Furman Cheer Family - A 40 Year Difference
- harrel2
- Apr 28, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 30, 2023
By Ella Harrison
March 16, 2023. A day forever etched in the history books of Furman University.
Amway Center erupted as JP Pegues hit a game winning three against the University of Virginia to send the Paladins to the Round of 32 in the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Radio broadcaster, Dan Scott at The Fan Upstate echoed the excitement in Orlando to the faithful fans at home in Greenville, South Carolina.
“Pegues for three and the win! He got it! And Furman wins it! Furman wins it! JP Pegues getting mauled by his teammates right here in front of us. The Paladins win it 68-67 and knock Virginia out of the tournament. Furman’s first appearance since 1980 will not be one and done!”
I was blessed to get to experience this historical moment on the sideline just feet away as Slawson knocked down three 3-pointers in the final minutes and Furman’s current hero, Pegues, scored in the final seconds. It has been a week since that incredible day, and I still have not processed the magnitude of our team’s win.
What my mind continually returns to is that 43 years have passed since any Furman basketball player, cheerleader, band member, or student experienced the pride that comes with having your team play in March Madness.
The last time the ‘Dins were playing in this national tournament, my parents were children. In those 43 years, they experienced half a lifetime. They basked in the glory of younger years, persevered through adulthood, and raised children of their own. And at the tournament this year, their own child got to go Dancin’ with the ‘Dins.
When thinking about all the changes that occurred in the 4 decades that passed between the NCAA Tournament Appearances, I could not help but think of the cheerleaders here at Furman during the 1979-1980 season.
What was their team like? Did they experience the joy and inevitable heartbreak that comes during any sports season? Although I may never know the personal details and feelings of that squad, I learned a little bit about the ’79-’80 Furman Cheer Squad after a trip to Special Collections in the James B. Duke Library.
DIFFERENT 'DINS
Initially, the differences between the ’79-’80 Furman Cheer squad and the ’22-’23 Furman Cheer Squad were the most obvious to me.
One of the first contrasting aspects I noticed in Vol. 80 of Bonhomie, Furman University’s Yearbook, was that the ‘80s squad was coed. David Ulmer, a cheerleader on this team pointed out “This is the first year many of us have cheered. As a matter of fact, six out of seven of our guys have never cheered before this year.” Now, we have an all-girl squad as opposed to a team split evenly with males and females.
This is interesting in today’s context because male cheerleaders are more common currently than 40 years ago. Kim McLeod, the squad’s captain spoke about the changing attitudes towards male cheerleaders in the yearbook. She claimed, “People don’t even think twice about men cheering anymore. But some don’t realize the work that the guys put into this.”
SEPARATE STUNTS
McLeod explains that the stunts “the guys do – lifting us girls – that’s a lot of hard work that require a lot of strength.” Below is a photograph of two of the team members finishing what is described as a “tough stunt” in the yearbook.
I completely agree that stunts then were difficult, but it is incredible to see the evolution of stunting the past 40 years. I would argue that the stunts I performed with my team this season are even more difficult than what was considered to be difficult in the 80s. And, they are done with just girls.
The majority of our stunts are performed at extension level with body positions and twisting or flipping dismounts. Some of the pyramids we do are stacked two people high. Here are a few stunts my team performed throughout the season this year.
One small detail taken from the photo above that shows this advancement in stunting is the fact that the cheerleaders in the 80s were still allowed to wear jewelry while performing. You can see both bracelets and necklaces in the pictures from the yearbooks. Jewelry is now strictly prohibited during games and can result in heavy fines. The main reason for this is because of the difficulty of the stunts. If something were to go wrong, jewelry or piercings could get ripped off and result in further injury.
DISTINCT UNIFORMS
Fashion between the two squads is also reflective of the time that has passed. The 1980 team sported one uniform with short-sleeved sweater tops and “Furman” written in cursive across the front. Another uniform was a white sleeveless button down with “FU” stitched into the top right-hand corner. Both of the skirts were pleated, and the girls paired the outfit with taller white socks.
This year, our favorite uniforms featured straighter and cleaner lines. One of our most frequently worn uniforms is all black with purple block lettering spelling out “Furman.” Our new uniform this year is a white cropped top with a straight skirt, and “Paladins” across the chest. During basketball season, we wear our uniforms with liners underneath. We always wear a bow in our hair, unlike the previous team, and shorter white Nike socks.
THE BATTLE OF THE MASCOTS
Perhaps the greatest change in Furman Spirit Squads is the mascot. In the 80s, students and fans did not have the privilege of watching “Sir Paladin” ride onto the field in front of the football team at home games.
According to the inside sources the yearbook staff found, “chants of ‘We want the horse!’ have been heard quite frequently not only during the course of football games, but also in places and events as diverse in nature as the dining hall.”
Although the Athletic Department did not give into the requests of a horse at this time, they gave Furman fans a chicken at basketball games. David Ulmer, a cheerleader, (who doubled as the chicken at some of the games) stated “We’re hoping that the chicken can get the spirit at games a little higher.”
Now, Victor the Paladin attends all the home games and tournaments. Victor is a fan favorite amongst the Furman faithful, and I would love to see how his skills match up with the chickens’.
I am sure the fans and cheerleaders from 1980 would love the excitement the new Sir Paladin brings to home football games. Their requests for a horse have finally been fulfilled.
STRIKING SIMILARITIES
It may seem like the only thread tying these two teams together is the fact that they were alongside two incredible basketball teams who punched a ticket to the national tournament. However, the few similarities are qualities that matter the most.
One thing that I fully believe the two groups share is unmatched enthusiasm for Furman athletics, no matter the outcome. In Bonhomie, writers dubbed the squad “one of the youngest, most enthusiastic squads for as long as many people at Furman can remember.”
I am not sure if that team got the privilege of traveling with the team to the 1980 NCAA basketball tournament game against No. 7 seed Tennessee in Greensboro, N.C., but I do know that wherever they supported the team from, they did so with the same enthusiasm as my team did in Orlando this year.
The goal of the team 40 years ago is the same goal now. The Furman cheer squad was defined as:
“A relatively small group of individuals whose job it is to inspire the restless throngs normally in attendance at Furman sporting events. A group of self-sacrificing young people who literally jump, shout, and flip to get the crowd behind the team.”
Our young squad has improved leaps and bounds in the past two years. This year, we have been given the opportunity to compete at NCA Collegiate Nationals. The yearbook staff as well as the Furman community had faith in that young team forty years ago. They stated, “Furman University is virtually assured of excellence in the years to come.”
I am proud to be a part of “the years to come.” I am even more honored to have been included in the excellence that was Furman Basketball this year. It was truly a privilege to go Dancin’ with the ‘Dins.
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