As I tried to think of a discourse community to write about, I felt obligated to share the one I have been a part of since I was six, the world of cheerleading. Cheerleading has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Throughout the years I have learned words that I use in my every day vocabulary, whereas for non-cheerleaders, it may seem like a foreign language. Reflecting back, I now realize that because of my many years of cheerleading I am a part of a community that has shaped me into who I am today.
Starting cheerleading at such a young age, I was oblivious to what I was getting myself into. My first time practicing I was introduced to a variety of people using terminology I didn't know existed. At the time, I wasn't prepared to learn what felt like a "second language".
Postcard of CornellUniversityCheerleader1906 Cheer...
English: Photo taken at a public event of event pa...
English: Cheer Challenge cheerleaders (All-star) d...My first experience hearing this so called "cheer slang" was when my instructor explained what we were going to focus on for the remainder of the week. Using common sense, and with no experience in the cheer world, you would assume that a "toe touch" would simply mean bending over and touching your toes. But like anything else in cheerleading, it's not that simple. A toe touch, is a common jump where your arms are in a "T" motion and your legs split to each side, toes pointed with your knees up or pointed back. Apparently I was the only cheerleader who wasn't enlightened with this description, as the rest of the girls jumped up and I bended down.
With lots of hard work and dedication, I reached my next step on the pyramid, middle school cheerleading. When it came time to try out for...