Take 3

Q: I read in the open forum this week where the Song Girls advisor is a former flag girl, so isn't that the root problem right there to all the issues to do with the squad? How could a flag girl possibly ever be considered qualified to be in charge of a American cheerleading institution like the USC Song Girls? Isn't this the ultimate case of someone getting her revenge on all the pretty and popular girls who tryout for the squad by preventing them from being Song Girls, which is why we have ended up with the kinds of unattractive members these past few years?

A: I would answer that question but these answers are monitored by the athletic dept.

Q: While many explanations have been provided regarding the drop in quality of the Song Girls, how come nothing has been mentioned about the unprecedented high turnover of squad members in the past four years, which has had a direct correlation to the lower quality of girls representing the squad?
In the past, a girl tried out for the squad as a freshman then always stayed on until her senior year, unless she was cut. In the past four years, there has only been one girl who stayed from beginning to end, with most of the girls being on the squad for only one year, two at the most, and deciding not to try out again for another year. Why has this been the case in the recent past when it was never an issue before?
Perhaps one needs to look at how the girls are treated by the women in charge of the Song Girls, particularly the advisor, as well as the nepotism demonstrated by the coach, and then how they have decided they do not need to be subjected to such abuse and have no desire to continue being Song Girls under such conditions. So word gets out to other girls on campus, who subsequently decide that they do not want to be Song Girls. Thus leading to a poor quality of Song Girls who are not representative of the standards that were set for the prior several decades.
So why has the issue of how the Song Girls have been treated by the women in charge and the subsequent high turnover not been addressed?

A: Because this is not a subject that generally draws much interest or scrutiny . . . until now. Seriously, I'd like to hear some ex-Song Girls weigh in on this stuff because they know more than we do. Or maybe they should start APR rankings for song girls to keep retention rates higher.

Q: USC use to be successful in recruiting at Long Beach Poly getting players like Darnell Bing, Winston Justice, Hershecel Dennis,Alfred Rowe, and recent signee Jurrell Casey to name some. What has caused some recent Long Beach Poly players like DeSean Jackson ,Donovan Warren, and Vaughn Telemaque to go else where and not to USC? All these three players could have had impacts on the teams especially Jackson, a big play threat and Warren a shut down corner. Whay has cause this problem in recruiting at Long Beach Poly.

A: Every case was different. Warren wanted to weigh his options and worried he would be on the bench at USC for a couple years. Jackson's story is well-documented. USC waited too long on Telemaque before it decided he was a big-time recruit.
But let me ask you a different question. How many Poly players that went to USC lived up to their hype? The answer might be that players get too much hype from merely playing for Poly, but it's an intriguing subject nevertheless.