Cheerleaders Unite Against UAC Change

The football cheerleading squad resigned in a body yesterday after the Undergraduate Athletic Council announced that cheerleading would become an honorary job after the Penn game.

The UAC named four of its members, varsity athletes, to the squad, and four of the eight veteran cheerleaders were asked to remain. Robert Landauer '59, head cheerleader, declared that "we wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible, but because the UAC split us up, we decided to resign. We will cheer at Saturday's game, however."

The cheerleaders maintain that they were not told in advance that anything was wrong with their organization. "We feel that we should have been allowed to finish the season and then train a new squad," said Alfred Arkley '59. "We have been misrepresented, mistreated by an unjust and dictatorial action."

There has been a general feeling among the students and alumni that the present system could be improved, according to the UAC. At its meeting Monday night, the UAC heard reports from Landauer and Kelvin Kean '60, and afterwards voted to install the new system.

Next year, the UAC will appoint one or two cheerleaders from each major sport to make up the eight man squad. The appointees must be juniors or seniors who have received their varsity "H".

The UAC emphasized that it has chosen cheerleaders from within its own ranks only as a temporary measure. "The eight of us are not going to try any stunts," said Albert Gordon '59, of the new squad, "but will just lead the regular Harvard cheers. Next year, if there are two or three tumblers of sufficient ability in the College, they may be added to the group."

At last night's Freshman Union Committee meeting, members voted unanimous disapproval of the UAC's action. Richard Crystal '62, of the present cheerleading squad, initiated the motion to censor the UAC.