18
F E AT U R E
WINTER 2009-10
H
eather Randell ’06
and Stacy Powers ’00 think back to the first time they put on their Eagles cheerleader uniforms and stepped onto the field with the lights, 70,000 screaming fans— they had made it.
Eagles
SPIRIT By Alexandra Wachman
The road to becoming an Eagles cheerleader is traveled by many aspiring young women. Every March, hundreds of hopefuls answer the open audition call for a place on the squad. A month later, after a succession of elimination rounds and increasing competition, only 38 beautiful and talented ladies are left standing. “I let my experience with dance lead me,” says Randell, who admits she wasn’t a football fan until making the squad in 2007. She was in her first year of teaching kindergarten when a friend asked her to try out. “I wasn’t sure if cheerleaders and teachers go together,” she chuckles. Now, in her third season with the Eagles, “I couldn’t imagine cheering for another team.” Powers, an accountant, also had concerns. For her, it focused on the overlap between auditions and tax season. Powers auditioned unsuccessfully twice, before making the squad in 2008. As they say, the third time’s a charm. “Oh my god it’s so much fun,” exclaims Powers. “Working for a professional organization that allows you to do so many things is very rewarding.” The one-year contract covers home games and special appearances. But just because you make the squad, there is no guarantee you’ll be back the following season. Every spring, it’s back in line with the cast of hundreds to audition all over again.
