Steven Gaither, Oct 21, 2007
WSSU's cheerleaders perform at the basketball team's annual
"Ram Madness"
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Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision - August 2, 2024
This pancocojams post showcases three videos and multiple comments that document the signature vocalization that has been and remains a feature of Winston Salem State University's (WSSU's) stomp and shake cheerleading squads.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the founders of and all those who have been and are now involved in WSSU's stomp and shake cheerleading programs. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This pancocojams post is part of my documentation of Stomp and Shake cheerleading.
Based on my informal online research, it appears to me that early stomp and shake cheerleading (beginning around the mid 1970s and 1980s) was significantly influenced by some of the stepping moves and the culture of historically Black Greek letter sororities. I'm particularly referring to Black Greek letter sororities and stomp and shake cheerleaders having a signature hand sign and a signature call that identified them from other sororities and from other stomp and shake cheerleading squads. read the comments in Discussion Thread #3 whose video is no longer available (which means that its other discussion thread comments have been deleted :o(
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Based on my informal research to date, it appears that early on (if not still today) specific stomp and shake cheerleading squads considered themselves to be "like" a sorority if not actually a sorority. One comment that I read in a YouTube discussion thread-whose link may not have been retrieved- documents a stomp and shake cheerleader using the historically Black Greek letter organization term "crossing over" which means becoming a full member of a particular sorority or fraternity.
If you know any history about early stomp and shake cheerleading squads that suggest any historically Black Greek letter sororities or fraternities influence, please share that information in the comment section below. Thanks.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - WSSU CHEERLEADERS GETTIN' CRUNK
CHEERPHI, Feb 22, 2008
WSSU CHEERLEADERS SHOWING U HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE AT THE ULTIMATE CHEER & DANCE EXPERIENCE TRIAD HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING COMPETITION 2007
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - WSSU Alumni Cheerleaders
Brandon Forbes, Jan 14, 2018
Homecoming 2017 "Return to the Yard"
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - WSSU State Powerhouse Cheer (Highlights) @ Ramboree Pep Rally 2022
Smash Time Productions, November 5, 2022
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM VARIOUS DISCUSSION THREADS
These discussion threads are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
DISCUSSION THREAD #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEyE6haDuYg&t=1s "WSSU Alumni Cheerleaders", published by Brandon Forbes, Jan 14, 2018211,292 views • Jan 14, 2018
** Reply 3. @kendallfleming5858, 2018 "Tiasia Jones Dont tell her that bad information, they're freaking SGRho's doing their call out of their sisters in the cheer squad."
** Reply 4. @UhhhAreyouok, 2018 "Kendall Fleming That's not true. You're wrong. SGRHOs call is EEE-YIP! Sit down youngin'..."
** 5. @dollbeautypalace9882, 2018 "Why are they making those sounds?" ** Reply 6. @clicee3658, 2018 "Doll Beauty Palace it’s like a thing that most but not all cheerleaders do"
** 7. @queensathnee729, 2018 "EEEEYO!!"
**
8. @tomarynbrown4859,2018
"They sound like SGRhos?”
DISCUSSION THREAD #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAVz7StUoow "WSSU CHEERLEADERS FOR MTV", published by Flow Child Entertainment Published on Sep 24, 2008
WSSU Cheerleaders tryout for MTV Show
"Grunting and squealing isn't cheering. It's sometimes
really hard to understand what their saying. This is why so many people
consider cheerleading not a sport. You can still be loud and have cute cheers
with less shaking. Some people consider it vulgar..."
2.
"Love the originality, the loudness, and the enthusiasm
but cheerleaders don't woo nor eyyyupp....not sorority cheerleaders"
-snip-
The portion of that comment that "cheerleaders don't woo" almost certainly refers to members of the Virginia State University stomp and shake cheerleading team known as the "Woo Woos". One of their cheers asks "Can you woo?"
"Eyyyupp" is a high pitched yelp that is performed during cheers by a member of WSSU's cheerleading squad.
Another commenter,
dstgirl9of94, commented that "FSU got thier eeyyooppp from WSSU!"
"FSU" = Florida State University (another HBCU.
**
Reply
3. lilpimpok, 2012
"in reply to AORaines
They don't "eyyuppp" to mock sororities. They do it because the "eyyuuup" is more like an accent for the cheer. Its just to give the cheer a little more life and flavor. The majority of HBCU cheerleaders incorporate the "eeyyuup" in their cheers but of course it originated from the mighty WSSU cheerleaders A.K.A Cheer Phi!".
