Fun on the Sidelines

Hold that line

Becce aggressive

Block that kick

Bcat 'tun bust' tun, that's our custom

Push 'em back, push 'em back

Aaaaaaaa'l' ACK!!!!!!

A few weeks ago at the Columbia football game, a Harvard alumnus sat nearby the 50-yard line squinting intently into a pair of high-powered binoculars. Next to him a small child tugged at his wrist, asking in an increasingly whiny voice to be taken to the bathroom. The alum paid no attention, keeping his eyes glued to his Zeiss lcons, Finally he looked up and spoke, not to the child, but to a middle-aged man on his right. "Damn if those cheerleaders aren't the best part of Ivy football."

Though not everyone would agree with the alum's assessment, the Varsity Football cheerleaders are gaining increased acceptance throughout the Harvard community since their appearance three years ago. At first a loosely organized group that aroused more laughter than applause, the cheerleaders--thanks to a lot of hard work--have started to win over many of the skeptics.

According to former associate athlete director Niki Janus, the Athletic. Department decided in 1979 to ask some of the women leading cheers at basketball games to perform at football games as well. "All this was at the instigation of a few graduates," said Janus. "They wondered why Harvard was the only Ivy school without cheerleaders and thought it world be nice to revive a little school spirit "So, aimed with megaphones, pom poms, and a few hundred dollars from the University, the cheerleaders took Soldiers Field by storm-or almost. "It was pretty embarassing at first," remembers one veteran of those pioneering days. "We weren't exactly what you'd call together so people booed, laughed and even threw things on occasion."

Since then, however, the cheerleaders--half of them men--have improved. Several hours of practice a week and increasing athletic ability have at least protected the squad from the jokes of Budwener guzzling football aficionados. But success has also brought with it a problem--money. Originally, the cheerleaders were allocated $500 to get started. But the Athletic Department's which provides funds for close to 100 varsity. Junior varsity and freshman teams, has little money to spare. "At present, the squad gets nothing from us save an occasional favor," says assistant to the athletic director John Wentzell.

Wentzell, who advises the cheerleaders, adds that the group may get department cash in the future. "On the borizon, they could apply for club status like the rugby team and get some money. Certainly we want to encourage them because they have improved considerably. You can be sure we wouldn't sanction anything that was an embarrasment."

For the time being though, the cheerleaders have to fund themselves. Junior co-captain Christine Ho calculated the women in the group each spent over $ 100 on uniforms and accessories. And away games mean finding transportation because the football team bus has no extra room. "It's a lot of money." says sophomore Liz gill, "but we love cheerleaders enough so that the expense doesn't really matter."

The entire squad expresses unbridled enthusiasm for their Saturday afternoon occupation. They cite a varsity of reasons that attract them to cheering Gill claims "it makes you feel part of the festivities" Ho, who didn't cheer in high school, says "it was something I had always wanted to try." And sophomore Tom Friedman stresses that "cheering has an athletic aspect that makes it a challenge"

Of course, it also isn't bad to have a captive audience of several thousand people. Says co-captain Mike Fresh 84. If you're good. You're not apprehensive and the size of the crowd just exaggerates your feeling of excitement. "We haven't made any bad mistakes yet and on one has thrown anything at us," says Friedman. "But the possibility exists and we don't have the advantage of wearing helmets like the football players."

One incident that occurred during this year's. Army game highlights the danger inherent in the athletic part of cheering. sophomore Jenni Goodall had just reached the top of a three-level pyramid when she "basically did a perfect back dive head first into cement. I just remained dazed on the ground for awhile until several people rushed over saying they were doctors and asked to help" Luckly, Goodall incurred no serious injury.

The two other attract ions in the saturday show--the Harvard band and the football team it self-are for the most positive about the presence of cheerleaders. Mike McClung, band drill master, says the approt between the two groups is improving all the time. "At first, it was only natural for the hand--which had been the only student activity at football games for years--to feel its territory was being infringed upon. But now we recognize that these people are having a great time and admirably entertaining the crowd so we repest them for it."

Football players also seem to appreciter the cheerleaders. However, one offensive lineman points to a problem the squad poses for Jor Restic's charges. "Sometimes when we get doun near the other team's end zone, one of as will look toward the end zone and see the cheerleaders. That kind of sight can make it awfully tough to concentrate on the multiples."

Other members of the Harvard community are not so load of the cheerleaders. Car of Owens, a staffer at the Women's Clearinghouse, believes cheerleading is often degrading to women and sometimes the froof of sexual exploitations "I find it disturbing that the women wear those short little skirts while the men wear long pants. Obviously the could weather affects both sexes equally. The women are being exploited." She adds that cheerleading has traditionally been a way for men to deny women participation in more serious sports.

But the cheerleaders don't feel they are being exploited or provocative. Ho points out that the women themselves choose their own uniforms. "I've never sen cheerleaders in anything but skirts," she says. "Besides, our uniforms are hardly what you'd call racy. It's nothing close to the Dallas Cowboy girls. Most of the women say cheerleading requires skill. and a few--like gymnast Goodall--participate seriously in other sports.

The male cheerleaders are not without their critics either "Often when you fell another guy you're a cheerleader you get a little snicker in response." says Lreh. It's hard for some people here to deal with the last that men can lead cheers too. "But frch who comes from less, says that southerners view men as an integral part of cheerleading. Down south men do the cheers along with the girls, they just don't stand around and use the megaphones as we do for the most part here. It's just a different come potion what cheerleading is all about.

The male cheerleaders are just as athletic, if not more so than their female counterparts. Friedman runs track for Harvard and sophomore Barry Bausano is a talented wrestler. In addition, swimming sensation Larry Countryman recently joined the squad. Erelimaintains that some of the lifts and pyramids the cheerleaders perform demand a good deal of athletic ability. "There is enough skill involved to really make it interesting." he says. "Some of the things we do take a couple of months to really get down."

The bottom line for the cheerleading squad is fan appreciation. And that is clearly on the rise. "People really made fun of last year's squad," says Gill. "That hasn't been the case this season. "Ho adds that "it's been getting better and better. We definitely have a more talented group now and the fans are noticing it."

Some might say the cheerleaders would do anything to get Harvard's finicky fans behind them. Two weeks ago during the rain-drenched Cornell game, all the men rolled around in the mud-much to the amusement of bored spectators. But Ereli disputes this claim. "We're out there," he says, "simply to have fun. And that's exactly what we do."