'IU Traditions' teaches new students school spirit

In the empty corridors of Assembly Hall, a rumbling began Friday.\nAs walkie-talkies buzzed between crimson-shirted volunteers guarding the entrances, the air hung thick with anticipation and the noise grew louder. Quickly it became recognizable. \nVoices, footsteps, chanting and clapping overtook the hallways and into the corridor charged a crowd of whooping students, preceded by their cry of "Let's go Ashton, let's go!"\nStudents from all the residence halls filed in one by one for the Traditions and Spirit of IU, an annual Welcome Week event. \nFrom the floor, IU T-shirts were fired into the crowd as incentive to yell louder, and each group strained its vocals accordingly. After all the shirts were gone and every residence hall had the opportunity to announce its superiority by volume, the arena went black and a pyrotechnics display heralded the start of the ceremony. \nFreshman Lauren Hawkins said she looked forward to the show.\n"I think it really helps you get into the swing of things," she said. \nAfter a video montage reviewing this year's move-in and Welcome Week projects, the big screen showed pre-recorded welcome messages from IU athletic coaches Gerry DiNardo, Kathy Bennett, Jerry Yeagley and Mike Davis, as well as representatives from the Asian Culture Center and the African-American Arts Institute. \nWhen the videos were over, Director of Orientation Programs Melanie Payne took center stage to explain to the revved-up crowd what the title of the ceremony really meant. \n"Spirit at IU is a feeling, a commitment and ... it's an attitude," Payne said. \nChuck Crabb, associate athletic director at IU, then led the students in the "Parade of Residence Halls," where each dorm had a chance to show off their chops with original cheers. \nThe remainder of the event was dominated by the Marching Hundred, who high-stepped, jogged and streamed onto the floor amid more fireworks. With the help of the band, freshmen learned IU's fight song, cheers like "Dr. Hoosier," and were treated to the band's rendition of "Sing, Sing, Sing." \nThe ceremony climaxed with yet more fireworks, flying confetti and plenty of raucous cheering from the stands.\nThundering out of the stadium, the flood of freshmen looked a bit weary after such an intense week, but energy still ran high. \nFreshman Sean Cork of Indianapolis said he enjoyed the production, especially learning the fight song.\n"It was awesome," Cork said, pausing to clap his souvenir IU balloons together above his head. "I feel like I'm getting to be a part of the spirit of IU."\nPayne said later that events like Traditions and Spirit help new freshmen do just that. \nShe estimated about 2,000 students were present at the event, which puts Friday's ceremony on par with recent years. Payne said the event itself, although overhauled dramatically seven years ago to take the pep rally form it has today, has remained basically unchanged since. Minor adjustments, like this year's addition of pyrotechnics, seem to be a hit -- if audience reaction is any indication. \nThe message, however, is always the same.\n"The most important thing is to be a part of something that makes them feel connected," Payne said. "It helps them feel like they're a part of something bigger than they are."\nAfter surviving the rigors of moving in, Traditions and Spirit offered freshmen a much needed release. They left the arena Friday perhaps a little rowdy and -- if nothing else -- feeling connected.\n-- Contact staff writer Jenny Davis at jeedavis@indiana.edu.