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Friday, November 5, 2004
Local News

Selim enjoys cheering for Philadelphia Eagles

By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Lauren Selim couldn't have been happier last Saturday, helping to cheer on her alma mater to victory.

The East Carolina Pirates took a 27-25 win over Tulane in the homecoming game. Cheering, as it turns out, is nothing to this gorgeous, intelligent blonde.

Selim, who graduated from East Carolina in December of 2001, is now a cheerleader with the Philadelphia Eagles. That didn't stop her from returning to Greenville to cheer on the Pirates.

"I haven't missed a homecoming yet," Selim said by phone Thursday evening. "It was fun to watch them. We watch all the baseball when the Pirates are on TV."

Getting back to ECU was extra special to Selim, who graduated with a degree in science with a concentration in physics. She also has a minor in dance.

"Most of my friends are still there (at ECU)," Selim said. "I was a Chi Omega and I still keep in touch with all the girls. They're actually going to be some of my bridesmaids at my wedding (July 3).

"I love ECU. It had everything I wanted when I was looking for a school."

Selim, who teaches eighth grade science at Beverly Hills Middle School in Pennsylvania, has plenty of fond memories from her days at ECU.

"One of my best memories is when the flood happened," she said. "We lost everything. Just the unity of the school and the community coming together, that made you feel so safe. I have a ton of great memories from school."

Though Selim is in her second year cheering for the Eagles, she actually never cheered or performed on the Pure Gold Dance Team with the Pirates. She was too busy taking dance classes.

But all that dancing, something she's been doing since she was just over two years old, paid off with a job as an NFL cheerleader.

"My sister told me about the auditions," Selim said. "It was an open call the first day. There were two tryouts and two cuts, then a third cut. There was an interview portion and then a fourth cut.

"In all, 500 girls tried out and 38 of us made it."

Now that she's cheering for the Eagles, she's loving every minute of it.

"I really enjoy it," she said. "It's opened up a lot of opportunities. You're on the sidelines for all the games so you're close to the action, and the girls are all really nice.

"I still remember the first game last year. We played Tampa Bay on Monday night. We didn't win, but it was a great experience. With everything that they did, just standing there gave me chills."

So just what does it take to be an NFL cheerleader?

"You have to have strong will," Selim said. "You have to keep your figure, eat healthy, be personable, friendly, outgoing, intelligent and cheerful."

She needs all those qualities, and then some, to teach her science classes. So just what do her students think of Selim being an Eagles' cheerleader?

"They're good about it," she said. "They know that, during science, they're not allowed to talk about it.

"Some of them are funny about it. Last year I had a girl come up to me and say, 'Miss Selim, I heard your favorite television show is Sex and the City. She saw that on the (Eagles) web site. Another boy printed out my (biography) and said he knew everything about me. It's funny."

The students were hoping that Selim would be able to offer them some perks. No such luck.

"When I first got here, they thought I'd be able to get Donovan McNabb to sign their papers," she said. "The kids are funny."

Besides teaching and cheering for the Eagles, Selim is also taking graduate courses. On top of that, Selim coaches junior high cheerleading in the winter and fall, while coaching lacrosse in the spring.

How does she juggle all her duties?

"I'm definitely limited for free time," she said. "But ever since I was in middle school, I've stayed busy. I would go to sporting events until 5, then to dance until 8, then go home to do homework and then it was time for bed.

"I've just always been one to stay busy."

One of Selim's busiest times as an Eagles' cheerleader was also one of her most rewarding. She and a handful of other Eagles' cheerleaders spent 10 days in Bosnia and Kosova.

"That was quite an experience," Selim said. "We put on an hour-long performance, did some question-and-answer sessions about the Eagles and football in general, and then signed autographs and took pictures.

"We met so many nice people there. We were able to ride in hummers, we flew in Black Hawks, we did simulations of using M-16s and stuff like that. Being able to sit down at a table for lunch, just talking with the soldiers, that was great. They were so cute. It was definitely a wonderful experience."

Selim said the trip was life-changing for her.

"It just shows how fortunate we are," she said. "I came home with a new look on life."

Sure, Selim is a gorgeous blonde, who happens to appear in a lingerie calendar with other Eagles' cheerleaders. But she said that there is so much more to her, and the other cheerleaders, that people often don't see.

"Well, for one, people think we make a ton of money because we're NFL cheerleaders and that's definitely not the case," she said with a laugh. "People think we're just girls waving around pom poms. The people who know me know that I'm classy and smart, not some dumb blonde waving around pom poms."

In fact, Selim considers herself a pretty darn good role model.

"I definitely think I'm a role model," she said. "I try to live a life filled with values and morals. I keep a good outlook on life, and I think that makes me a good role model."

Selim will be back in action Sunday, cheering against the Carolina Panthers.

"I want to kick their butts," she said with a laugh. "We want to go to the Super Bowl. Hey, the cheerleaders want to go there just as badly as the players do."

While Selim loves cheering for the Eagles, she still holds her alma mater close to her heart.

"Go Pirates," she said cheerfully to finish the interview.