Cheerleaders deserve funds

The IU Crimson Cheer and Pom Squads have worked very hard to raise money to head to Florida for the Universal Cheerleaders and Universal Dance Associations' national cheer and dance competition Jan. 10 through 13. The trip has been set, but the athletics department is not assisting the squad members in their efforts to represent our community at this level of competition. \n Instead, coach Julie Horine has helped make it possible for the squads to make the trip south. She is paying out of her own pocket for the flights. The individual teammates have the option of paying her back.\n The all-female Pom and Crimson Cheer Squads play an important role in IU Athletics. They practice extensively every week. The Poms perform at every home football and men's basketball game. The Crimson Cheer squad is there for all men's soccer and women's basketball games. These teams put in the same amount of time as most varsity sports. \nBy not funding the squads for their national competition, the athletics department is cheating IU Athletics as a whole. Even worse, the squads were given less than a week to raise the $17,000 necessary for the trip. The University should be responsible for sending them to Florida; instead it's making the journey more difficult.\nParents of the squad members made efforts to contact the athletics department to express their dissent. These attempts went unnoticed, and parents were provided with no insight on why their daughters would not be financially supported by the University. \nIU's Crimson Cheer and Pom Squad members must carry themselves as public figures of IU. They work very hard to keep the integrity of the University at its highest level.\nThese squads attend class just as any student-athlete would. They practice constantly while attending multiple IU events. \nTheir efforts should not go unnoticed. These squads work very hard and deserve to showcase their talents at a national level. This is not a new expenditure for the athletics department. It is an annual event the IU Pom and Crimson Cheer Squads should attend every year.\nGoing to Florida is the final four of competition for these squads. Unlike other final fours for varsity events, they are being forced into a position where they need to raise their own money simply to compete.\nStaff vote: 16 - 1 - 0\nyes - no - abstain