Watching the game from a diffe rent angl e , Jill Wood exhibits he r tal e nt in gymnasti cs. The cheerl eaders added the extra e nthus iasm needed to keep the game e njoyable. Basketball cheerl eaders Cyndi Downum, Shannon Hawley, and Jill Wood encl a cheer in pe rfect form. The cheerl ea de rs worked ha rd to get all the cheers and moves clown to an art of precisi on . -0 ~ -l 0 CP -< 0 > $ 0 :r: n ~ ~ Fans to both football and basketball games could be sure of several things: they would have a great time , the Bisons would play to the best of the ir abilities, and the cheerleaders would be instrumental in getting the crowd pumped up . Patty Barrett, in her second year as sponsor of the cheerleaders, said, "I enjoyed the relationships I had with the girls. They're a great bunch to be around." She also loved going to the games, which is why she thinks she got the job in the first place. Barrett notes, too, that the cheerleaders were "strong students who were not given the credit they deserved." Barrett said cheerleaders must pass eligibility requirements to be considered. Such requirements included having an overall GPA of 2.0 at the time of tryouts, being a full-time student while cheering, and meeting the approval of both the sponsor and the assistant dean of students. In return , the girls were awarded a scholarship each semester they were on the team. Separate teams cheered for basketball and football. Candidates attended a week-long training session to learn all the different moves and cheers. Then 10 judges, consisting mainly of former Bison cheerleaders and current faculty members, chose the ones they thought were most capable of representing the team. Time restraints seemed to be the biggest drawback, but "the honor of being a cheerleader far outweighed the negatives ," Barrett said. Whether home or away, Harding's own cheerleaders were certain to spur the Bisons on to victo1y. - Harry De Benedictis , Jr. Athletics 147 -0 J: 0 Cl CP -< 0 > :5 0 :r: n ~ > z
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