The Michigan Daily- Saturday, August 3, 1985 - Page 3
Teens pep up at cheerleading clinic
By JANICE PLOTNIK
Pony tails and pompoms are "in"
this week as budding cheerleaders
from across the Midwest gather at the 'We love our football
University's track and tennis field for -
annual cheerleading clinics.
More than 100 girls are signed up for team.
each of the four sessions offerred by (, 4 F
the United States Cheerleading
Association, whose purpose is to prep - Mia Powers,
1 the energetic students in cheering
technique, mounts, stunts, and voice a squad member
expression, said Kim Penn, USCA
director.
BY USING techniques the girls can
teach others, field director Mindy
Morrow said the clinics improve girls were really pretty and I wanted
cheerleading in the girls' hometowns. to grow up to be exactly like them,"
The clinics are never boring, with said teenager Shannon Walden, a
the amount of energy and enthusiasm cheerleaderatClinton High School.
exerted by the junior high and high And there are other perks as well. .
school girls, and between trainng Pinckney cheerleader Tiffany Beach
sessions, staff members entertain the said because of cheerleading, she
cheerleaders. knows every boy on the football team.
During one sunny afternoon, the "We love our football team!" said
gaggle of giggling girls watched as fellow squad member Mia Powers.
staff member Chris Albeck stood atop Although the clinics are mostly fun,
her platform of gymnasium mats and they can be a springboard into
pretended that she was surfing on the qualifying for a national cheerleading
waves of the Atlantic Ocean. quali tion
MORWWATCHEDasmiling and competition.°
MORROW "On the final night, the kids per-
said, "We have the craziest staff." form for ribbons and a plaque com-
One of the main goals of the clinics is petition. If they receive a plaque at Daily Photo by DARRIAN SMiTH
to teach the cheerleaders how to build camp, they will go to our Grand - High school cheerleaders polish their moves at the University's track and tennis field. More than100 girls
spirit in an audience. National Championship" in August, registered for each of the four sessions of the United States Cheerleading Association's annual cheerleading
"It's hard to teach spirit when you Penn said clinics.
can't show spirit," Morrow cautioned.
She instructs the girls to make the
crowd feel like they are pat of the ac-
tion with facial expressions and their drantu won'le hi s fgot t ed os
voices.Hchoo't let himself o to the dogs
Th il hoecheerleading for a (Continuedfrom Pagel)
variety of reason, including a desire because. well, Smitty is Smitty said he wants to climb the himself go to the dogs (so to speak). and 'met,' like the team in New
to mset people and a wish for beauty grotesquely handicapped. The lit- fire station's pole "more than Instead, he has chosen to plug on, to York."
and popularity. tle hydrant is nearly anything. But the only problem is...I keep a cheery attitude even on the
"I ALWAYS wanted to be a quadrapeligic. He has just stumps don't have any legs." gloomiest of days. "OKAY, I gotcha."
cheerleader. It looked like fun. All the for arms and only small wheels for "I WAS made very special," he
.feet. SMITTY IS, quite frankly, a red IWSmd eyspeca,"h "Boy, sometimes we're a bit slow,
stump on wheels. Yet his setbacks go boasted. "I was asked by the Ann Ar- aren't we?" he said, his confidence
beyond just that. His soprano voice is bor Fire Department to speak out to building.
vte so high it reaches the deformed level all the people, to let them know how
of Kermit the Frog and Mr. Bill. And important it is to learn not to burn." "Yeah, a little bit."
of course, he must contend with the Smtyfesmr otnt hn "If you feel silly talking to me," he
beagles and the poodles and all the Smittyfeels or e r tan continued, "just think how I must
le other merciless mutts who can't wait Alrd i itecui ntecrefeel"
U .S . to raisetheir hindlegs and take aim at Alfred is a depressed little hydrant.
