CHEERING BY THE CHARLES

When Army met Harvard on the turf of Soldiers Field last Saturday, it was mediocre versus mediocre with few lessons learned by either team. But when Army met Harvard in the opposing cheering sections, it was superb versus soporific, and the lessons are legion for Harvard. If the quality of the teams had been in proportion to the quality of their respective cheering support, "Jawn" would have suffered a gridiron catastrophe rivaling Old Eli's debacle of the previous week. If the yelling Cadets had been absent, Soldiers Field wouldn't have been as noisy as a thoroughly average Student Union meeting.

At this point the customary bow of deference to Harvard indifference is due and executed. Lack of a cheering section would constitute a serious handicap to the best of cheer leaders. To compare the feeble croak of a Harvard undergraduate to the engulfing roar of an Army cadet is to set a double forte trumpet against a pianissimo harp. Still, even the harps of Harvard can make a creditable racket if aroused. The Michigan game proved that, and one is led to the conclusion that the Crimson cheer leaders could get more from the instruments with which they have to work.

Harvard's yell-coaxers committed a serious sin against the First Commandment of pious and right-living cheer leaders. The boys simply weren't together. Counterpoint is fine in a Beethoven concerto, and uneven entrance and exit of voices the distinguishing characteristic of a Bach fugue. But the well-ordered cheer is strict harmony; and the cheering section will never be harmonious until the leaders all move the same way at the same time. Individualism has no place in cheer-leading--it has to be done as Hitler would have it.

But there must be even more than this submergence of personality in the common effort. Timing must be improved; many yells last Saturday were about as well-timed as a Chamberlain diplomatic move. Respect must be had for the sensibilities of a Harvard cheerer. It must be realized that he is most likely to become suddenly absorbed in the H.A.A. News if called upon to compete with the Army band. Once he was coerced into a cheer while his own band was playing. This was too much. Result was complete frustration for both leaders and led.

Lastly, striking improvements could be made in the cheers. The new "skyrocket" cheer has done little but fizzle to this date. The "echo" is a disastrous division of a cheering section which needs concentration of is lung-power above all else. In contrast to these is the effectiveness if the musical cheer--the trumpet motif followed by a "fight!" --which was copied from New Hampshire. A few instructive evening with the New Hampshire co-ed yell leaders might be an excellent and readily-accepted requirement for the Crimson leaders.

All these suggestions are made without malice and with complete understanding of the difficulties under which the yell-leader sare working. Further, it is recognized that the leading has been better this year than many times in the past. But the goal line of good cheering is still far down the field, and it's up to the leaders to carry the ball.