-snip-
HBCU= Historically Black Colleges And Universities
A.K.A. in that quote means "also known as". "Cheer Phi" was the name that was used for WSSU's cheerleader squads. The Greek letter name "Phi" at the end of that name reinforces my belief that stomp and shake cheerleading squads (or HBCU cheerleading squads in general whether or not they were/are stomp and shake cheerleaders?) were conceptualized as sororities. (Sigma Pi Phi, founded in 1904, is the first Black fraternity. This fraternity isn't university based. Five of the nine historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities have the Greek letter "Phi" in their name (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, and Iota Phi Theta.) Also, "Cheer Phi Smoov" is the name of the varsity cherleaders of Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Reply
"As a former WSSU Cheerleader, Co-Captain, and Coach, I think the waters have been mudded over the years with our (ad lib). Yes, our cheering squad does make a sound (PRESENTLY) that does sound similiar with an E-Yip of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, this has happened because our original sound (ad lib) has been transformed to what you hear today. Our original sound was more of a blllllrrrryip (rolling of the tongue) to make the noise. Unfortunately, the new members couldn't really make the rolling sound noise; thus, they make up for it with what you hear on youtube these days. AGAIN, WE WEREN'T TRYING TO SOUND LIKE A SORORITY CALL. Things just evolved that way."
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DISCUSSION THREAD #3
From 1993 CIAA Cheerleading Exhibition Round-Up! Throwback
[This YouTube video is no longer available], published by CheerPhi93, Jan 23, 2015
1993 CIAA Cheerleading Exhibition Round-Up. CIAA circa.
Richmond, Virginia. WSSU and VSU still
in tact with their style in present day.
As you can see (well) your other squads have improved greatly. St. Paul, WSSU, VSU, Shaw, Norfolk St. and
Bowie.
1. OneVoice412, 2015
“Wow as a former CIAA cheerleader, this video definitely
opened my eyes to how far every squad has came!!! Thanks for this video! I wish
there were some of VUU back in the day.
**
Reply
2. Kristen Robinson, 2015
"This video is soooo cool!! Thank you for the upload and
memories....I have always loved WSSU they were always friendly to us when I
cheered...WooWoo!! #vsu"
**
Reply
3. CheerPhi93, 2016
"Yes Kristen Robinson, VSU Woo-Woo have always been our
heated cheer rivalries; yet, we all respected each other and style."
**
4. CheerPhi93, 2016
"The first group (:41sec) of pictures are ladies who cheered in the latter
part of the 80's. If you see hand signs
of Deltas that is because we had many cheerleaders who were greek including
part of Gamma Phi (1:14 and 2:43)..AKA of Gamma Lambda, Omega Zetas, Delta
Alpha Sigma, Beta Iota Alpha, Delta Chi Kappa and Rhos of Sigma Gamma
Rho.....Our Varsity Cheer-Phi Sign came around in the 90's..."
5.
"Nice throw back video...I think we can all agree that a
little bit of everyone's moves and cheers came from another squad. “
**
Reply
6. CheerPhi93, 2015
"Thanks MrFierce06...preciate it...Renono139....I am not
sure which squads you are looking at; however, this was 1993...Our style has
been consistent since 1984....I am just highlighting the growth of squads from
then to present. I will always say that
WSSU and VSU have been most consistent in their tradition. I don't take what you said offensively...”
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DISCUSSION THREAD #4
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPuaoMeGwGI "Ram Madness", published by Steven Gaither, Oct 21, 2007
WSSU's cheerleaders perform at the basketball team's annual
"Ram Madness"
1. @MiQuelW, 2008
"SU Yaps (to my understanding, which is different from
E-Yop.... which sounds exactly alike. But we all kno FSU's original)
That cheer was str8 fire tho"
-snip-
I think that "SU" in this comment refers to Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
FSU= Florida State University.
Does this comment mean that Florida State University cheerleaders were the first squad to have that call? And do they still have that call or a similar call?
**
2. @101Tookkie, 2013
"It's funny when they be like YUPPPPPP!!!
-snip-
Who does "they" refer to in this comment?
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DISCUSSION THREAD #5
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAVz7StUoow&t=2s "WSSU CHEERLEADERS FOR MTV (watch in High Quality)", published by FlowChild Entertainment, Sep 25, 2008
WSSU Cheerleaders tryout for MTV Show
1. @Bronoco, 2011
"Ayyyy dey betta do it!! Eeeoooppp!"
-snip-
"Ayyyy" is an exclamation of affirmation, excitement, support etc. that appears to still be relatively commonly used among certain populations of African Americans (young adults?). "Ayyyy!" is pronounced like the letter "a" in the words "day", say", play" etc.
2.
"M T V hey hey
Come on and yell with us
The red and white
Yell W W S S U (S S U)
Hey Rams hey hey
Come on and yell with us
The red and white yell W W S S U (S S U)
A little louder now W W S S U (S S U)
YiiiiiiP!!!!
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DISCUSSION THREAD #6
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKZ9T671vvw&t=316s "WSSU Cheerleaders (College Stomp and Shake Cheers, Chants and Dances )", published by Two Sockz Productions, Feb. 6, 2017
1. @jashontaemck9047, 2018
"Eeeeeee-yoouuuuuu"
**
Reply
2. @ceeceetracey9839, 2020
"Omg i love it"
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