Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-12
HELPED IN HOYAS'
| WIN over n. Y. u.
Rally by Georgetown on Goal
Line Aided by Efforts of
"Rah-Rah" Boys.
IN n AY all your children grow up
30 NH to be cheer leaders,"

m AT AY all your chllorfn grow up
80 Nh to be cheer leaders,"
V Yeah, regard lightly the
i cheer leader If you must,
but the business Of pulling
q healthy rah, rah out of a college
crowd occasionally calls for the deter
mination, ingenuity and dramatic in
stinct that go into the making of clever
men.
"Is cheer leading a sport?" asks a
correspondent.
In a way, it is" replies Ernie L. Du-
haime, who shares with Tommy McDev-
lit the head cheer leaders role at
Georgetown University. Tommy and
Ernie, pals and roomies, have ma
tional rep as a cheer-making duo.
THE cheer leader has an effect on
the team that cannot be denied" con-
tinued Duhaime, land there are times
when it is vital. Any athlete will tell
you that he is moved enc way or an
other by what comes from the stands.
You know-loyalty of the gang and all
that. If the cheer leader permits the
crowd to quit, as it often tends to when
the team is going badly, he's either a
gutter himself or doesn't know his
stuff"
Job Not Easy One.
The cheer leader fights battle all
his own. Sometimes his is the hard
eSt-Working brain on the premises, siz-
cling with an effort to win the interest
Of a defeated crowd and bring it back
to life and into the battle with its team.
When New York University swept the
Blue and Gray back to a stride from
the goal line early in the memorable
foot ball game of last Fall hardly
chirp came from the Georgetown dele
cation at the Polo Grounds. 1t was
fairly stunned by the crushing might OF
the Violet It was a critical moment
for the cheer leader.
The Hold 'em. Georgetown" stuff
was fat as near beer. The Blue and
Gray needed jolt of inspiration.
Duhaime rushed over to the George
town band. 1t was playing common
place march.
"Cut that stuff" yelled the cheer
terker. Lets have The Blue and
Gray quick!"
It was an idea that clicked. The
Georgetown team was fighting. as all
Georgetown elevens do but there was
a perceptible stiffening of the lire and
more electrical alertneSs in the whole
lineup when the strains of old George
towns stirring anthem f1oated down to
the struggling warriors. How Provin-
cial grabbed a New York tumble in
IIldL CT1SlS anu IdCcu 1OI a tOuSALOO"h
which won the game Is glorious Dit
of Georgetown athletic history.
THAT old song at that particular mo-
ment was like message from home"
said Hilltop player afterward.
This instance is cited as an example
Of the cheer leaders sometimes i'm
portant part in battle.
Harder Than 1t Looks.
"If the cheer leader has a place in
the game, it reasons out that cheer
leading is a sport, wouldn't you sey?"
laughed Duhaime today.
The funniest sight on college cam
pus is the try-out for cheer leaders.
Each candidate must go through the
yells and stunts he used at prep scfool
with no crowd present.
HE looks silly and feels that way"
says Duhaime, land suppose paSSer-
by not hep to the thing would figure
fellow to be plain cuckoo.
THE first game gives the new cheer
leader queer sensation-the crowd
the excitement-new yells-new mo-
lions. He Is self-conScious. of course,
and the first time he hears himself call
ing through a megaphone he sounds
like a stranger to himself.
las the season progresses the crowd
dies away before your eyes and all you
can think of is the game and your cwn
excitement"
The toughest sport for cheer leader
is base ball. It is characteristic of
diamond fans that they enjoy 1octing
individually.