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USC st forCari CATHERINE MCINTOSH Staff Writer For the average college student, the 21st birthday is a night of raucous drinking full of the joy of being carded and actually being able to show a valid I.D. Things were different for USC Nursing student Tammy Lynn Baqui, who was recently chosen as a cheerleader for the Carolina Panthers professional football team. Baqui said, "We weren't told who had O/In -If nnfil ol mncf 1 1 nVlnnlr f Vl Q f 1X1 CI lit; 11/ UUVU UilllVOV 11 V vivvu viiuv Tuesday, the night before my 21st birthday. On my 21st birthday I had my first practice. We started right away because we want to be completely ready for the first game." Baqui was chosen from a field of 420 during an audition process that started Marchl6and ended with the announcements on April 2. Baqui was a cheerleader at Lexington High School and danced with the Carolina Coquettes for two years before trying out for the Carolina Panther Cheerleading squad. She said, "I had thought about trying for the Charlotte Hornet Honeybees, and then when the Panthers got here, it was a dream of mine." One of Baqui's friends saw a tiny advertisement in the sports section of the newspaper last year, right before the Panthers started their season. Baqui said, "I called and they gave me the information but then they ended up cancelling tryouts because they said thev didn't have enough time to get a really great squad together, and they wanted to be competitive with big name people like the Dallas Cowgirls. "They waited a year and kept me on their mailing list, and then let me know that it was going to be in March." Besides being evaluated on dance ability, physical fitness, and appearance, candidates were also chosen on the basis of personal interviews and football knowledge. Hey, you! Reac i i and to wnr LV_y ?? v/i Sun ne1 HB 1 udent c olinaPi "I'm really excited to be a part of history, I guess I'd say. To be a part of something that is a first; to have a pro football team in my own backyard: it's great. I'm really excited, and I hope it stays here." Tammy Lynn Baqui, Carolina Panthers Cheerleader Baqui said, "They had the one-onone interviews to make sure they had intelligent people representing them because a lot of our job will be to go out and do public functions and represent the Carolina Panthers in that way." She said she knows many people believe cheerleaders are bimbos, but she hopes the increased exposure of professional cheerleaders will help to refute the stereotype. She said, "A few weeks ago I saw an ESPN special on the Dallas Cowgirls, and it really showed that they are smart women, not just pretty faces. "Our squad has people as young as 19 years old to 33. There are nurses, teachers, computer analysts, and one woman has her own dance studio. There's a lot of differences among us, but everybody is really intelligent. They're a lot of fun." Charlotte has the Honeybees and Dallas has the Cowgirls, but what will the cheerleaders for the Carolina Panthers be called? Baqui said she doesn't even know. "They were supposed to tell us that night that we all made it," she said. "Well, they're saving it. They're going to do a really big promotional announcement when they show our uniforms and introduce us as a squad. Then they'll give us the name. "Nobody knows what we're going to be called yet People are throwing around names like the Pantherettes. I wish I knew, myself. I'm really crazy to find out." 1 The Gamecoc valui k as Account Exe rimer, Fall and Spi ;vspaper, Garnet I WUSC FM stude The Gamecock :heers inthers The cheerleaders will not perform at away games and most of the Panther's games will be on Sundays. Baqui said, "Really, the way it works is that the better teams play on Monday nights. TTiats not to say that the Carolina Panthers aren't good, they're just new. The Panthers had a 7-9 season last year, a record which is considered very good for an expansion team." The cheerleaders are employed by Gary Richardson, the owner of the Carolina Panthers. Their work contract is part-time, and Baqui plans to continue her nursing studies at USC. She said, "School is very important to me, and I'd have to say it comes first. Fm going to try this balancing act for this year, and if it's my style, IH stay. Fm sure 111 enjoy it." Baqui will have to try out again next year if she wants to stick with the squad. She said, "They want to keep it competitive and make sure they have the best people they can have. They really believe in hard competition." Baqui said she feels especially inspired by her former high school cheerleading coach, Elaine Elliot, who just finished her first year as USC's cheerleading coach. "She was a real stickler," Baqui said. "She taught me to always be on time and to go after things with all my might; not to be timid, because sometimes I would be. She taught me to believe in myself. She's conquered a lot of things, and if I could be half the way she is then m do okay in life." Baqui is looking forward to being a cheerleader for the Panthers, whether performing energetic routines at games or doing promotional and charity work on their behalf. She said, Tm really excited to be a part of history, I guess Fd say. To be a part of something that is a first; to have a pro football team in my own backyard: it's great. Fm really excited, and I hope it stays here." k this summer! %ble w ?H |IJ 'J lil h cutives for Student ring semesters. Sell k Black Quarterly s nt r^A\r\ onH porn r 11l lctvaivy ctii\a v^uni v Iji ClaiflAN# IMIa?J|< giuucm mcun mammmmmmmm I iT a T (J III 1 ' 1 I I 1 I I | 1 I | I | IL1 rN L11 "Ti 11n I 111 111 r mmmmmmmammmmammm [ Wednesday, May 15,1996 r . . 1 1. 1 I I 1 I I \\ ^ Tammy Lynn Baqui, a USC nursing student, was chc Mil IIIVI vrk expe UEnnii? Media Advertising. Positioi advertising for The Gamec tudent magazine and unde :ommission plus great expe Wj ma m m m a Advertising JTTTTPfWTFJffWJTFWW ml KKi H 1111JI Kl i 5 j|j? %, 1?; Ikl % ROBERT WALTON The Gamecock >sen to be a Carolina Panthers cheerleader. rience! is available for :ock student rwriting for irience. 1 III | | T | 1 J I I I I I 1 J I I U I rU III 111 ru I III I n II III IH