New Hoosiers schooled on IU spirit

Thumping, screaming and the noise of several explosions reverberated through Assembly Hall Friday evening as thousands of freshmen learned about IU school spirit at the annual "Traditions and Spirit" Welcome Week event.\n"I've never been to anything like that," freshman Branden Davenport said. "I went to a small high school, and it was really cool to see that. I thought the crowd was pretty good."\nAbout 4,000 freshmen banged inflatable noisemakers and sang, waiting for the event to start. Each dorm prepared a cheer to perform in front of the rest of the freshman class, and it was a rowdy group by the time Assembly Hall announcer and Assistant Athletics Director Chuck Crabb took the floor.\nCrabb introduced a video that highlighted move-in day. Students cheered when they saw friends or their own dorms.\nThe event featured appearances by men's basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson, women's basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, football head coach Terry Hoeppner and an inspiring -- if not somewhat off-pitch -- video rendition of "Indiana, Our Indiana" sung by men's soccer coach Mike Freitag.\nSampson said he was thrilled to see the amount of support that students have for IU sports and said that he couldn't wait to see Assembly Hall filled for Hoosier Hysteria, the annual basketball pep rally Oct. 13.\nThe ever-energetic and positive Hoeppner got the crowd to its feet, urging students to help "defend the rock" starting next weekend for the first home football game of the season.\n"You all know what playing 13 means," he said. "Bowl game!"\nStudents learned "Indiana, Our Indiana" and heard some of the other songs featured at basketball and football games. The songs were performed by the Indiana Marching Hundred and sung by Tyler Trepp, director of IU's male a capella group Straight No Chaser. The RedSteppers dance team and the Cream and Crimson cheerleading squads danced along.\n"We want the atmosphere to be great, and we're trying to spread some school spirit," said freshman Danielle Richardson, a member of the cheerleading squad. "We're trying to show people what spirit here is all about."\nStudents attending the event were largely enthusiastic. Cheers erupted after a blazing pyrotechnic display accompanied the band's finale, red and white sparks spewing from the ceiling and bleachers near the court.\nIU Auditorium Assistant House Manager Christine Foust, who helped direct the event, said she thinks Traditions and Spirit is a great way for freshmen to start the year.\n"I think it's really exciting for freshmen, just to introduce all of the spirit of IU," she said. "They all come in; they're all pumped up; we're pumped up. It makes them feel like they're really a part of the school"