Speaker 1: 0:00

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Speaker 1: 1:05

Welcome to the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson and today we have the pleasure of having the Highland Park Cheerleader Captains on the show today. Ladies, welcome to the show. Hi, thank you so much for having us. Well, let's start by just going around and introduce yourselves. Tell your name and how long you've been involved with cheer.

Speaker 2: 1:23

I'm Bella Bone and I've been involved in cheer since I was five years old.

Speaker 3: 1:27

I'm Mary Claire Finch and I've been on the cheer team since sophomore year but did gymnastics all my life.

Speaker 4: 1:32

I'm Paige Wee and I've been involved with cheerleading since I was about six.

Speaker 1: 1:37

Wow well, you guys started at a really young age. I've noticed something interesting, though, that I have to ask you about. All of you have the words Ripsaw on your top. I have no idea what that means. Can you please fill us in?

Speaker 2: 1:50

Okay, so basically, ripsaw is the word that the varsity cheerleaders are the only ones that know what it means, and we have had it for years. We tell the rising juniors, or all the new girls, at the beginning of the season, and we also have a chant that goes along with it that we do at pep rallies and games, and that's about all we can say about it.

Speaker 1: 2:11

That's all you can tell us. Okay, well, that gives us some information. Well, let's talk about the tryout process to become a Highland Park cheerleader, because back in my day, 200 years ago, you, you, tried out. It was more of a popularity contest and, um, not so much based on the skills, but a lot has changed since then, obviously and walk us through the process so what we do is, if you're trying out for freshman cheer, you try out in spring of eighth grade and there's a chant involved and cheer aspects.

Speaker 4: 2:47

There's also a tumbling routine with jumps that you try out with and then this past year they added in a stunting tryout. So you come in a separate day and you get put in groups with all of the candidates and you perform stunts for judges.

Speaker 1: 3:01

So that's also a part of your score to try out well, I think that's pretty cool because not all teams you get to start right off as a freshman and you guys make it eighth grade year and you just start off your high school career being a cheerleader, so I think that's pretty amazing yes, definitely.

Speaker 4: 3:18

That adds like a lot of fun to our freshman year. I felt like because we're not as stressed throughout freshman year about making the team we get to experience the pep rallies and everything right at the start of freshman year.

Speaker 1: 3:29

Right, I like that a lot. Well, tell us about being a captain. How were you chosen? And tell us about the moment that you found out.

Speaker 3: 3:38

So when we found out we had to try out for about like two weeks I think was the whole process. So there was an interview and a speech in front of the whole team and then our director kind of just watched us throughout the year how we acted on the sidelines and everything which kind of played a part into our score. And then we found out a few weeks after tryouts and a list got sent out after practice that day I think it was on a Thursday um, and yeah, it was so much fun to just see who made it with us, because I mean, it's just you and two other girls that get to make it. So it was super special because you're not only celebrating yourself that you got it, but two other really close friends that got it too. So it's just a lot of like release relief of your hard work just paid off.

Speaker 1: 4:27

So what about you? When did you receive the news?

Speaker 2: 4:29

I received the news when I was at my house after practice and the list came out. It was such an amazing, surreal experience. I mean, it's been something that I've looked up to the Highland Park cheerleaders and cheer captains for my whole life. One of my neighbors down the street was one of the cheer captains in 2017 or 18. So I was like this is something I want to do one day, hopefully, and it was a goal I've had, and seeing that come to fruition was really, really awesome, and having my parents there with me when I found out was really cool. And then the captains in the grade above us came to all of our houses with signs and our t-shirt, which is a huge tradition which I didn't even know about, but all of the captains since 2009 have written their names on the back of these T-shirts and we all have one.

Speaker 2: 5:10

Oh, wow, and there are three and it's really cool and it gets passed down throughout the years of captain.

Speaker 4: 5:14

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:15

Tell us about your experience.

Speaker 4: 5:17

Just like them, I think what I felt all at practice. I was so anxious because I knew the list was coming out, but our director was kind of going back and forth about what time it would be at, and so finally we got home and like an hour or so later they sent out the list, and it was just such a relief because it wasn't the type of thing where we're just nervous about it for a couple of weeks, but all throughout the season we knew that we wanted to be captains and we were doing all we could to prove that we really could be good in this role, and so that was just the greatest accomplishment, honestly. And then it was so exciting too to see the old captains give us our posters and then all just got to wear our shirts the next day at school. That was so much fun.

