Ferrari Williams
Pierce College students were enthusiastic about the cheerleading tryouts this year as nearly 20 spirited dancers showed off their moves.
The co-ed cheerleading and dance tryouts were held three days in a row at the North Gym. “Clinics,” were held for two days and consisted of teaching offense, defense and general cheers, which the participants had to memorize for the actual tryouts held on the third day.
Michelle Morales, 18, was up for the challenge. “I did cheer last year [in high school] and I wanted to keep it going,” she said.
“I knew what to expect from the tryouts coming from high school so it has been fun and the cheers are catchier here,” said Morales.
The auditions were judged by four non-cheerleaders.
The squad, led by male captain Loui Sagastumi, is gearing up for a new semester and wants to replace their departing cheerleaders with fresh faces.
“I always seem to get around 14 people, but I never set a limit. I want as many people that are capable,” said P.E. instructor Jenny Q. Johnson.
“Being a cheerleader takes some time and quite a bit of dedication, as they have three pages of cheers.”
Practices are held for six hours a week or more and they are required to cheer at seven home games and close games such as those at Valley College, which are usually on Saturdays.
The squad cheers mainly for fall football, but when the time allows, they also show spirit for women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball and occasionally winter sports.
“The cheerleaders have lives too,” said Johnson.
“Most of them are full-time students so having time for cheerleading can be hard,” she said.
In addition to the commitments after they have made it past auditions, summer camp, which is where the cheerleaders learn discipline and new cheers, is also a part of the requirements and it is a big deal.
Camp is a two-day event held at different college campuses and the days are long. This takes place prior to participating in many of the games.
“It’s called U.C.A, United Cheerleading Association and before going, all the cheerleaders have to take physicals,” said Johnson.
“Once, camp was at SDSU and the USC students were so rowdy with their partying that the campus asked them not to come back,” said Johnson.
Aside from the sporadic riffraff from a few colleges, the cheerleaders seem to really enjoy the opportunity.
Brittany Hanna, who has been cheering since high school, loved the camp experience.
“We got to invite our family out [to the camp] and they could video tape all the new cheers we learned,” she said.
Camp is completely paid for by ASO while the uniforms, which cost about $400, are at the expense of the cheerleaders.
However, if there are additional accessories needed, such as pom-poms or bloomers, ASO uses any additional funds to subsidize those costs.
Although the cheer squad doesn’t have a drum line, they still manage to work the crowd with their voices and personality for nearly two and a half hours per game.
“We really need a drum line. Can you imagine the energy we would have when the crowd heard the beating of the drums?
“It would be great. We’d love that,” said Johnson.
For now, they have a pianist accompany them with a small piano that plays familiar sounds like whistles and bells when a team scores or when the cheerleaders get the spirit to do a fight song.
“Since we don’t have a band, it’s really up to the cheerleaders to be enthusiastic and have a lot of energy,” said Johnson.
“I look for girls who have the spirit.
“They have to have spunk, be comfortable in front of a crowd, not afraid to show their pearly whites and can encourage a crowd and get them motivated,” said Johnson.