The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
42°F
Current Conditions
Scattered clouds
View complete weather report

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Cheer duty

Molly Andrews performs a cheer at Mead High School during a cheerleading class. The two-year varsity cheerleader will attend the University of Washington in the fall. (Jed Conklin / The Spokesman-Review)
Shannon Carlson Correspondent
Molly Andrews performs a cheer at Mead High School during a cheerleading class. The two-year varsity cheerleader will attend the University of Washington in the fall. (Jed Conklin / The Spokesman-Review)

Mead High School senior Molly Andrews has a lot to cheer about.

Not only has she been a varsity cheerleader for the Panthers for two years, but the 18-year-old also will graduate Friday and soon will be moving to Seattle where she’ll attend the University of Washington this fall. She plans to study business marketing or possibly political science, aided by a scholarship from DECA, a national club organized for students interested in marketing and business.

Andrews has much to say about cheerleading.

“I would recommend it to anyone, but it’s not to be taken lightly,” she says. “It’s a huge undertaking. It’s a respected position, and when you are a member, there is a huge sense of being part of something. It’s like a sport and a club combined. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work.”

Every day, Andrews and the other cheer squad members, of which there are 12, meet for a mandatory class. Morning practices are held during the weeks when there is a game. This might not seem like a huge commitment, but when the games include football, boys and girls basketball and wrestling, the cheerleading often seems continuous.

To be a cheerleader in the Mead School District, students must maintain a grade-point average above 2.5. Cheerleaders are held to the same standards as athletes and must adhere to the district’s strict athletic code, which, for cheerleaders, lasts the entire year.

“I pride myself on going through high school being drug- and alcohol-free,” says Andrews. “In our culture, the media portray to us that drugs and alcohol are cool. If you’re not at the party, you’re not cool. It’s really countercultural. I haven’t had a lot of trouble with peer pressure though. People know who I am and respect where I am coming from.”

When Andrews enrolls at UW, cheerleading will be part of her past.

“I don’t think I’ll cheer in college. It shaped who I am, but when I graduate (from high school), I will have graduated from that (cheerleading),” Andrews says.

Andrews is passionate about the outdoors, helping others and politics.

She is a self-described “politics junkie” and hopes her proximity to Olympia will give her the opportunity to intern with the Legislature or possibly with Congress.

“I listen to NPR (National Public Radio) to and from school, and I watch C-SPAN all the time. It’s important to be informed. I am most passionate about the environment and educational issues. The lack of concern about what is going on now is appalling to me.”

When asked her thoughts and feelings about her time spent at Mead High, Andrews replies:

“I would really like to express my thanks to the Mead School District for the phenomenal staff that it employs, who really care about us. I want to extend my thanks for their help for all of us.”