Speaker 1: 6:03

Well, I love all the traditions that factor in. Highland Park has so many traditions, and cheer is no different than the rest of the groups, and I love the traditions you all have. One of the things I wish I had done when my children were younger was hire a nanny. Like a lot of you, I thought I could do it all, from caring for my family to organizing my house to running my business. But the truth is I couldn't do it all. That's why I am so excited to introduce you to HelloNannycom, a nanny placement service you can trust to help you find the perfect nanny for your family's needs.

Speaker 1: 6:34

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Speaker 2: 7:25

Yes, we're so excited. It's really such an honor to be the captains of such a big year. Yeah, it's awesome, I know. I mean. Who else can say that except you all?

Speaker 1: 7:32

I mean that is pretty special to be captains on this year specifically, but let's talk about some of the things that you guys have planned coming up.

Speaker 4: 7:41

So on October 17th we have the big reveal of our documentary that's been in production since the summer. We've gotten a lot of information from alumni about all of their past traditions and also on that day we're doing the throwback pep rally. So we're performing with JV, our homecoming pep rally routine, and so all of the alumni and anyone else is invited on the 17th to see that in the gym and they also get to go into our new mezzanine and see the locker room and just really see how the program has evolved over the past couple years.

Speaker 1: 8:19

Well, it sounds like you know, there wasn't a lot of archives as far as having contact information for some of the past alums and literally the moms called over 650 alums that they were able to track down through Highland Park Education Foundation in just different ways, looking at old pictures, getting any names that they could find, and they've been inviting people for months and we're still looking for more alums, right?

Speaker 4: 8:45

yes, always want as many as possible.

Speaker 1: 8:47

There's a lot so that's not all that's going on. That weekend you also have your annual hamburger supper coming up yes, we do.

Speaker 2: 8:56

Um, it is on october 18th, it's right before the homecoming game. It is our 35th annual hamburgerurger Supper, which is so exciting. The burgers are from Burger House and all of the funds that go to that really help with our transportation and just funds that are needed for the 100 Years of Cheer and the production and our booster club. Because we are separate from UIL, we have our own booster club who raise money for us and our Hamburger Supper is the way that we do that own booster club who raise money for us and our hamburger supper is the way that we do that, and so all of the funds that we need for Highland Park Cheer mainly come from the hamburger supper. So we're always looking for more people to buy tickets and their raffle baskets and it's just always such a good time.

Speaker 1: 9:36

It is. I've been to it and it's a wonderful event. So we have a really big game coming up tomorrow night at SMU Moody Coliseum. It's against Jesuit, one of our biggest rivals. Tell me how you guys are preparing for it. What do you have going on?

Speaker 3: 9:51

So this week we have our pep rally, that we get to format the Jesuit beat, jesuit theme, and it's always so much fun because everyone's always so excited, because this week it's Spirit Week for seniors and so everyone's already dressed up in all HP colors and everything and then we get to do one of our, I think, our best routines of the season. We all try our hardest to put in our best skills and our coolest stunts so that the team's really hyped for the night, and so is the rest of the school. So it's always so much fun to prepare for that that week, yeah, and then the game is that night. And it's always so much fun to prepare for that that week, yeah, and then the game is that night. And it's always so much fun because, I mean, they had to move it to SMU because it's always packed and everyone always comes out, and it's so much fun to just see everyone all over from Dallas come in to see the game.

Speaker 1: 10:37

So how does it feel cheering on the SMU at the SMU Stadium versus Highlander Stadium?

Speaker 4: 10:48

SMU at the at the SMU stadium versus Highlander Stadium. It's really cool because not only is there more space for so many more people to come in like, it really does feel like we're at a collegiate game sometimes because it's such a cool stadium, there's so many more people there and even just the big screens and everything it really makes it feel like an intense game. And the whole time we're so focused on cheering on the Scots because everyone is so invested in this rivalry and showing up to the game.

