How to change the world for the better

By: Payton Nowling

There is always a little girl in the stands that wants to be just like you… Don't disappoint her.

This quote means a lot to me in being a cheerleader, AKA a role model. I, myself, know a lot of little girls that look up to me! I have the responsibility to be the best person I can possibly be. This means I need to make the right decisions in my life, be kind to others and respect them, respect myself, and dress in an appropriate way each time I leave the house or there is a younger child around me. As a girl, more younger girls look up to me than boys. But, the way I dress and act can influence boys' ways of thinking about girls.

Most people would think of this in a bad way as in if you are immodest, boys think of you in a sexual way. This is true, but there is also a positive side to this "modesty". If you go to a party where every girl who passes you is in immodest clothing (mini skirts, low rise neck lines, mid drift showing, tanks, ect.) what do you think the boys are going to be thinking about those girls? They will be thinking the same thing about every single one of them! Then you walk in wearing modest clothing (t-shirt, jeans, ect.) that is still in style because of the patterns and accessories. Who is going to be more noticeable: the girl with half of her body exposed just like everyone else or you who is dressed in a stylish yet modest way? ( if you hadn't already figured out the answer, it's you). Yes, most of the guys at the party will WANT someone dressed immodestly because the think they will have a better chance of "getting some". Now be honest with yourself here… Is that REALLY why you want a guy? I don't know about you, but that is definitely NOT why I would want to date someone. So, after thinking about it in that way, the guys who like immodest girls aren't the guys YOU are looking to attract. The guys YOU want are the ones who think you are beautiful because you AREN'T wearing the same immodest clothing as everyone else.

Most people refer to a "cheerleader" as a girl who is stuck up, self-centered, gossiper, drama queen, gets all the attention from guys (because of how they dress), tight and immodest clothing, and "hot". I don't know about any of the other cheerleaders that I know, but that is NOT how I want to be known at school or in my community. I want to be known for being a good, godly person and a great role model to those who follow me. Some of the BEST ways to do this is dress modestly, act respectfully to the people around me, and treat my peers the way I want to be treated. The only problem is that our generation does not think it is possible or "right" for a cheerleader to have these qualities! Why is that? Why can't you be a loving, non gossiping, godly person and still be a "cheerleader"? It is because of the perception out generation has on cheerleaders thanks to Hollywood. They believe this fiction because they see it in movies and the cheerleaders at their school think that is the "true cheerleader attitude" as well. When the truth is, a cheerleader is supposed to be a good role model for her school and community. The true definition for "cheerleader" is a person who leads spectators in traditional or formal cheering, especially at a pep rally or athletic event. So in being a cheerleader you are supposed to be a real "leader". Another word for a leader is a role model.

The definition of a role model is a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, esp. by younger people. If I, along with several other cheerleaders, act like true role models and change this perception of cheerleading, maybe the generations of cheerleaders to come will understand too. But one thing is for sure, if I act in a modest, kind, and godly way, the little girls in the stands in front of me watching my every move, will act that way too. This act will create a chain reaction amongst little girls for generations to come and maybe, just maybe, the world will be a better place.