Section B · Page 4
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The University Daily Kansan
Friday, October 20, 2000
Bar Band boosts school spirit
Ry Joanna Miller
Kansan correspondent
The Lawrence Bar Band will travel from bar to bar tonight in hopes of boosting school spirit and homecoming enthusiasm for the University of Kansas.
The Lawrence Bar Band plays traditional University of Kansas songs and other upbeat tunes at The Crossing, 618 W. 12th St., before the K-State game. The band will play again tonight at four local bars. Kansan file photo
By playing traditional KU songs and other upbeat tunes, the band gets people excited about KU football and the University.
"It's all about coming out and getting a little rowdy before the game," said Randy Foster, Lawrence senior and the director of the band.
The Lawrence Bar Band plays the night before every home football game. Tonight, band members will play at a new bar about every half-hour.
Many students out at the bars Oct. 6, before the home game against Kansas State University, agreed that the Lawrence Bar Band helped promote team spirit.
"I like coming out when they play because it brings the school together," said Jordan Crow. Seattle sophomore.
The band began playing in 1996 and used the slogan "We play for beer and the blue team." The band now uses the chant "Beer makes the band play." The Lawrence Bar Band is not affiliated with the
university of Kansas because of the University's alcohol policies. Band members wear T-shirts provided by their sponsor, the Sandbar, 117 E. Eighth St.
"The Sandbar is our home," Foster said.
The band originally played only at the Sandbar, but has slowly increased its route to three to four bars per night.
When the band arrives at The Hawk tonight, they will not only be playing for regular patrons, but also for a special alumni group. The K Club, a group of men and women who have lettered at the University of Kansas, will visit The Hawk tonight. The Lawrence Bar Band has been playing there since 1997, and has played for the K Club's event each year.
John Heleniak, owner of The Hawk, said he loved the music.
"The alumni love it too," Heleniac said. "It brings back the good old days when everyone was up here at school."
Katie Hackett, Oklahoma City junior, said she hoped the band could bring back memories of times past and also increase enthusiasm for this year's homecoming.
"It's a good time to get everyone pumped up for the game," Hackett said. "I think that homecoming is going to be a
bigger deal than it ever was in the past, and maybe the Bar Band can help that."
Foster said it was hard for the band to cover more than four bars a night because some of the members participated in the Marching Jayhawks and had to wake up early to play at football games.
Although band members are fans of all KU sports, they especially want to encourage support for the football team.
"It's way too easy to be a basketball fan at KU. Try being a football fan — that's what tests you." Foster said.
Foster said that the band did not regularly play during the basketball season but that they
TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE
10:30 p.m. at The Crossing, 618 W.12th St.
Yacht Club, 530 Wisconsin St.
The Sandhill, 117 E. Hightst.
The Wagon Wheel Cafe, 507
W. 14th St.
The Hawk, 1340 Ohio St.
The band will play for about 30 minutes at each bar.
had considered adding some basketball events to their schedule.
"I'd like to pick it up and do some basketball things," Foster said.
ansan correspondent
By Patrick Cady
Kansan correspondent
Homecoming is a purely American tradition.
To a foreign exchange student, more or less new to American soil, this event may seem strange — even confusing.
A football team playing in front of a legion of screaming fans who return home each year to visit their alma mater is almost as American as apple pie.
Beverly Daniels, junior from Stirling University in Scotland, said she was awed by the treatment of sports teams in this country.
- Edited by Amy Randolph
"I always get impressed how everyone here goes about supporting teams," Daniels said. "It just seems like it is on a larger scale here than it is in the United Kingdom."
Daniels, a basketball player at Stirling, said she saw an obvious difference between the ways sports teams were treated at Stirling and at the University of Kansas.
"My university is big on sports, but we don't usually support our teams in quite the same way." Daniels said.
"At the end of the year, we have a sports unions ball where we review the season and recognize the teams," Daniels said.
Though her university's sports teams tended to keep to themselves, they did have recognition events at the end of the season. Daniels said.
David Boothby, Nottingham, England,
sophomore, also sees major differences between sports in America and in his country. In England "football" is soccer
— the country's most popular sport.
the country's most popular sport.
"In England, you may find 30,000 people watching a football game," Boothby said.
The concept of a festival atmosphere coupled with a sports team, such as homecoming, seemed a little strange to Boothby.
"The youth in England get big DJs, and we party to that," Boothby said. "But that sort of thing isn't usually connected to a sport."
Boothby said he saw a parallel between homecoming and the English Festival of Fire on Guy Fawkes Day.
Guy Fawkes was a British extremist who once tried to destroy the houses of Parliament in 1605. He was caught before he could be successful, and a festival celebrating his failure occurs every Nov. 5.
"We go to a bonfire party and watch the fireworks," Boothby said. "Everyone seems to take part in the bonfire night."
Boothby said he was eagerly awaiting the homecoming festivities.
"I am looking forward to the football game and seeing how the people celebrate it." Boothby said. Daniels pointed.
Daniels agreed.
"The whole point of being an exchange student is to experience things," he said. "It's a part of university life."
Edited by Casey Franklin
The KU band practices in the sun Wednesday afternoon. It had a special practice to rehearse the homecoming routine. Photo by Ashley Bonebrake/KANSAN
Alumni, band members march for spirit
By Joanna Miller
Kansan correspondent
Homecoming spirit is not an impossible mission for the Marching Jayhawks,
The musical group's schedule for homecoming weekend will include performances during the homecoming parade, the pre-game show and the halftime show. The band will be adding a twist to this year's homecoming theme, "Passport to the World," with its musical selections.
During the halftime show, the Marching Jayhawks will perform songs in "A Tribute to International Espionage," said Timothy Oliver, marching band director and assistant professor of music.
Songs for the halftime performance, chosen by Oliver, will include themes from international spy films and other related music.
The show will begin with the song "Beautiful Stranger" from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Then, the band will continue to set the mood by playing the theme to Mission: Impossible.
However, the group won't be the only musical performers in the halftime show.
This year will be the 28th Alumni Band Reunion at the University of Kansas since the band's founding in 1892.
The two bands will finish their halftime performance by playing a medley, which includes the James Bond theme and the theme from the Bond film Goldfinger.
Oliver said performing with marching band alumni has made past homecoming performances special for everyone involved.
the Alumni Band will gather for refreshments early tomorrow morning for a pregame rehearsal, and then it will rehearse with members of the band.
The Marching Jayhawks put on a new performance for each home game, so homecoming rehearsal is not out of the ordinary for them, but some members feel added pressure to do well because of returning alumni members, Oliver said.
Homecoming gives alumni a chance to relive the experience of being involved in a
"They come back and feel that experience of playing and marching in front of a big crowd." he said.
university-caliber marching band.
Aside from performing in the halftime show, alumni will be participating in the homecoming parade.
"You get this thing in your blood, and it is still there," said Tom Stidham, associate director of bands, referring to the excitement of performing music for a stadium filled with people.
Alumni will not be marching with the band, but representative members of the Alumni Band will ride on a separate float.
The parade will begin at 2:30 p.m. today, and the route will come through the center
Carrie Cook, Overland Park junior and Marching Jayhawks member, said she enjoyed playing with the group at homecoming.
"It gives people who don't normally get to hear us a chance to hear us if they are out or on campus," she said.
Stidham said participating in the Alumni Band was a great opportunity for musicians who had not had a chance to play in years or since their college days.
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