Author: Sonia Lessuck
In early September Occidental’s Cheerleading team held try-outs for this year’s 2008 football season. The team is embarking on a historical year; this is the first year cheer has been recognized as an official club sport at Oxy. Allison Truscheit ’08, returns to her alma mater as the team’s coach.
“The cheer team is a valuable part of our school, and it is finally being recognized for all their hard work,” Truscheit said. Truscheit went on to explain that cheering takes incredible athletic ability and is unique in its multifaceted nature, combining dance, strength, stunting and risk of injury.
Co-captains of the team Meredith Martin-Almy (senior) and Caroline Yoon (junior), in collaboration with Truscheit are working to move the team in a new direction. At tryouts Yoon, Martin-Almy and Truscheit were focusing on girls’ individual skill, ending up with a team of eight girls. “We wanted a smaller squad to focus on skill,” Martin-Almy said. “Each member is able to contribute to everything.”
Truscheit also adds, “Smaller group, no room for cliques, we are a united team.” Truscheit explained that, from her experience, cheerleading has always been big in its own community. In recent years there has been a general trend of girls moving away from gymnastic classes and towards cheer classes.
Oxy’s team, however, is welcoming to girls with and without cheer experience. Martin-Almy joined the team when she came to Oxy with no experience in cheer and has emerged as a co-captain. Two flyers, the stunters who are tossed in the air, joined the team this year, having never cheered before. The team is placing a lot of emphasis on harvesting skills and room is being made to grow and improve, as individuals and as a team.
Truscheit and Martin-Almy are particularly enthusiastic about this year’s new squad. “Our weakest link is not as weak this year as it has been in the past years,” Truscheit said. Martin-Almy explains, “At this past practice we decided on a stunt we wanted to try at the beginning of practice and had nailed it by the end.”
Oxy students are certainly taking notice of the team’s efforts. Hannah Alpert (sophomore) expresses her tiger pride. “The Oxy cheer team makes the football games more fun and interactive. My favorite cheer is Tigers in the Front. There’s something to having everyone sing the same cheer that adds to school spirit.”
Fellow sophomore, Brooks Belter echoes Alpert’s feelings: “They are very enthusiastic and put a lot of effort into their cheers to get the crowd into it.”
With football season in full swing, many Oxy students are filling the stands to not only support the football team, but to see what the cheerleaders have planned for halftime. The halftime show is often just as important to students as the final score.
If any girls are considering cheering, or moved by the team’s enthusiasm at games, quad sits, or pep rallies, they are invited to tryout for basketball season. Martin-Almy explains that tryouts will be held again at the beginning of next semester, but encourages interested girls to e-mail the captains beforehand.
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