The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-15
THE COLLEGE CHRRR LEADER.
ArduOus LabOFS Of Those VINO Direct Their
Fellow students IN Making Noise.

ArduOus LabOFS Of Those Who Direct Their
Fellow students In Making Noise.
One figure Of, but not In, college sport
Is always interesting 10 those who 20 to
the games. He IL the cheer leader, spoken
Of in the singular, although very often
there arc at least three Of them. He IA an
odd development Of college sport, indi-
eating the desire on the part Of the sup
porting student body to make as much
noise as possible without giving the az
pearance Of trying to cheer 80 as to rattle
the opposing side, Knowing that scat
toring cheering isn't nearly as effective as
the concerted kind. the student IL content
to sink HE personality and become merely
part OF the big noise.
The cheer leader dates back only a few
years. 1t Il only Q short time since We
began TO see him, chiefly at the big football
games, where he was down on the side lines
with a megaphone in his hands, all ready
to below through II: @Now, fellows, a long
cheer for Blank then casting the mega
phone aside a. II he never more we're going
10 have Use for II. to raise both hands,
fists olenched to the skies as Egnalto begin.
AZ well speak in admiring tones Of the
great conductors in the opera house, Here
Is q human baton. Every twist Of his body
means somewhat and something.
Those hands stretched 70 the sky are
swung over the side and his body bonds
with them. A roar from the crowd follows.
Over the other side bends the ~body-an-
other answering roar from the crowd.
Then heatedly and pa~ssionAtely, with both
asts shaking In the faces Of the crowd.
pumping back and forth the barking part
Of the cheer until the height Of the cry Ia
reached. Then out 10 each side the arms
are flung with a magnificent gesture Of
fnality and the cheer Us over.
This is a new thing 10 many who follow
college sport, and some OF them are apt TO
put In more time Watching the antics OF the
leader than in looking at the game. The
cheer leader Is a hard working youth. He
finishes the days competition quite as ex-
hausted as the athlete for whom he has been
directing the applause. The organized
cheering appeals very much 70 visitors from
foreign countries, England particularly.
They see in II a peculiarly American custom,
because ii Is organized and because IL ia
~ III CI0hN lIOIn NlAo H1AN ~ aHBAAh1a NAAaN
II u customary 10 give at English sporting
events.
There was q Cornell man who led the
cheers at the West Point-Cornell football
game last fall who was a wonder In his
way. He had two or three assistants, who
took time from the leader. When he was
all ready be was well Of toward the play
ing field and began by taking a couple Of
steps 10 toward the grandstand. mega
phoning instructions as he came. Then
be raised himself 10 his full height. with
hands stretched up, and stood ION tiptoe.
Down from the heights huttered the mega
phone and the first phrase OF the cheer
began. Each phrase meant q step In and
that raising Of the body TO 'ull height,
so that from across the field he gave the
impression OF a man taking three standing
broad jumps according TO the orthodox
form for leaping that way. He wal initiated
by his assistants, 50 the jumping jack enect
wat unusual.
They have a tradition at Princeton about
luke Miller, who wAs q cheer leader In that
tremendous football game some years ago
where Yale beat Princeton q 10 D.. Miller.
80 the story goes, led the cheers In that
game without n turning his attention
from the stands, He took the tips from the
men who stood beside him and not once
ulu no luIu away lAio hNAa " ~ ~ VIC
game. He merely led the cheers, ana It
was this spirit Of self-denial that later
made him a great reputation when he got
into Y. NJ. c. A. work.
They had q nan at Princeton, too, named
REYNOLDS, possessed OF the deepest bass
voice Of his time. who blossomed out as
leader in his senior year. He put 90 much
heart and body into cheering that at first
the students didn't do anything but laugh.
Reynolds used to lead the locomotive cheer
by swinging over 10 one side first so enthusi-
astically that he touched the ground there
with the tins Of his fingers. Then swinging
hack he touched the ground on the other
side, what time roaring In the bass.
Woodrow Wilson, Princeton's president,
was watching a deciding Yale-Princeton
baseball game one day, apparently In all
the calm Of the scholastic mind, when he
became stimulated with the spirit OF the
competition. And it 10 on record that he
leaned up from where he sat and led then
and there a cheer, which, although
deprived Of some Of the posturing that goes
with the art, wal we'll conducted and ended
up with the snappy crash Of sound that every
cheer leader aims for.
II is no small art 10 be a cheer leader, en-
as il does a strong voice and a willing
and ~tireless body. The prominence in tho
world is about the only reward for
the task.