1982-1986

is still in the process of developing alternate dance routines for the males. "Traditional all-female cheerleading routines tend to in– clude body movements that are a bit too feminine for male cheerleaders . We'll have to make some changes there," Walton said . Stacie Therrell and Daniel Bur– -ton are two typical members of the ECJC cheerleading squad. Stacie is an accounting major who intends to finish her last two years of college at Southern. She said she teaches some piano and voice on the side and plays piano for the collegians, a musical group at ECJC. She is house chairman for her dorm, and she works on the annual and the school newspaper. Daniel Burton is in computer sciences with a math minor in aeronautical engineering. After college he hopes to work with NASA--not necessarily on the shuttle program, but with any programs they happen to have underway by the time he is ready to enter the job P' -.rket. Burton's sisters were cheerleaders, so he was in– troduced to cheerleading through them . "Both my older sisters were cheerleaders in high school, and I used to help them learn their routines," he said. Being harrassed by other students for 1ommg the cheerleading squad might seem an occupational hazard for a male cheerleader, but the teasing apparently isn't as bad as might have been expected.

''There are always a few people who are going to pick on you no matter what, but you have to eJJ:– pect that. The thing is not to let it get to you," Burton said. Aside from learning chants and cheers and dance routines, an,:&: practicing for rallies and games ; the cheerleaders have other time: consuming duties that maey people don't know about. Burto • and Therrell said the cheerleadeC~ have to make the fence signs eac~ week; they make locker postet; for members of the ball team~~ there are practice sessions, pe.i) rallies, and then the actuaJ games; and the cheerleaders have to make the "break-through: ! sign the players use to make thej~ entrance to the field at each foot: ball game. ' · The break-through sign aloqli can take two or three days {;>t spare time to construct. : Therrell said there are man:,! , advantages to having male mem~ : bers in the cheerleading squad ;: "There are some partner stunts' : two girls can't do togethei: because some girls aren't strong : enought to hold the weight," she: said. "In an all-girl pyramid, foi : example, the girls on the bottom> have to hold up a lot of weight ;: Boys can do that better." ·: Having male members of the• team seems to have its mosi positive effects on the girls' con~· fidence when a cheering routin~~ includes gymnastic stunts or for~ mations. · < "With boys in the formations ; the girls on top don't have tci worry so much about falling and hurting themselves," Therrell said. "If an all-girl formation starts to fall, it's every girl for: herself. But the boys are more protective and not as worried about themselves. If a formation has some boys in it anct; something happens, the guys will try to catch us and keep us from:·

But this year, things changed at ECJC. When tryouts were held tliis summer for the cheerleading squad, a young man named Mar– zette Jernigan attended the tryouts, competed with the girls, and did so well that he was selec– ted..for the squad. Following his lead, other men on the campus began to show an inter~st in cheerleading, and a few weeks after the start of the fall semester there were enough men for a separate male team. The male cheerleaders are still in a period of adjustment. Terry Watton, the campus sponsor for the cheerleaders, said the men have worked very hard to "catch up" with the girls. Many of the female squad members have been cheerleading since junior high school, and the cheers and routines are second nature to them. There are over 100 cheers and chants the boys will have to learn. And Terry Walton said the squad ..

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"Tney have to oe atnletic getting hurt. It gives us a real sen-.: fairly strong to be able to pie se of security." ~ the girls and hold them up ir Some of th.e male members of : air," said Dr. Smith . "The the cheerleadmg squad have had': added a lot to the cheerJea, tun:bling and gymnasitcs ex- : program already, and \\ penence ~nd may. be able to m~ke : pleased that they had the cheermg .routmes more active : initiative to come out, work h and challengmg . ' and learn it all."