Marching 100

tates its longevity tory by Emily Killmer

Two trumpet players of the Marching Hundred practice under blue skies at Memorial Stadium. Of the 320 members, 51 played the trumpet. They remained standing for entire games and danced to songs such as "Tootsie Roll" in the bleachers to show their spirit.

a

crushed and disfigured mellophone hung in the office of David Woodley, director of the Marching Hundred. A student forgot to move it out of a bus's way one game day, and has since served as a dangling memento. He chose to look at this instrument not as a punishment or a painful reminder of a bad accident, but more of a good memory he could laugh at afterward.

Marking its 100th year, the Marching Hundred celebrated a tradition of supporting IU football and its own commitment to excellence.

Director of Bands Ray Cramer, led the Marching Hundred from 1972-82. He accredited the band's tradition of great pride in performances to the enthusiasm of the band members. "This band has a pride in what they do and how they deal with others," Cramer said. "I've always contended that the thing that makes our group different is the quality of its students."

With 320 members, about half men and half women, the band did not continue to honor its namesake. The 'Marching Hundred' received its name during the 1920s when sportscasters, so bored with the football games, began reporting on the bands. Woodley said IU happened to have 100 people in the band at the time.

The band was formed in 1896 by 22 men who wanted to show support for the football team. Women eventually joined the Marching Hundred in 1972 with the addition of the Red Steppers, and the first female players began performing in 1973. Woodley said although it took about 76 years to make these changes, the band and its performances wouldn't be the same if it weren't co-ed.

"The dynamics of the group tend to change, it made it a lot more fun," he said.

Steve Waldron, the 1996 drum major, said the high level of performance surprised people. The band's music was one of the finest, he said, because it had a terrific blend of sounds. "When we go to another stadium, people think 'it doesn't matter how your team did, your band kicked butt,' said senior Nichole Graham, a four year band member.

One of Graham's fondest memories happened when the Hoosiers beat Purdue in West Lafayette her sophomore year. The band suffered the wrath of angry Purdue fans. "We had to march through Purdue's campus to the buses. There was an animosity from the crowds and they were throwing things at us," she said. Moments like those, she said, gave the band members an opportunity to hold their heads up and be proud, and nothing could take that away.

Pride and tradition carried over to the uniforms the band members wore. The heavy, caped uniforms in bright black, red and white remained a constant throughout the years. Along with everything else, they had their share of changes. "Twenty-five years ago, the uniforms used to be all wool," Woodley said. "Imagine wearing 35 pounds of clothes in 95 degree weather."

In order to compensate for the warm weather, the newer uniforms were made from a blend of different fibers. The new style was not warm enough for the band when the temperature dropped to 10 below zero, Woodley said.continued

Above left: Senior Pat Holen, freshman Alison Holen (hat) and junior Kasia Iverson relax on the stadium floor. The Marching Hundred often practiced up to three hours a day for performances and met at the stadium an hour to two before kickoff during the football season.

Above: Senior Brian Berman directs fellow band members at the University of Illinois and IU football game in Champaign, Ill. In his job as an Undergraduate Staff member, Berman acted as liaison between the director and the band. He assisted with warm-ups and occasionally took attendance.

Right: The Marching Hundred as seen from the bleachers in their IU formation at Memorial Stadium. The band performed three times during football games: pre-game, halftime and post-game. Formations ranged from the IU symbol to spelling out Indiana to music including show tunes, retro music and John Cougar Mellencamp.

A Marching Hundred band member rips his pants as he reaches for his trumpet. The 10-year-old uniforms caused band members various problems including cracked helmets (also known as shakos), mismatched spats, missing buttons and torn fabric in the uniforms.

Senior Kevin Christenson yells in response to director David Woodley during a formation at a game against Ohio State. The band usually remained in Bloomington, but always traveled to the Old Oaken Bucket game when it was held in West Lafayette. In addition, the band performed at the University of Illinois game in Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

Below: Freshman John Webster, buttons his uniform while preparing for a pre-game practice. Sousaphone players wore berets instead of the shakos worn by the other members. Band members usually arrived one and a half hours before football games to practice at Mellencamp Pavilion.

It's not easy getting out there when it's freezing and putting a brass mouthpiece to your lips," Cramer said. Although he complained about marching in the cold, he said the extreme weather was often motivation for the band. This element of endurance boosted their enthusiasm. "Whenever the weather is the worst, they love it the most," Cramer said.

Band members displayed their dedication and strong work ethic through a rigorous practice schedule. During football season, the band practiced at least two hours every day. They practiced eight hours a day for a full week before fall semester began, and held practices at 8 a.m. or earlier on game days. "This is enthusiasm," Waldron said. "Giving 110 percent at each rehearsal shows how dedicated the members are." When the Marching Hundred practiced at band camp the week before first semester, Waldron said he made it his goal to keep a smile on his face and to know every member's name by the end of the week.

By spending so much time together, the members naturally created a bond with one another. But when alumni returned to play at special events, Waldron said they had no trouble fitting in with the band.

"This shows their support and how much they enjoyed being in the Marching Hundred," Waldron said. "And even though we don't know these people, we have a bond with them because we've all been through the same things."

Cramer said this bond was an incredible experience for many students because they would immediately get 300 friends as a freshman.

Cramer's involvement at IU allowed him to witness the friendships between members. Perfect strangers came together as a big family and these were the people they spent most of their four years with — on and off the field. "In 27 years, there have been many social and economic changes, and yet the family dedication that you feel remains constant," he said.

And while styles of music may have changed in the past 100 years, some favorites stuck around. "Crowds like songs they know," Woodley said. "We shoot for songs from the biggest age group at the football game." And even though songs like Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger in Paradise were not played 100 years ago, the crowd had fun with them, he said.

Remaining one of IU's strongest traditions, the 100 year old marching band celebrated its anniversary and played on. LI

Onlooker Matt Downs holds his ears as sophomore Jayson McKenna passes by during the "March to the Stadium." Before every football game, the band marched and played from Mellencamir PaTilion to Memorial Stadium. The drumline played cadences and drum solos while other band members marched along and danced.

irdir04,0411611. ttel ALWAly E %%41

111114444. 4