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Saturday, February 24, 2001
CCISD board to consider cheerleader selection process
Process examined as trustees address concerns over Ray squad's ethnic makeup
By Lety Laurel
Caller-Times
Amid concerns about the ethnic makeup of the cheerleading squad at Ray High School, the Corpus Christi school board will hear a report Monday on how cheerleaders are chosen at all five of the district's high schools.
   The presentation will show whether there is an accurate representation of minorities on each squad, said board trustee Rene Vela, who requested the presentation.
   Vela began researching the district's cheerleading squads after receiving several complaints about Ray, where Hispanics make up a majority of the student body but a fraction of the cheerleading squad.
   This year, 14 Anglos and four Hispanics were selected for the squad, according to information provided by the school.
   Similar ratios were selected for the previous three years as well.
   "The numbers speak for themselves," Vela said.
   "I feel we need a better representation of the student body."
   For that to happen, the school should reassess its selection process, said Nancy Vera, chairwoman for the education subcommittee of LULAC Council No. 4444. Representatives of the council will attend Monday's meeting.
   To be selected for the squad, students must first provide five teacher recommendations.
   The students are then judged on appearance, cheers, jumps, voice, spirit and enthusiasm by a panel of independent judges provided by either the National Cheerleader Association or Universal Cheerleading Association.
   Vera said cheerleaders should be chosen through a more democratic process.
   "The number of minorities involved in the squad have been low," Vera said.
   "We want the cheerleading process to be fair, and it will be fair when students are allowed to vote."
   Cheerleading selections at Ray were based on student vote before 1999, but the district changed selection guidelines after complaints of ballot stuffing, said school board President Pinky Brauer.
   "It was more a popularity contest than based on their skills, and cheerleading has a lot to do with skills," said Brauer.
   Brauer said the ethnic breakdown of Ray's squad hasn't changed much since judges started selecting the cheerleaders.
   But in the last year of student voting, eight Hispanics were selected for the squad, according to a school report.
   No more than four Hispanics have been selected for the squad in any year since.
   "I'm not saying it should be 100 percent Hispanic, but there should be a process where there is equal representation of the student body," Vela said.
   "I'm not blaming anybody. I'm just looking for answers."
   The source of the inequity may be because of socioeconomic status, he said.
   Many of those students that are selected for the squad are those who can afford to go to tumbling schools and gymnastic classes.
   "The bottom line is students should have some sort of say-so," he said. "The cheerleading situation has become the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus of tumbling.
   "If you have the extra money to go to tumbling schools, you will be chosen."
   Bruce Scott, principal of Ray, is considering a physical education class to teach gymnastics as well as a junior varsity squad to give more students a chance to cheer, Brauer said.
   "The proposal would allow more girls to have an opportunity to get those skills," said Lu Smith, assistant principal of Ray.
   "It would help them try out for those that might not have private funding for classes."

Staff writer Lety Laurel can be reached at 886-3716 or by e-mail at laurell@caller.com

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