Cheerleader and pom-pon girl tryouts were held in the Main Gym of De Anza College Sept. 8. Three cheerleaders and five pom-pon girls were selected by the eleven members of the De Anza Board of Judges.

The Board is comprised of ten De Anza students and Joaquin Herrero, assistant director of student activities. The applicants for both positions were judged on a scale from one to five with relationship to their general coordination, rhythm, spirit, pep, presentation, poise, personality, smile and originality. After adding total points for the girls’ performances, the judges held individual interviews where questions such as, “Do a quick imitation of your favorite entertainer,” “Whom would you choose, including yourself, to be the head of your group?” and “Why do you feel qualified to become a representative of De Anza College?” The personal interview was used to give the judges better insight into the girls’ personality and self-confidence, and to select the head of each group through exhibited leadership qualities.

The girls who survived this rough judging procedure became De Anza’s first Cheerleaders and Pom-Pon Girls. Rosemary Levas, of Foothill College, became the new head of the Pom-Pon Girls, and Karen Burke, Linda Sudduth, Joyce Simmons and Karen Fassbender were named the other Pom-Pon girls. “Bobbie” Ballinger from Narimasu High School in Tokyo, Japan is the selected cheerleader head. Sue Ishimaru, also from Narimasu High School, and Linda Barron from Fremont High School are the other cheerleaders.

All the girls are concerned about school spirit. The Pom-Pon Girls believe, says Miss Narimasu, that De Anza’s spirit “will improve every time we have a game, especially when we win, which we will.”

Rosemary Levas believes that “The student body will gain an incentive to support the team.”

Linda Barron, Cheerleader, speaks for all the girls, “We need more school spirit.”

Archived from Volume 1, Issue 2.