Speaker 1: 11:17

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Speaker 1: 11:30

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Speaker 2: 12:26

yeah, it's so much fun because I mean I know all of us have really good friends at Ursuline and Jesuit who look forward to this game too, I mean just as much as we do. And one, a couple of my friends are on the dance team and we have some cheerleaders that are our friends and so around the end of the third quarter, us three and then our junior representative who is in charge of this. She brings a box of cookies or like a treat for the other cheerleaders and we go over and we'll visit them and kind of hang out over there. Our director, ms Barnes, will come with us and we'll talk to their coaches and just hang out for a bit. It's a really fun part of being a captain or the junior rep, because we just get to see and meet so many new people. I mean, this is not even for just Jesuit, it's for all of the games, and I know we've already met some awesome other cheerleaders who just share the same passion for cheer that we do, which is really, really cool See.

Speaker 1: 13:15

I really like that because I mean you go head to head with your competition on the field, but you also have like a friendly rivalry or camaraderie on the sidelines. What you're talking about there is you guys have cheer in common, and so what better way than to go over there and go talk and just get to know each other? I love that so much. Well, let's talk about being at Highlander Stadium. I just have always enjoyed it because it just feels so cozy and like a small town situation. I love visiting the student section when we're doing sideline interviews. Tell me about what it's like performing in front of the students.

Speaker 4: 13:50

I think it's so fun, especially at Highlander, because so many people go and we have our overalls boys, and we have everyone, especially all the seniors, right at the rails in the student section and it's really funny because sometimes they'll do our cheers with us or they're really impressed by the stuff we do, so it's really fun. It definitely gets us hype because sometimes they'll try to start cheers too and we follow along, so they really keep us in check and really encourage us to be cheering on the team all the time, which I think is really cool.

Speaker 2: 14:23

Yeah, it's so much fun.

Speaker 2: 14:25

I mean Highlander Stadium has such an electric feel to it when you're in there.

Speaker 2: 14:29

I mean the band, the bells, the student section, us, the Spirited Scots, the whole crowd, the whole community really, I mean it is so cool to look up and from where we're standing you can see everything like truly, and it's just awesome like looking up, seeing the entire school pretty much just in front of you and cheering you on it while you're cheering on the scots and them obviously also cheering on the scots.

Speaker 2: 14:53

And being out there and just looking around and seeing how much support this community brings is such a cool thing because our community is so close. In a way, I feel like we have such a great community that I feel like Highland Park just does it so well. Um, and obviously all the like little traditions that we have, like the run out when at the beginning of the game and at right before the third quarter, is so much fun because the whole crowd just stands up and everybody gets so excited when football runs in. And it's just such an awesome feeling to be out there in front of everybody and just see what we've worked so hard for.

Speaker 3: 15:26

Really, come and just see everything, yeah yeah, I moved from Chicago a few years ago and up there it's I mean, hockey is the big thing up there. So coming down to the south where football is everything, and then coming to Highland Park where it's like it's, it's the best Every Friday night, like second semester, when there's no football, it's like what do you even do?

Speaker 1: 15:47

on Fridays.

Speaker 3: 15:47

I don't know. Football is so much fun, and especially at Highlander. I don't think any school does it like we do. It's awesome.

Speaker 1: 15:53

I would agree.

Speaker 1: 15:54

I have literally been waiting for football season to start since the playoff games and I'm so happy that it's here and we're just like everything is going so well so far and we just know how to do it here in Highland Park. I mean, like what you're saying, the community is like so important here and we just rally around this team so much and Friday Night Lights just is so special here at Highlander Stadium. Are you looking for oral surgeons with serious skill? Well then you should visit our friends at Stuart and Arango. They have expertise in just about every type of oral surgery you can imagine. That means they offer full-scope oral, facial and implant surgeries for both children and adults. And when I say skill, I mean it. They offer a TMJ total joint replacement surgery that only a handful of oral surgeons in America are able to perform. This knowledge comes from doctors Arango and Stewart being trained by some of the most well-respected surgeons in the world. Together, stewart and Arango have a thorough understanding of what it takes to achieve optimal facial aesthetics and the best results from dental implants. So want to experience a level of expertise that has won multiple best in big D awards for yourself? Come visit them.

