University of Northern Iowa - Old Gold Yearbook (Cedar Falls, IA)

Page 18 text:

PURPLE PASSION The roar of the band, the enthusiastic chants of the cheerleaders, and the elec- trifying moves of the pom pon squad were enough to start anyone's blood pumping. To create such a spirited sensation, each group spent six to eight tedious hours a week working on ways to cap- tivate fans and raise crowd spirit. For better appeal, the cheerleaders have been working on higher difficulty stunts and incorporating more gymnas- tics into their routines, said Julie Hardman, sponsor of cheerleading and pom pon. The band had a different, ornery, ap- proach to spirit. Highlighting each foot- ball game, mischievous tuba players crept up into the stands and blasted unexpecting fans, leaving them deaf for the next several minutes. We do unusual antics to try and raise the crowd's spirit, said senior tuba play- er Steve Engelman. Recently, we re- ceived a letter from residents of the Western Nursing Home saying that they come to games just to see who our next Planning the next move, offensive line coach Wait Klinker advises offensive tackle senior Steve Spoden who is intensely listening. Klinker will be cnicial in recruiting next year because muih of the offensive line will be graduating. pk o Dmid Wigntr. victims will be. At the beginning of home basketball games, the pom pon squad encouraged fans to stand up until the Panthers scored their first point. We tell everyone to stand up over the loudspeaker, said sophomore pom pon girl Randa Ruppert. At first, response wasn't very good. But later, everyone learned to stand up until the Panthers were on the scoreboard. Many times each group was rewarded for its timely efforts. Marching band performed at ISU. When we finished playing, the crowd sat there silent. We thought something was wrong, but people still said they enjoyed our performance, said junior Michelle Tegeler, a marching band member. Our crowd shows us they like our perfor- mance by giving us excellent crowd sup- port by applauding and cheering. Pom pon and cheerleading reaped re- wards when they were recognized as a sport instead of an organization. This is the first year that I get to issue letters to those who deserve them on the squad, said Hardman. However, at other times efforts seemed to be wasted by the fans dis- couraging responses. We wanted to get the Wave going in the Dome, so we made a big sign to hold up that said WAVE, said cheerleader Brad Clevenger. Instead of doing the wave, though, the crowd literally waved at us. The Pom pon girls also found the crowd unresponsive. We try to do chants and side line routines to keep the crowd interested, but they are so unresponsive it is hard to tell if they like it or not, said Ann Dick- erson, member of the pom pon squad. However, some pom pon members felt that crowd support for their particular group was on the rise. Fans have come to respect us more than they have in the past, said Rup- pert. We used to be thought of as lower on the totem pole then the other spirit- raising groups, but now we are more up to their level. But, no matter how successful the out- come of each group's efforts, its mem- bers kept doing their best to raise Pan- ther spirits and keep the blood pumping. — Reo Price Spirit in action motivates junior Sara Chapman and the rest of the Panther pom pon squad. They incorporate cheer moves with dance steps to keep the crowd's spirits aroused at various activities throughout the year. Photc ty Dtvid wigntr.

Page 17 text:

 The gang's all here. Freshman Ted Game» enjoys breakfast with his parents, Steve and Donna, dur- ing Parents Weekend. The Garnetts came up from Cedar Rapids for the weekend. M Why UNI? basketball coach Eldon Miller address- es parents at a breakfast in Maucker Union about the many opportunities the university provides. Phtt Sy DtnJ Ktfnet Student Life 15

Page 19 text:

Heard il through the grapevine that you don't want to be tubaed by the infamous Tuba Boys. Aaron Sanders waits on the sideline to blast his next victim. Pumping the points is a tradition in which the girls show no mercy. The guys pump up their muscles each time the Panthers score — one push- up per point. Phttc Oawi Mqfnrr Student Life 17