The rivalry between Harvard and Yale extends far beyond The Game, far beyond football and the Ivy League, far beyond academics. But does it stretch to the sidelines of Harvard Stadium, where the Harvard cheerleading team will try to help carry the Crimson to perfection?

“Cheerleading is encompassed in the rivalry between other aspects of the schools,” says senior Travis LaVoi, one of four men on the 18-member squad. “There’s no bad blood between the cheerleading teams, and we practice good sportsmanship. But it will be much easier this weekend to get audience participation, since the level of intensity is definitely increased.”

You don’t need to tell the Harvard cheerleading team about intensity. The squad has been to every game this year, home and road, yelling chants, shouting into bullhorns, and performing acrobatics.

But cheerleading is much more than just fun and games, much more than girls waving pom-poms and dressing up in skimpy outfits to attract football players.

“All cheerleading is actually really different,” freshman Molly O’Gara explains. “The old stereotype of a cheerleader is the ditzy blonde, but cheerleading is a lot more intense than anyone that doesn’t know it gives it credit for.”The football players aren’t the only ones who get banged up.

“It’s a very dangerous sport,” O’Gara continues. “You get hurt a lot.”

LaVoi is one of a number of cheerleaders coming off injuries. He is battling back from a sprained ACL, but vows to be back for The Game.He was also involved in an injury to tri-captain Stephanie Wilka during a game against visiting Northeastern.

“It was rainy and slippery outside,” LaVoi says, “and we were putting up a pyramid and it slipped. Steph landed on her ankle, and then I landed on her ankle. It was really sore and bruised for a while. But Steph’s a soldier—she walked it off.”

To add insult to injury, the cheerleaders often have trouble obtaining the medical attention they need.

“We don’t have sports status,” sophomore Doug Jamieson laments. “We try not to get hurt because we get no love from the trainers.”

“They offer us an ambulance to UHS,” LaVoi adds.

Once football season ends, the cheerleaders switch over to basketball, and attend every men’s and women’s home game.

“It’s a long season,” tri-captain Deddeh Ballah says. “It’s hard, you get fatigued, you get injured. At the end of the season, you’re run down.”

In addition to the busy game and travel schedule, the team practices three times a week, from 6:50 am to 9 am. Nevertheless, the cheerleaders love what they do.

“It’s a lot of fun,” says junior tri-captain Shirley Veronica Cardona when asked about the long road trips. “Sometimes we go overnight, and it’s fun to stay in hotels. It’s like a mini vacation, until we have to cheer in the cold the next morning.”