Cheer Leaders
Cheerleaders
In the early years, Cheerleaders exuded “wholesome sexiness” when performing, but the media changed that to some extent starting in the 1960s. Looks vs. talent was the key element in the selection process. Colleges wanted 12 Farrah Fawcett more than a person with great spirit to galvanize the fans. Media chose to sexualize Cheerleaders in the world of sports.
1935 Yell Leaders
1940’s
1961
Barron, Herring, McAfee, Weber, Pace, Nash, Rosenthal, Darling, Collins
1963 Twirler Mimi Jannsen
1965
Jay Brim
During the 1950s and early part of the 1960s, beautiful white women and white men dominated the cheerleading profile. The Rangerettes and Apache Belles were emblematic of the role of beautiful white women as the perfect support organization. Sports television executives exploited this beauty for decades.
1974
1987
Prepping for the game, cheerleaders talk about the pep rallies in the classroom and in the dorms. Cheerleaders know they are the spirit of the University and have obligations to the team players and the fans to entertain and raise the level of enthusiasm. This year’s cheerleaders placed 2nd at the National Cheerleaders Association.
1990’s
Cheerleading offers T.V. exposure, a great social life, and maybe even weight loss. Cheerleaders make lots of hard work look easy during game day. Training for the “job” starts in the summer attending competitive Cheerleading functions at Southwest Texas) Texas State University. Workouts are exhausting and prepping for games is time-consuming. Their goal is to enhance crowd participation and for them to dispaly their Longhorn spirit. When not preparing for a game, cheerleaders make public appearances at charity events and community service activities.
1990’s
2007
2007- cheer and pom- pom – the main goal of the spirit program is to support and uphold the traditions of the university and it’s athletics. Cheer and pom pom think of themselves as ambassadors to the student body. It all boils down to the pom pom and cheerleaders keeping the notorious Texas spirit alive.
2008
The UT Pom Squad led by Aubrey Tidwell is composed of 22 women as part of the spirit campaign. Members of the Pom team encourage the crowd through dance using a combination of ballet, jazz, and hip-hop.
**Handling the Crowd**: The atmosphere at the game is electric, with cameras flashing and loud music blaring, setting the tone for the cheerleaders. The passion for the Longhorns fills the stadium. The cheerleaders practice three times a week for two hours, starting at 6 A.M., to prepare their game plan for the fans. Pre-game activities include taking pictures with fans, mingling with the Horns, selling calendars, and signing autographs. There are five total stunt groups, and three of them also cheer at basketball and volleyball games. Seniority determines which cheerleaders will attend away games.
