Go! Fight! Win!: The evolution of cheerleading at Dartmouth
Performing synchronized dance moves and hoisting up members in one-man stunts, the Dartmouth cheerleading squad has become a staple at home football and basketball games. Despite their strong showings this year, some students today still see the cheerleaders as a side show to the actual game. Up until the last few decades, however, cheerleaders at Dartmouth played a large role in bolstering the Big Green's reputation. In the past, selected sons, and later daughters, of Dartmouth directed the cheers of the undergraduate body at sporting events, representing the Big Green at home and away. Appointed first through popular election by the classes during the first quarter of the 20th century and then through tryout, Dartmouth's cheerleaders embodied the best spirit the College had to offer. By their prominence, the students were counted on to arouse enthusiasm that was at times lacking during games. The squad members used any means possible to stir up a response from the audience, from traditional chants and fight songs, to synchronized acrobatics along the field. They sometimes donned stereotypical Native American costumes during critical football games, a practice suspended in 1969 with the College's decision to discontinue use of the "Indian" symbol. The Big Green cheerleaders undertook a year-round effort to assure that Dartmouth spirit lived on. Off the field, the cheerleaders instilled enthusiasm in the freshmen, hosting rallies prior to athletic events in the fall. The College also entrusted the squad with the teaching of the traditional chants to the incoming classes. Linda Gridley '82 said that during her time as a cheerleader at Dartmouth, the squad was known for its unique, spontaneous and often humorous attempts at getting the crowd on its feet and bringing out Big Green spirit. The squad prided itself on periodically wearing outrageous and colorful outfits that drew laughs from the crowds, she said. "We did a lot more of stuff that would be considered illegal now-a-days," she said.