Speaker 1: 17:03

Stuart and Arango are conveniently located at Northwest Highway in Hillcrest. To learn more about them or book your appointment. Visit sasurcom. That's SASurgeonscom, so you guys have a lot of components to cheer. You also have the Spirited Scots. Can you tell us a little bit about them?

Speaker 2: 17:21

Yeah for sure.

Speaker 2: 17:22

They're an awesome team and an awesome part of our program. They are a team that allows special needs students at Highland Park to cheer on the sidelines alongside mentors who are students also at Highland Park, and they cheer with us at the varsity games for the first half. They actually get to cheer in front of the student section for the second quarter, which is really, really cool. We'll switch sides with them right after the first quarter ends, but they cheer at the pep rallies. They're at all of the playoff games. They cheer at the first quarter ends, but they cheer at the pep rallies. They're at all of the playoff games. They cheer at the JV games I never varsity as away games though, because they sometimes don't love to travel on a weekly basis, but they do come to all the playoff games, which is super fun, and they're just such an important, awesome role in our school and in our program. They bring so much light and so much spirit to our pep rallies and games and just our community, and it's a really really cool and inspiring thing to see.

Speaker 1: 18:14

Well, I always love going by and talking with them. They are such a wonderful group of kids, truly. Well, something about cheer is there's a competitive side, versus what you all do on the sidelines. Talk to us a little bit about the competitive side.

Speaker 4: 18:30

So us personally, on varsity, our JV year we did compete at NCA High School Nationals and that is a little bit different than what we do on the sidelines. Ours had the components of a cheer that we did as a group and then we transitioned into more of what you would see in a pep rally routine. We transitioned into more of what you would see in a pep rally routine and we were all put all the teams at this competition are put into different divisions and so we compete against each other and are scored by judges, and we did actually win that year, which was really exciting because that hadn't been achieved by our program in a really long time. So it was super cool to see. And our JV team is competing again at NCA this year. So we're super excited to see them go for that again this year because that was a really good experience for all of us.

Speaker 1: 19:22

Well, congratulations, by the way, Thank you. Well, what I find interesting about cheer is just all the specialized positions you all have. I mean, there's a lot to it, a lot of behind the scenes things that a lot of us don't know about. Can you all walk us through all the different aspects?

Speaker 3: 19:40

So there are four different positions in a stunt. So you have the bases and there's main and side, and then back spot and flyer and sometimes the front spot, depending on how your group is. So I'm a main base and so basically I tend to hold the foot, but most of the time I don't know how to explain it well. But yeah, so I'm just one of the girls holding up the top girl. So, yeah, there's a lot of different grips. We have to learn to let them flip around, twirl all that stuff. But yeah, it's a lot of fun. It's really hard but it's super rewarding at the end. I don't know, I find it really satisfying to like whenever you catch. It's just, it's fun.

Speaker 2: 20:21

Okay, so I'm a backspot and I stand at the back of the stunt. I usually hold the ankles or catch her back. Usually it ends up being the taller girls on the team because you have to reach above the bases, which is really fun, and I usually the back spots, count for the stunts and kind of lead the stunt as a whole, which is really awesome and cool because you get to also see everything happen while it's happening and just like help out where you can and yeah, it's really fun. I love it.

Speaker 4: 20:52

I've been a back spot my whole time on HP Cheer. I'm a flyer, so I'm kind of the one that you see getting thrown around, or up in the air.

Speaker 4: 20:59

And with that, you really just have to trust your bases, because you just really got to stand up and you have to also be flexible, which is another thing. Also be flexible, which is another thing. When I was in competitive cheer, we really were having to stretch all the time, every single night, to make sure we could do all of the different flyer positions. And, yeah, I really like being a flyer. It's fun, especially in baskets, where the bases completely let go of you and you just go into the air. I think that's really cool.

Speaker 1: 21:28

So are you kind of a high adrenaline person by nature really cool.

