Readers Respond -- Community members discuss cheering’s jeering

“Don’t you know there’s a war on?” So ran one of the more popular

admonitions of World War II. It meant, in effect, “What you’re doing

doesn’t exactly contribute to the effort, so best you mend your ways.”

The principle applies today.

Having received local and national attention for the debacle of the

Orange Coast College professor wrongly accused by students in 2001, and

not missing another opportunity to embarrass ourselves, we now have the

Great Cheerleader Crisis of 2002 (“Solution found for cheerleader

problem,” Wednesday). It seems our educational administrators not only

have a problem making good decisions but in making any decisions at all.

I don’t want to minimize the pain and pangs teenagers feel when not

achieving their dream(s), but don’t we all experience these

disappointments as part of growing up? Do you know anyone who has never

felt heartache whether it be not making the cheerleader squad or dance

team, being cut from a sports team, an injury before the big game, being

benched, missing an A by a point, not getting into the college of your

choice or not making that fraternity or sorority?

Here is where good parenting, family and friends would have helped.

Would not our children be better off in the long term if they learned how

to handle difficult situations?

For those that will make the cheerleading squad, our best wishes. For

those who don’t, why not ask your parent to invest the $1,000 that would have gone to uniforms to send you to New York City and ground zero? Use

the remaining money to aid the victims or someone in your community who

needs it more. This is called perspective and with it comes character and

compassion -- a far better learning experience for the rest of your life.

MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK

Newport Beach

Prior to the current debacle created by the cheer coach and

exacerbated by the indecision of Principal Michael Vossen, the Newport

Harbor High cheer program has been exemplary (“Argument drowns out

cheers,” Dec. 29). Some consider the situation a “tempest in a teapot”;

after all, it is only cheer. I admit that I have used the same comment

over the past four years. But it is not “only cheer.”

Newport Harbor cheerleaders are as proud of their accomplishments as

any other athletic group at the school. They spend more time, work harder

and make greater sacrifices than any other team -- at least four hours a

day, five days a week all year long. During the summer, they get two

weeks of vacation.

They are a justifiably proud group of girls. They work very hard to be

selected for the team. They work harder after they make the team.

Being selected for the cheer squad is an earned honor. Vossen needs to

be decisive and to follow the rules. He should not cheapen the cheer

experience because a few disappointed parents and an aggressive coach do

not like the judges’ decision.

MIKE JOHNSTON

Newport Beach

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Johnston is the father of a Newport Harbor High

School cheerleader.

I graduated from Newport Harbor in 1985, and when I attended the

school we had four different cheerleading squads, each with six girls.

The freshmen and sophomores were on frosh-soph squad, the juniors were on

the junior varsity squad and the seniors were on either the song-leader

squad or varsity squad. Why in the world would a sophomore be on the

varsity squad? Is it a lack of girls? That does not appear to be the

case.

It appears as if there are too many girls who want to enjoy the

experience. So why not go back and use the system that worked well in the

past? This would allow everyone to participate, and solve the soap opera

over cheerleading that is going on at Newport Harbor. If the school still

has four squads as outlined above and there are more girls than there are

spots, then some girls are not going to make the team.

This would be the same as any other team sport or activity; not all of

the players who would like to play basketball or volleyball or soccer go

through tryouts and make the team. Typically, more people try out than

make the team. That is why tryouts are held.

MOLLY CALDER

Newport Beach