Those of us who managed to make it through the festivities on the Boulevard last weekend were no doubt left wondering where the cheerleaders were when it came time to follow them to Ford Stadium.

Those of us excited enough about the game to make it to the Doak Walker Pavilion for the pep rally before kickoff were no doubt disheartened when the cheerleaders failed to muster anything above a disillusioned cheer from a hopeful alum.

How can we learn the words to SMU cheers if we don’t have pep rallies before games? Where are the bullhorns on the field? No wonder the fans in the stands look confused during cheers; the cheerleaders are disinterested in doing their job.

The problem is this: Our cheerleaders no longer lead, they just cheer, and that is robbing many students of the college experience they expected to have.

Many years ago, before cheerleading discarded its varsity roots and became a cash cow for the university, the head cheerleader was elected by the students, not just for his body fat percentage or tumbling skills, but for his ability to inspire the Mustangs on and off the field. After the less than stellar performance by SMU’s cheerleaders Saturday, students should demand a return to that electoral system where school spirit is something students actually own.

Yes, having a winning team would do wonders for school spirit, but even then, without a structure of support and leadership, how can we expect to pass on school pride to the incoming first-years?