Speaker 4: 21:35

So are you kind of a high adrenaline person by nature? I don't think so. No, I don't know. I think, honestly, the flyers are usually just the shortest people on the team. So I've been thrown into that since I was six years old and I've gotten used to it, and so now, especially in high school cheer, it's not as anxiety inducing, but it's a lot of fun and I really trust all the girls on the team to keep me safe.

Speaker 1: 21:57

Okay, so what about the tumblers that come out when we make touchdowns?

Speaker 2: 22:01

Okay, so it's really fun. We have a group of girls who will run into the end zone and do tumbling skills that we will perform at tryouts or perform at a pep rally, but we also have a lot of our girls do standing tucks in front of the student section or the sidelines just to show the variety of skills that we have and all of the things that we've worked so hard for to make the team, and it's just really cool to be able to show that off to the student body as well as the community.

Speaker 3: 22:26

I think it's super helpful for the crowd to get hype, because when they actually see all the cool things that we can do like they're just impressed and they just like it a lot. So it gives us a lot of good energy to just see them having so much fun watching us, and so I know it fuels me to keep wanting to do it, even if it's the end of the game. We're tired, it's just still fun to go and do it so you all are balancing a lot of things.

Speaker 1: 22:48

I know that practice is very long and strenuous and on a daily basis, and you're also you're academics, you're all seniors right now. You're getting ready for college. All the stuff is going on right now. How do you balance your workload, and what kind of advice would you give to your younger self when it comes to cheerleading?

Speaker 4: 23:06

I think something that's really important is being proactive and understanding. If you have something for cheer coming up, to make sure to take advantage of the extra time you have, maybe after practice, to get your work done. I think especially for varsity, with our pep rallies that we perform in, we miss our first period the next day and are late to our second period. So it's also really important to use strong communication, especially with your teachers, have a good relationship with them so they really understand that you do care about the class and they can really help you get back on track with your work if you get behind from having to miss.

Speaker 2: 23:45

Yeah, it's really important to just stay on top of things. Like Paige said, when you're missing class every Friday and or leaving early for a event or a game or really anything that we have, school takes priority. Our director always says, like your grades are important. We have grade checks pretty often. That goes for UIL and all the sports, but it really does just like help us keep up with everything and we're all super goal oriented. All the cheerleaders are, I mean you have to be to try out and make the team, so it's never usually a huge problem, but we just, you know, stay on top of things, have your deadlines, get things done, don't procrastinate, and it usually all works out pretty well another thing I think is super helpful and another piece of advice is to just be super respectful and nice to your teachers, just so that because you are missing a lot of Fridays, especially first semester, you want to just show them that you care about their class.

Speaker 3: 24:40

You know it's an inconvenience, but you're not trying to be an inconvenience. It's super helpful to just get a good relationship with your teachers.

Speaker 1: 24:47

I think that is all excellent advice. I love everything you guys shared. So, as you look to the future, what are your hopes and dreams for the next generation of Highland Park Cheer?

Speaker 4: 24:57

I think it would be really cool to see the whole program continue to compete. I think it was really special and we got a lot of attention when we competed our JV year and I know JV is competing again this year. So, looking into the future, I think it would really excel this program to have all of HP Cheer be competing at NCA. It was a really good experience, really made us better on the sidelines and in pep rallies, so I think that could be really beneficial for the program yeah, and I think that, as well as continuing the traditions that we already have embedded in the program is really special.

Speaker 2: 25:32

As well as continuing the traditions that we already have embedded in the program is really special. There are so many little things that we do, that we love and that is so cherished within HP Cheer, but also adding in new ones, like this past year we implemented or re-implemented I guess they did this a couple years ago but Cheerleader of the Week every single week at the beginning of the pep rally, our director will give out one senior and one junior the tag of cheerleader of the week for that week, of just a good job at practice or a great attitude or just outstanding cheerleader, and it's really cool because you can wear that to the game. And just little traditions like that that keep everyone's motivation high and everyone to continue wanting and being motivated and determined to cheer on the scots well, ladies.

Speaker 1: 26:17

Thank you so much for joining us today. I we are so excited to see you tomorrow night. We're so excited for your big event october 17th and 18th. And, as always, I will include all the details below and links, so you guys don't have to remember everything go sc. That's been another episode of the Bubba Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson. I'll see you next time.