SMU spirit solution
It appears from Jim Caswell’s letter (Aug. 15, 2003) thathe has no concept of our traditional school spirit heritage. Thisis strange in view of his long association with SMU.
He obtained a bachelor of arts degree in 1963, a bachelor ofdivinity in 1966, and aster of sacred theology in 1970. He has beenemployed by SMU since 1967, and has been vice-president of StudentAffairs since 1988.
As I understand it, his letter states SMU spirit tradition tobe: “…a pep rally at the steps of Hughes-Trigg,”and “…before-game activities out on theBoulevard,” along with the current atmosphere at home gamesand a winning football program.
I respectfully disagree.
Mr. Caswell should know that SMU cheerleaders have not beenpermitted to lead yells at pep rallies and games for more than 20years. The pre-game activities are barbecuing and socializing.
Just before each game, the Mustang Band assembles at theflagpole and marches to the Doak Walker Memorial.
No one follows them but the cheerleaders, where they purport tohold a “pep rally,” a nonevent at which they lead noyells.
The cheerleaders do not know how to lead cheers, songs orchants, but this is not their fault. They have never been taughthow to do it.
Except for the Mustang Band’s always-excellentperformance, these nonevent “pep rallies” are a painfulembarrassment.
Our cheerleaders deserve the right to lead our cheers, songs andchants, and should be instructed how to do it.
The “wonderful difference in the atmosphere of each homegame”-with no school spirit mechanism in place-hasconsistently produced less than half-full attendance, with fewerpeople present each year.
Loyal but frustrated fans and alumni have stopped their supportof athletic events and SMU in general because of this lack ofschool spirit.
It is no wonder the students are not motivated to attend thegames, as they are without any knowledge of our life force schoolspirit heritage and the vital part that they play in it.
The good people who made this stadium possible deserve bettertreatment than that demonstrated so far by theadministration’s failure to have our school spirit mechanismin place at each home game.
In my opinion, the ultimate insult in Mr. Caswell’s letteras to what SMU stands for is contained in his words, “I havealways felt the spirit for athletics was nearly 100 percentdetermined by whether or not the football program waswinning.”
To me, this is contrary to our heritage and incorrectly stateswhat SMU athletics is about.
I believe our tradition is to give 100 percent support to SMU,its athletes and any other SMU endeavor–win, lose ordraw–as we know our students give 100 percent of themselvesas they represent SMU.
I believe Mr. Caswell owes a written apology to Coach Bennettand all SMU athletes, students, alumni, fans, faculty members andmembers of the administration, past and present, to be set out inThe Daily Campus.
Mr. Caswell is apparently unaware of the mechanics of creatingand perpetuating school spirit-the bonding together of students,fans, faculty, alumni and friends, with the athletic teams and withthe Mustang Band and cheerleaders, who lead those assembled intraditional yells, songs and chants.
This demonstration of our tradition is our heritage. It is whatI believe SMU is all about and it is the celebration of what westand for–our pride in high values like honesty, integrity,respect, honor and loyalty.
Our students must again be taught this heritage and how theirparticipation in it is vital. I am of the opinion this teaching hastoo long been woefully ignored.
I respectfully suggest that the Board of Trustees, the presidentand the vice-president of Student Affairs put a person in chargewho knows and appreciates the significance of our SMU school spiritlife force heritage and traditions.
Someone who will continue to teach the values and traditionsthat were taught at SMU from its beginning through the early 1950s.I urge those in charge to see to it that the cheerleaders assumetheir rightful position as instruments of school spirit in leadingour people in cheers, songs and chants.
Our students must have the opportunity to learn our traditionsand be allowed to reclaim their once-owned right to electcheerleaders, who will be accountable to the student body forteaching, preserving, perpetuating and creating eachgeneration’s Life Force School Spirit.
This way, the cheerleaders will have the opportunity to regaintheir due respect for their services to the student body and SMU.This right, taken from the students by past administrations forsome unaccountable and inexcusable reason, must be immediatelyrestored to the SMU student body.
I believe the students will welcome the return of their SMUbirthright, and that they will have a good time perpetuating ourvalues and traditions and creating their own with minimalinterference from faculty and administrators.
If the values embodied in our heritage and tradition do not giveour students the right to create, preserve and perpetuate theirschool spirit as they secure a first-class education, then the highprice they pay for tuition does.
