Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Southern By SUSAN GOODWIN " Staff Writer Game-side entertainment is not what it used to be. According to members of the Sniithpm RpIIpc rlanre team, it is better. "We're on the sidelines doing funky dances to the tape music as a form of entertainment," said journalism senior Kelly Ryan, cocaptain of the team. "We can do what we want to because it's not so structured like cheerleading." While the dance troop sets itself apart from pompomed colleagues, cheerleading did play a major role in the team's creation. "Southern Belles was started in 1988 by some former cheerleaders who wanted to get into dance," said graduate student Jodie Smith, 9n Qecrv?iofo r\f tho nrnnrom "Thpv uoowiaiv V7i uiv pujjttuit. ?*vj formed the group through the cheerleading department and have been self-run ever since." Cheerleading is also a predecessor to Southern Belles for some of the dancers. "I cheered the past two years, and I just wanted something different," said team newcomer Nicole Mariella, a psychology junior. For Bill Boggs, USC administrative adviser, the correlation GREAT I FO< ALL - A M FVi Looking for a great Ita no further than the S| You'll find generous por and friendly service i And it's all guarante< awnMf />U/>Sr>A iC ri I maui at u uiiuilc to 11 Spaghetti V 1310 Gadsden Belles ad "It's fun to be in front of the crowd performing. You get a rush just being out there." -Nicole Mariella Southern Belle between the two types of spiritraisers is not hard to comprehend. "There aren't a lot of high schools mat nave aance teams, Boggs said. "So, you'll find a majority of these girls have cheerleading backgrounds." Regardless of their background, the dancers find mat hard work is the bottom line. "A lot of people don't understand how much time goes into everything," Ryan said. "We don't have a coach, so we have to get all the music and plan all me routines." With the burden of leadership resting squarely on the two captains, the team's independence has, if anything, helped the team to progress, according to Mariella. "They're (the athletic department) trying to utilize us more," i TALI AN ?D E R I C AN prN lian restaurant? Look jaghetti Warehouse, tions, affordable prices n a tun atmospnere. id. Face it, the best ght under your nose. Warehouse St. 256-5252 d to sid< Marietta said. "They're bringi us out to do football games, r just basketball." Extra activities include perfori ing for a high school cheeneadi competition at Carowinds and stunt at Homecoming. The dar troop also strutted it stuff with I varsity cheerleaders at S.C. State The team fills all these reques especially Homecoming, with specific purpose in mind. ^22 HJJ WWy lc ;line entert. ng "The athletics director wants to n lot take us and put us on a higher lev- v el," Ryan said. "And if he shows m- us to the alumni, maybe they'd t ng give us money." a While all this branching out is \ ice flattering, Boggs insists that -the Lhe main emphasis of the Southern 1 :. Belles has not changed, its, "They're becoming in higher ( i a demand as they become more popular." Boggs said. "But their pri- t puyiini IB ainment lary function remains the same, yhich is basketball." As their true season began with he Nov. 18 Gamecock basketball ;ame and is well under way, the iouthern Belles have reaffirmed heir reason for dancing. "It's fun to be in front of the rrowd performing," Mariella said. 'You get a rush just being out here." l *ir* IV A V A W A V A V A a w I A I V