Homecoming Day Recap - 2011
 
November 19, 2011
 

Dear Alumni Cheerleaders, 

 

It was wonderful to see so many of you on Homecoming day!  The day was action packed beginning with the meeting at Yost Ice Arena at 9 a.m. where we gathered and spent time catching up with friends.  During the meeting, officers were elected, and it was clear to see everyone’s passion for the Alumni Cheerleading program and The University of Michigan.  Frustrations with the changes and limitations imposed by the athletic department were expressed, and many ideas were presented to improve the current situation in the future.

 

MINUTES FOR THE 9am MEETING AT YOST

 

With great enthusiasm, many Alumni Cheerleaders attended and cheered at the “Go Blue” Tailgate Party.  With 52 cheerleaders signed up to participate in game day activities, it was estimated that approximately forty showed up to cheer at the “Go Blue” Tailgate Party. Our attendance was one of our best ever for this event and certainly helps to promote our program.

 

Next, it was on to the football game!   The opening cheer, the “Michigan Locomotive,” was led by Dr. Don Hurst and was dedicated to Coach Newt Loken, a well known and well loved former U of M gymnastics and cheerleading coach, who passed away last summer.  He was 92 years young!  It was a remarkable moment to hear the announcer dedicate the cheer to a very deserving Coach Newt!   The crowd responded with an enthusiastic cheer.  Then, the Alumni Cheerleaders excitedly cheered on our mighty Wolverines to a terrific win for the Maize and Blue! 

 

 Presently, as in the past, the Newt C. Loken Scholarship Award is given to current U of M Cheerleaders.  It is a terrific way to support our fellow Michigan Cheerleaders, and hopefully, future Alumni Cheerleading members.  This Scholarship is funded by our Alumni Cheerleaders Association as well as many of you who so generously give!  Please consider donating to the scholarship fund if you haven’t already.  This will help carry on the tradition of the scholarship as well as the name and spirit of our beloved Coach Newt Loken!  The donations form can be found on our Alumni Cheerleaders’ web page (http://cheerleaders.umclubs.com).  Directions will be provided for you by clicking on the “Newt C. Loken Scholarship Donation Form” button.

 

Also, there have been updates to our web page (i.e. you can find the minutes from our meeting at Yost and information for future events).   Please email all photos you would like included on our website to Kristin Van Summern-Mauck (kristin895@sbcglobal.net).  Please send your best shots, but try to limit the quantity as it takes time to upload all the images.

 

We’re pleased to announce our own Facebook page: (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-University-of-Michigan-Alumni-Cheerleaders-Association/171907406236974#!/pages/The-University-of-Michigan-Alumni-Cheerleaders-Association/171907406236974)!  Please post your pictures to our Facebook page.  It would be wonderful to have all Alumni Cheerleaders (who would like to be) represented on the web page and Facebook page, but we need your help!  When you visit the Facebook page remember to “Like” the page and pass it on to others, who may be interested or wish to support the Alumni Cheerleaders Association.  We will continue to update these two sites to keep you abreast of any new information and changes to our cheerleading program.  It is our hope that we can appeal to the right people in the right ways in order to get the new restrictions reversed! 

 

If you have any questions, thoughts, or ideas you wish to share with the officers, please feel free to email any one of us.  We will get back with you and be assured we will consider your ideas at future meetings.  Thank you all for your continued support and participation with The University of Michigan Alumni Cheerleaders!

 

All the best,

           

Dave Eddy                                    President                     steadyeddy27@hotmail.com

Holly Kralik                                  Vice President              hkralik@hotmail.com

Kristin Van Summern-Mauck        Secretary                     kristin895@sbcglobal.net

Melissa Walcott                            Secretary                     melissawalcott@hotmail.com

Glenda Gerbstadt                         Treasurer                      glendag@mich.com