wdstarr@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (William December Starr) (07/19/90)
>From the Sunday 15 July 1990 New York Times:
MINNEAPOLIS -- A ban on performances by the University of
Minnesota's women's dance line at men's athletic events was
rescinded last week by the University's president, Nils Hasselmo.
Performances by the dance line were banned last month by Richard
Heydinger, the vice president for external relations, after he
received complaints by fans who had been upset by lewd comments
other fans had made during the dancers' routines. Even though
the performances were not sexually suggestive, he said, the dance
line's image and the very fact of its single-sex membership lent
itself to unacceptable sexual stereotyping.
But in a statement read during the monthly meeting of the
university's Board of Regents, president Hasselmo said the dance
line will be allowed to perform at halftime during three home
football games and at least three men's basketball games and will
continue to receive university funds during the coming school
year.
"The dance line has in the past contributed to the development of
school spirit with enthusiasm and commitment," Mr/ Hasselmo said
in his statement, "and deserves to be handled with greater
sensitivity," than had gone into the decision to ban them.
The university will also establish a task force to review the
group's performances and its funding, he said.
The dance line is one of a number of cheerleading groups,
including a coeducational cadre of cheerleaders, that perform at
university sports events. The dance line's specialty is dance
routines mixed with cheers. While it has been open to male
participants since it was formed in 1971, no man has ever become
a member.
Over the last two weeks, the dance line members have received an
outpouring of support from students, administrators and other
dancers. And during an open forum on Thursday morning, two team
members told the regents that they had been "humiliated" by the
ban. They said they were intelligent enough to know when they
were being treated as sexual objects and should be allowed to
decide that for themselves.
Mr. Heydinger admitted last week that he may have made a mistake
in the handling of the issue and suggested that the group be
allowed to perform for a limited number of basketball and
football games.
Richard Bay, the men's athletic director, said that he had agreed
with Mr. Heydinger's decision to ban the dance line, but thought
they should have consulted the dance line members beforehand.
But several regents said they disagreed with the ban.
"They should never have been canceled," said one regent, David
Roe. "I wonder if I'm attending the same games where these women
perform as he does."
The task force will review the dance line, the band and the dance
line's mascot -- a dancing gopher. Later, a more permanent
advisory group is expected to be established for the dance line.
Dance line members said they will work with the task force, but
don't want to be singled out.
Jennifer Bennett, a co-captain of the dance line and a senior
finance major in the university's school of management from Brice
Lake, Minn., said she does not object to the review. But if a
task force is established for the dance line, she said, there
should be advisory groups for other cheering groups as well.
The task force will also review the dance line's future
financing. Currently, money for the team is included in the
budget for the men's athletic department, which spent $9,300 last
year on the dance line. Without university sponsorship, the
members would have to finance themselves, as they did for 15
years before they were adopted by the men's department five years
ago.