people are supporting and writing about kids who are neurodivergent,” continues Del Gaudio.
If you want to be a part of this community and help other students be heard and seen, you can email Angelina Del Gaudio, or go to their club meetings. They meet every Wednesday, at 4 pm in the dance room (which is in the small gym, behind the basketball court).
Kai Yamamoto • Feb 16, 2024 at 10:52 pm
I love how Ms. Walker magnified the story of Rams Without Limits because it uplifts a community of dedicated young students who want to make a difference. The story of the creator is nicely shown, however, I would capitalize “Gold Award.” This project measures and sustains positive impact in many forms. The relevance of the article is always needed to make community members aware of the selfless deed. Another small thing to note, I’m not sure if the seasons need capitalizations. Otherwise, everything is perfect! Well done!
Olivia Hanniff • Feb 14, 2024 at 1:04 pm
Walker’s article educates the reader about the “Rams Without Limits” program created by QUEST senior Angelina Del Gaudio that allows neurodivergent students to come together in a dance community and perform alongside Millikan students. I applaud Walker for adding in clickable links for words such as “gold award” and “Youth Leadership Long Beach” so the reader can click these links to understand words, events, or programs that they may not be familiar with. Walker also does an efficient job adding in direct quotes from Angelina Del Gaudio because this allows the reader to better understand and feel closer to Gaudio. Additionally, these quotes also inspire other seniors to participate in giving back to the community before they leave for college. To add validity to Gaudio’s “Rams Without Limits”, I suggest adding more pictures, links, videos or quotes besides Gaudio about the performance at the Millikan winter assembly. Therefore, if the reader does not go to Millikan or missed the winter performance, they can watch it and believe that this program is true. Overall, I loved how this article urged Millikan students to join this cause to spread awareness and kindness.
Lucy Green • Feb 13, 2024 at 10:45 am
This article did an excellent job of informing readers about the dance program for neurodivergent students at Millikan. I really enjoyed this article because I am a part of Rams Without Limits, and I absolutely love it. I also appreciated the use of correct and respectful language when discussing the neurodivergent community.
Because this article did such a great job of covering the winter performance and background of Rams Without Limits, I would love to see the inclusion of interviews with more of the dancers and volunteers. I feel like this would further support how incredible the program is.
Overall, I enjoyed this article and found it incredibly enjoyable and informative. The language, tone, and coverage of Rams Without Limits was perfect and I know will inspire others to join the club. The inclusion of our special education community in the Corydon was amazing and I would love to see more articles related to this part of our Millikan family.
Harriet Jung • Feb 13, 2024 at 9:23 am
On January 29, 2024, Bhree Walker wrote an article titled “Rams Without Limits”. She did a really good job summarizing the program as well as supporting it and encouraging students to join. I really like that she chose this program to showcase because I think it’s a really cool program that deserves attention. I love seeing this group perform because they always have a lot of energy and bring joy to the stage. I agree that Angelina Del Gaudio has done a lot for the community.
I wonder what other programs there are for special education students. I know about the club Best Buddies and I think they’re doing a really great job as well. Millikan really has done a great job with their special education community. Will Del Gaudio continue to lead this program once she’s started college? Either way, she’s done an amazing job with the program and kickstarted a really cool diverse community.
I think it’s really important that Rams Without Limits accepts everyone and doesn’t require a dance background because that increases inclusivity and participation. It also expands the reach of dance which, as a dancer myself, I believe is very important. It just shows that everybody can dance and have fun! Walker did an amazing job writing about this program and I’m excited for future performances from Rams Without Limits!
Andrea Mercado • Feb 13, 2024 at 9:15 am
This article highlights the success and coming of Rams Without Limits. Bhree highlights how this dance group came to be and the people that helped form it. Bhree does a wonderful job of incorporating how Angelina feels about this group through her dedication and through her visions. Bhree did a wonderful job with passing on the necessary information a student needs to know in order to join the group.
Before this article, I didn’t know that these kids were part of a dance group. I’m happy to know that Angelina was able to form this dance group with the help of our many school staff and through her dedication. The amount of work and dedication she put into Rams Without Limits is truly fascinating and admirable. To know that she built a dance program that includes the special education program and neurotypical students in the school’s dance showcases shows how great of a leader she truly is. Whenever I see those kids on stage, I feel a sense of pride and happiness knowing that they too get the spotlight they deserve.
Allyson Richter • Feb 13, 2024 at 9:02 am
On January 29, 2024, Bhree Walker published the article “Rams Without Limits.” This article is very informative and well written. I previously did not know anything about Rams Without Limits before, but I remember their performances at the holiday assemblies. This is why I am glad Walker wrote about this dance program. This article helps spread the word about the club and can help anyone interested in joining. Walker’s use of quotes from Angelina Del Guadio, the Rams Without Limits creator and president give the article good credibility. By including quotes from the creator, Walker is able to clearly explain what Rams Without Limits is and the impact it has on the Millikan community. Overall I am happy Walker wrote an article that spotlights a positive and inclusive dance community in this school. By writing about Rams Without Limits, Walker is also able to help their cause. Thank you Bhree for a great article in this issue 4!