Blast from the Past: Hillsdale Homecoming in 1988

Home Study Break Blast from the Past: Hillsdale Homecoming in 1988
Study Break
September 19, 2018July 12, 2022By Regan Meyer
Blast from the Past: Hillsdale Homecoming in 1988
Hillsdale College football circa 1988 (Collegian)

Lack of Spirit: A Guest Editorial

Editorial (Hillsdale Collegian: September 29, 1988)

Dear Student Body,

Four years ago we came to Hillsdale College as freshmen, excited to embark upon our college career with all the enthusiasm of most freshman, and most importantly, to attend college football games. Warm, sunny Saturday afternoons, sitting in the bleachers, listening to the marching bands, screaming cheers, a typical college football game. For any of you who have attended University of Michigan football games, you understand the excitement. The football team has just finished warm-ups and the marching band is about to enter the stadium. The sound system crackles. Then, with a burst of enthusiasm, the announcer rises above the screams with that trademark phrase. “Laaadiees annnd gentlemennn..”

THE STANDS WERE CROWDED, BUT NO ONE CHEERED!

Well, we were determined to do something about it. The best way, we decided, was to get the Pep Band organized again. This was a limited success at first, but we kept at it for two years and reached a high-point at last year’s Homecoming game. Those of you who were there will remember a Pep Band of over twenty people actually playing and marching across the field.

Now let’s return to the reality of 1988. The setting: Muddy Water’s Stadium, the date: September 3, the crowd: DULL!!! (or should we say typical?)

Well folks, we’re sick of it. Freshmen, you can be the class that transforms Charger football games from a threehour study hall into a living nightmare for the opposing team.

Our goal: Homecoming October 8, 1988, the setting: Muddy Water’s Stadium, specifically, the north end of the home bleachers (not the end-zone bleachers). For those of you who sat near us for the last home game . . . you ain’t seen nothing, yet. Please respect the formal dress requirements – Charger blue (blue hair optional), a noisemaker of some type (cowbell, rocks in a can), and be ready to scream.

Here is our challenge: if we are loud enough and get a warning by the referees because the opposing team can’t hear the signals. . . we will spend the night in a tent in the quad.

Look for more info as game date approaches. We will be meeting before the game at the music building for a little rally and then all walk down together.

Sincerely,

Steve Johnson

Greg Bailey

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