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SPORTS

The Norwich Guidon
October 30, 2003

Cheerleading squad seeks varsity status, more athletic dept. support

Norwich cheer-leaders perform on Sabine Field during the football game Oct. 25 against St. Lawrence. The squad is seeking varsity recognition and more support from the athletic department. (Plourde Photo)

By Adrian Ackles
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

The cheerleading club at Norwich University has a number of participants but is having a difficult time gaining recognition in the school community.

While at most colleges cheerleading is considered a varsity sport, at Norwich it's a club.

"This basically means you get a certain amount of money, and the rest we fundraise," said former cheerleader Amber Parker, 21, a junior business management major from Woodbridge, Va. "We don't have a coach; we do everything ourselves."

Parker left the team because she was not being challenged enough and is not the only who feels this way. Two other women quit after Parker and two of the team's more experienced members did not rejoin this year.

Former teammate Selena Walton, 20, an architecture major from Troy, N.Y., has been cheerleading since she was in the third grade.

"There were some people who never cheered, before; I felt like I was just teaching stuff, and I wanted to do something more," Walton said.

"The cheerleading team wants to break free from being called a club sport," said Captain Alyson Baird, 21, a mechanical engineering major. "It would be nice if the athletic department supported us more."

Since the team is recognized as a club, they receive little financial help for equipment. The uniforms for the 20 cheerleaders cost $8,000. Half of the money came from the school, and the cheerleaders raised the remaining $4,000, Baird said. It has been difficult for the team to raise all of that money and still attend events, all without a coach.

The captains take on more responsibility by bringing structure to the group. The team sees a definite problem with the system; captains have always been in the corps, and civilian members "weren't well represented," Parker said.

In response to this problem, Baird said, "this year is probably going to change."

Former cheerleader Manushka Bellot, 20, a nursing major from Hollywood, Fla., said she understood where there could be a problem between the civilian and corps members, but did not agree with it. "I can see how a civilian can say that, but it isn't all about the corps," she said.

Bellot's explanation for not being on the team was different from most of the others. She said that since she is cadre this year, she could not be in charge of her freshmen and then have them see a different side of her at the games. Bellot still helps the team whenever she can and has noticed the substantial number of freshmen men who were there.

"When you are freshmen in the corps and you join a club, it takes a lot of pressure off of you," Bellot said.

Luis Anthony Morales, 19, a War and Peace major from New York City, N.Y., is a one of the eight men on the team.

"I never [did cheerleading], before. I figured it would be a fun activity to do and to meet females," Morales said.

Contrary to what people may think, the men on the team do not get harassed, Morales said. People know they are there to get a workout and have some fun.

So while the cheerleading team has enough members and motivation, it lacks varsity sport status, which would give the group not only more money, but more time for practice.

"It's really expensive to be a cheerleader," Baird said.

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.