Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!aero!ATHENA.MIT.EDU From: wdstarr@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (William December Starr) Newsgroups: soc.feminism Subject: The Return of the Dancing Girls Message-ID: <78606@aerospace.AERO.ORG> Date: 18 Jul 90 18:40:24 GMT Sender: nadel@aerospace.aero.org Organization: Northeastern University Lines: 79 Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org Status: R >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MINNEAPOLIS -- A ban on performances by the University of Minnesota's women's dance line at men's athletic events was rescinded last week by the University's president, Nils Hasselmo.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.