Rah-Rah Reactions
Reading over my shoulder
So, recently – as within the last year – I’ve taken to sharing (lightly edited) reactions to my rambles… thinking, hoping that readers’ input will help round out my thoughts. My last column, focused on the history of cheerleading, “Rah-Rah-Rah, Ski-U-Mah!,” generated multiple insights. In several cases, I’ve added an explanatory comment.
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From a West Coast friend: “I've come to understand this year what a big deal competitive cheerleading is in both high school and college. Sadly, the sport has been rocked by recurring allegations of sexual abuse by coaches and tournament personnel. It's a yucky story...just like the gymnastics scandal was. You won't have to dig too far to find out about the shenanigans and the politics wracking the national association.”
KM: This is one reason I didn’t dwell on recent, revolutionary changes in this field. There’s a lot to sort out. Perhaps eventually…
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From a Minnesota traveling companion: “Love this…I always admire the rants, but I love this one (and needed the distraction today…).”
KM: Me? Rant? (Far less in print than in person…) Because my column was posted shortly after the election, responses included a fair amount of recovery conversation.
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From a college fraternity brother: “Go, fight, win! Lutefisk, lefsa, Copenhagen, snuff, Luther, Luther, tough, tough, tough!”
KM: My memories exist here but are a bit vague. I responded that sadly, our Alma Mater lacked a Johnny Campbell.
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From an East Coast political friend: “Thank you for another thoughtful, compelling column. I always enjoy reading your stuff. I hope you're holding up okay after last week. Your exploration of cheerleading's origins was fascinating, particularly because my mom was a D1 cheerleader. I'm definitely forwarding her this column! It’s amazing how a few individuals – Peebles, Campbell, Herkimer – shaped this iconic American tradition, and how it has evolved into both a sport and a cultural phenomenon. The leap from spontaneous chants to competitive cheerleading… it's wild to think about and fun to think about where it might go in the future, possibly even the Olympics!”
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From a Wisconsin Republican friend: “Kurt, politics, like the football games these guys cheered for, has folks who will win and folks who will lose. The important thing is to get back up because there will be another game and a chance to flip the outcome. Take care.”
KM: This response was very kind… and much appreciated.
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From a University of Minnesota graduate: “Kurt, I hadn’t the slightest idea of this fact. Thanks so much! Good to see you in church celebrating All Saints. And such a difficult week since then, likely more to come. But our people were at the front of the boat… and forward we go. With courage, strength, and we’ll find the optimism soon.”
KM: This friend and I share a (crude) philosophy that classifies our shared Scandinavian immigrant community into one of two types: people standing at the front of the boat, looking out with courage and optimism, and people cowering in the rear of the boat, wondering why they ever left in the first place.
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From a Midwestern friend with a deep knowledge of history: “Well, I had no idea! Thanks for this in the midst of day two of a deep, deep funk. I’ve temporarily (?) put my head in the sand … swearing off any news whatsoever. Rather, I’m trying to pass the time by reading mindless stories about the NFL and college football. Simply stunned, disappointed, shocked … and will admit, a bit afraid of what is to come. I get it … I’m so embarrassingly blessed by many who love me, especially a generous and gracious God. But! This is hard … it’s going to take a while.”
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From an East Coast traveling companion: “I love it. It made me smile. I embrace anything that diverts my attention positively these days. I will say, I am glad we got to see part of Bears Ears when we did…”
KM: Bears Ears National Monument in Utah tends to shrink or expand depending on which party controls the White House. We made a brief visit to this site several years ago (pre-COVID). We’ll see what happens in the next four years.
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From a retired college professor: “Interesting. I wonder in what department the cheerleading curriculum was housed. I’m guessing speech, since that may involve addressing a large audience.”
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I’m pleased to be part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. My talented colleagues: