Popularity or Potential?

In the previous years, voting in the varsity cheerleaders was a classic tradition held at Highland. With new head coach Karrie Jarrett, this 2015-2016 year of cheerleaders did not have to be voted in due to her successful battle with the SBO’s and the constitution of Highland. Although every individual girl did not have to be voted onto the team, every girl who wanted to run for head cheerleader does have to be voted on by the student body.

Being on cheer for, four years, and this being the first year of this voting system I am completely appalled by it. Let’s talk about some roles head cheerleader play; keeping the team organized, choosing uniforms and clothing, organizing fundraisers, putting together routines, and knowing each girl individually and their needs etc. In any of those duties listed, is the student body involved what so ever? No.

The head cheerleader of cheer has absolutely nothing to do with the student body, therefore there should be no reason that the student body should be able to vote on a head captain. This year the coaches did an outstanding job taking their time to pick a selective, talented team. That leading me to my next statement, the coaches know the team best. The coaches know every girl individually, they know their talent level, and they know their capability. What does the student body know about the girls running? Their popularity level and physical attractiveness.

When the black hole refuses to even participate in the cheers called by cheerleaders, then that shows yet another reason why the student body should not have a say. It is only logical to have the student body vote for STUDENT BODY officers, because those are the people who will be representing them as a whole, and make choices for them, and organize activities for them. While the head cheerleader of cheer represents the cheer team as a whole, and makes choices for them, and organizes activities for them.

If a girl that has so much potential to be a great leader, and has been dedicated to the team for more than three years those traits are what speak to me as a good candidate for a head cheerleader. Not someone who wants to run just to run and to have the title, especially if they’ve only been on cheer for one or two years. Or if a girl that has a lot of friends, good tumbling, and a pretty face is chosen over a girl with the full potential of being a team leader, it is very obvious that the popularity is chosen over the potential.

Someone who has never been on cheer before, has never felt the pain of waking up early in the morning to go lift people and do a routine full out after a long night of homework, spent Saturdays at the school perfecting routines, taken the time out of their hectic week of school and obligations to go to a tumbling class does not know what it takes to be a head captain. That speaks for 90% of the student body at Highland High, they do not know what it takes to be a head captain. People who have been on cheer and have felt all of its wrath know exactly what it takes.

The team knows what kind of person they want to look up to, they know who they want to lead them to success. The coaches know what personality each girl individually has, they know exactly what certain girls can and can’t do. Cheer is not only a team, at the end of the day when it comes down to it, it is one big family. Just like a normal family, the children would not want the rest of the world to dictate who their leader and role model will be. They want someone to be put into their life for a reason, and learn from that person and feel love and guidance from that person.

When I spoke too many students on this topic of voting in head cheerleader, the main comment I have heard was, “why do we have to vote in the cheer leaders, I don’t even get it?” Not only being a cheerleader and a student do I not see a clear reason for head captain voting to even be a thing, students at Highland can’t seem to quite get a grip either. If someone believes that popularity can lead a team that is completely wrong. From personal experience, popularity does not lead a team. Dedication, love, and understanding leads a team. Being a captain my sophomore year on junior varsity of team taught me that leading others take patience and lots of understanding. To make a team look good, you must want it yourself and remind everyone of their potential level. Someone with this humble mindset, which many girls on cheer do have, is what takes to be a head captain. A captain know what a captain knows. Popularity shows what popularity shows.