Wofford Traditons??

[Rip Tyler]

I attended a couple of Wofford games last fall and really enjoyed the experience! However, I'm curious about a couple of things:
-where's the band??
-is there a Wofford "fight song"???

[WOCOWoman]

With so many Wofford students playing in athletics, there are not enough students to create a full band. When school enrollment was 1100 or so (it has increased to 1250 recently), one in five males played football alone! We once had a pep band for the basketball games, but that didn't last very long. The school has hosted local high school bands for some games.

We used to have the same fight song as Notre Dame (LONG time ago), but Notre Dame didn't like that - we obviously lost that battle. They had someone write a new one, and I'm told that sounded like a circus song? I never heard it myself. So that didn't stick around at all. But the Wofford alma mater is a huge tradition, and that's what most students cling to. I wish they would begin singing that at football games.

Keep coming to games - our music may not be the attraction, but I believe our student-athletes and fans are the best!

[Rip Tyler]

WOCO Woman-
Thanks so much!

I can understand why ND might be a bit touchy with another college using the same melody, although many high schools claim it for their own.

A band can add so much to fan's enjoyment of the game,and can work well with the cheerleaders to create excitement and enthusiasm-especially if they're good!

Pep bands are great for b-ball, but I've seen(heard?) them drowned out by the visiting bands(JMU's band must have 20 tubas!!)at football games.

Wofford has such a rich, deep tradition, it's too bad it can't include a really memorable, rousing fight song, and sharp band to play at games. Elon's band is small, but they make a big sound. Still, with only 1200 students, it may be hard for Wofford to find enough bodies to do it.

Like you,I would like to see a return to standing and singing the school alma mater as tribute to the institution, founders and alums.

[terriers]

Rip, I am an old dog(class of '59) and I couldn't agree with you more.
When our squad leaves the field house and comes down the hill it is a
shame we don't play a fight song.

I was a cheerleader at Wofford back in the Bradshaw-Richardson era
when we seldom lost and spirit ran high. Sam Moyer, our glee club
director, directed a small pep band of about five or six pieces. They
only played about two numbers, the Michigan State fight song and
"California Here We Come" but we brought the house down and had
a ball doing it.

We should be doing the same thing now, especially with an emotional
coach like Mike Ayers. I am now regarded as a harmless old antique
but I wish people like you would keep pressing for a pep band and a
fight song. GO TERRIERS!!

[WOCOWoman]

terriers,

I was a cheerleader, too! We always talked about needing a fight song. Which is how we learned that little history I posted about the fight song. Nobody seemed to take us seriously about it. My husband played football, and they talked about that now and again as well. He said the music they play on the speakers before the game didn't help them get excited at all, and that's a shame.

I like how South Carolina plays their fight song and alma mater before the games. Everyone REALLY gets into it. I don't go to many of their games (obviously), but I wish we had something to get that spirit going. Some people don't have that naturally flowing enthusiasm at each game that we all do on here.

We should all start writing, calling, and suggesting ideas. One thing I learned at Wofford is that nothing gets the ball rolling like a donor to the Terrier Club!

[terriers]

WoCoWoman, it's very encouraging to hear from a woman, especially
an ex-cheerleader, with your enthusiasm. I'm sure your husband
agrees since he played football.

I just went back on the Terrier Club Board of Directors and intend to
bring this up during our meeting on Mar. 21. You are right about donors
having clout but several of us brought this up a few years ago and it
died. We were told there weren't enough students available to comprise
a big enough band for football. Maybe the increased student body will
work in our favor.

We also need the support of the student body. Any influence someone
your age moght have would help. We'll see what we can do. Thanks
for your input.

[walliver]

Unfortunately, singing the Alma Mater stopped after Talmedge Skinner retired as chaplain. He would usually get it started and then everybody else would join in. Currently there is no individual to get it started.

[terriers]

Talmadge is a friend of mind and definitely one of a kind but someone
needs to pick up on this and keep the tradition going. This kind of
thing makes Wofford the special school it is.

[Ruckus]

Amen to the above. Heck, they could record some band/any band to play the background for the Alma Mater and play it over the speakers. I don't doubt getting our own band may be troublesome (at this point the absence of a band is yet another Wofford tradition which is unique to us and makes us different) but there are other options.

[WOCOWoman]

I think everyone loved it when Rev. Skinner led the alma mater after basketball games. It was one of my favorite things. That needs to be a tradition that never ends.

I didn't graduate too long ago, and I know the students always showed an interest in a band. So there would be student support for at least a pep band if not more. The hardest part is, of course, getting students who are willing to commit to it. Everyone wants it, but nobody wants to commit to it.

At one of the football games this past season, a few of us in the stands were talking about how maybe Wofford could hold some sort of tryout for high school band members. I'm sure a lot of high schoolers would love to put down on their resumes and college applications that they were in the band at the local college. Just something to think about if we wanted a full band.

[Rowdy]

Although Rev. Skinner is retired, he still makes most of the basketball games and still leads the Alma Mater after the game. I love this tradition and hope someone steps up to the plate to take over when Talmedge can no longer do it.

[Rip Tyler]

Wow! Lots of great ideas to enhance the "Game Day" experience for football and basketball games!

The school needs just this kind of energetic support and brain-storming to rev the fans and make Gibbs/ BenJoe places visiting teams won't enjoy!

Let's keep the ball rolling alums, students and Terrier Club members!

[Eyes of Old Main]

Good ideas from everyone. I agree there is a need to improve the game day experience. Mascot races and pee-wee football games are only going to do so much.

Back when I was at Wofford (Class of '95) they used to play more stuff over the stadium sound system. I know they played "our" fight song (on loan from Notre Dame) quite a bit. I hadn't noticed that it had been dropped, but I was never a big fan of using someone elses anyway.

I'd like to see us have a band, but resources and participation would likely be hard to come by. That, coupled with the fact that Wofford doesn't have much of a fine arts program would make it tough. Maybe Wofford could form a band from local high school students. It could be like a Spartanburg area high school "honors" band for the best people form all the area schools that wanted to try out. Wofford could supply the uniforms so they'd look like our band. That might not work, but it would be good experience for the students and help solve the Terriers band problem.

Another game day thing I'd like to see improved is the team entrance. It's not bad, but it could be better. I think some smoke and/or small fireworks would be a great touch. Most big schools have those things, so should we.

Lastly, we need to tone down the "AC/DC fetish". "Hell's Bells" on every 3rd down isn't a bad thing, but when you couple that with the over reliance on "Back in Black" we start to look uncreative.

[fgs44]

I'm for bringing back the Baja Men, and "Who let the Dogs out"

[Rip Tyler]

LOL!
Up until now, fgs44, I thought we were heading in the right direction!

:-)