So, we all know the Loyola Cheerleaders aren’t heading to Disney World in mid January for the Cheerleading and Dance Team National Competition. Since they won’t be having a chance to get some hardware, I’m going to give them some “wordware.”

They are the winners of this year’s, “Doing-the-most-with-close-to-nothing” award. But no, wait, they have a coach, uniforms and of course, pom-poms, so what am I talking about?

Yeah, they have that this year, when they had to buy these necessities last year with their own money, because there wasn’t enough money in the athletics budget. This year, they had to get their own practice clothes and bloomers. Yet the members of the recently added pep band get $20-$25 for every game at which they play.

You do the math — 18 members making about $20 each, that could be used to get much needed equipment.  So yeah, that sounds fair doesn’t it? Some get spending money, while others have to spend it.

I’m surprised we still have cheerleaders. It must be a great honor to have to empty their pockets to be a cheerleader for the nationally acclaimed Loyola Wolfpack, but this says a lot about the students at Loyola.

Despite all the bumps and hurdles the Department of Athletics and Wellness has put in their way, they still go out there, even if they look worse than my high school’s cheerleaders.

And freshies, if you think they’re bad this year, shut up. This year they are actually tumbling and jumping and forming pyramids and other chearlead-y stuff I don’t know the terms for, instead of just handing out pizza like Red Cross representatives to obnoxious fans. This used to be as exciting as it got.

You’ve had it nice, freshmen. Now it kind of seems like Loyola has a legitimate athletics program. With the pep band (or should I say cover band, because they mostly play existing songs as opposed to fight songs and chants), and the Maroon Platoon, it seems like Loyola athletics actually matter. But now, with all those additions, the cheerleaders have taken a new role: cheer followers.

It’s sad to see them go from riding “shotgun” to going all the way to the back of the bus. But who cares, right? They’re only cheerleaders.

Also, it’s hard to have to watch the game for a full 40 minutes and the “shewolves” provide the perfect distraction. But let me quit while I’m ahead, because it wouldn’t surprise me if athletics suddenly tells the squad they have to travel to the West Bank to cheer at the baseball games (even though everyone knows baseball doesn’t have cheerleaders).

And to cap it off, they would have to provide their own transportation and pay for their own gas.

So go ahead, make fun of the cheerleaders. But when they quit, don’t complain. And when our games seem like petty youth league games, you’re going to wish you had those “amateurish” cheerleaders to make it seem more legit.

Eduardo Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]