He sits on the grass, day and night, SMITTY WAS turning into a real
WASHINGTON (UPI) - U.S. of- said the older man had died in Brazil and never says a word to anyone. comedian. However, he had to stop his
ficials are convinced that Nazi six years ago. "Dogs have a natural liking for It almost brings a tear to Smitty's Rn ickles imitation, for he noticed
fugitive Josef Mengele is dead, but the Earlier this year, the Justice hydrants," he said. a mother and a little girl coming up
Justice Department said yesterday it Department opened an intensive in- Smitty really didn't want to discuss "It's really hard to be in a rut like
is still investigating whether the vestigation to find Mengele and to the topic, so he scooted up to a young that" he said. "We just can't seem to
United States helped the notorious determine whether the United States woman and five kids who were get him off the corners." The girl was small and cute, so
death camp doctor escape justice. had knowingly or unknowingly aided walking up the street. much so that she could have been
Neal Sher head of the Justice in his escape from justice. LIFE CAN be painfuly lonely for mistaken for a Cabbage Patch kid.
Deparmtent's Office of Special Sher said the Justice eprtent "HI, KIDS, how are you today," he Alfred and Smitty, but at least they Smitty rolled up inher.
vetgtos od SeilI-investigation is continuing to deter- sihaetefenyfreigterheep "Hi," he said. "How are you
vestigations, told Congress there is in- miine if Mengele was ever in US . - have the friendly fire fighters to keep doing?"
formation that Mengele, known by custody or had any retationship with No oeasee.N n mld neeo hm nfcoefrmn "ky"tegrsi ihaggl
concentration camp survivors as the US officials They looked at him kind of funny. was eyeing Smitty from inside the fire
"Angel of Death," may have been in- ' o "Don't be afraid of me," he per- station, making sure the hydrant
terned under a fictitious name in "During the course of our inquiry, sisted. "I'm just a talking fire didn't get toowet. "WHAT'Syou'rename,"heasked.
Vienna after World War II but im- we have been searching archives hydrant." "If I stay in the rain too long, I have "I'm Vanessa," she said.
mediately released. i throughout the world for pertinent in- The kids stared at him as if he was a a tendency to fizzle out," Smitty said. "Are you going to come by and visit
"IT SHOULD be noted that no formation and have been interviewing big bottle of Castor Oil. The woman, "You know, burn my circuits." the station?" Smitty asked. "Come by
document has been found to date relevant American military gover- who should know better, began to The concerned firefighter, who for and visit us and we'll have a big sur-
which positively establishes nment personnel, as well as American laugh at Smitty. some reason was wearing a headset prise for you."
American contact with Mengele, and Foreign war crimes and holding some electronic contrap- Vanessa giggled. Her mother grab-
Sher said. prosecutors," Sher said. "WATCH ME spin around in a cir- tion, was spotted by Smitty. bed her hand and smiled.
Mengele, a medical doctor, was .h cle," he said.
wanted by authorities for the bizarre, Sher and Assistant U.S. Marshal As he spun, he flashed his lighted "THAT'S CARTER Grimmet," he "ASK HIM when we can visit," the
torture-like experiments he conduc- Howard Safir appeared before a head and blared his siren. The now- said. mother whispered.
ted on Jews at the Auschwitz death Senate Judiciary committee hearing hysterical woman and the kids just It was hard to hear Smitty through "When can we visit?" said Vanessa.
campduring thewar. to report on the Mengele case and walked away, making the little the traffic noise and his deformed Smitty was beaminginside.
1 For years, rumors persisted that assert that scientific evidence has hydrant look like a spinning fool. voice. "Anytime," he said.
Mengele was protected and given concluded that Mengele died in 1979 But it didn't matter to Smitty. Like "Carol Burnett?" he was asked. "Can we do it now?" she asked.
gvnand was buried in Brazil.
sanctuary in Paraguay. But several Mengele's remains were examined always, he shrugged it off. "No. Carter Grimmet." "Sure!" said Smitty.
months ago, Mengele's friends in and identified by a team of forensic Throughout his life, Smitty has had "Carterwhat?" And with that, Smitty and Vanessa
Vrazil and his son in West Germany experts in June. plenty of chances to give up - to let "Grimmet. 'Grim,' as in very sad, headed for the station.