Spirit

Spirit. Ohio Field.

"Wa-ho, , Wa-ho , Rip, Zip, Ba-zo; , I yell, I yell, , O-hi-o"

, Cheerleaders , The Ohio State cheerleading program official started in 1905 as a small organized group of men known as the Rooters Club. Original members included "Pink" Tenney, "Hub" Atkinson and Bob Sigafross. Harry E. "Mother" Ewing served as the school's first head "yell master" whose job it was to encourage school spirit and lead spectator cheering. In 1908, Ewing declined being awarded a varsity "O" letter, claiming that such an award should only go to the players., As the Rooters Club grew in popularity, they began to receive official school recognition. On November 18, 1911, one cheerleader was allowed to accompany the football team to Oberlin College, marking the first time the Athletic Board paid a cheerleader's expenses to travel with the team., Events , Ohio Field was more than a sports home–it hosted many events to hope students appreciate college life and contribute to the university community. Many of these events, such as the Stag Rally and annual Love Feast, were student-led and promoted school spirit through singing, cheering, music, food and dancing., Marching Band , The Ohio State Marching Band, formed in 1878, performed on Ohio Field for the first time in 1899. During this time, the marching band accepted only first- and second-year male students (women were not allowed to join until 1973). Having only 64 members in 1914, the band quickly began to grow, evolving into a 100-piece band by 1920. With the growing popularity, drum major George Edwin "Tubby" Essington, considered the first of the modern era, stepped up to infuse showmanship, color and personality into the role, introducing the now-iconic drum major strut. In 1921, the Gray Baton group, created by Jenie Lee Burke, helped spark even more interest in the band and was later turned into the Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi (national honorary band fraternity)., [Timeline:] ,

1898: The Armory building opens (now the site of the Wexner Center for the Arts). , 1902: "Carmen Ohio" was written by Fred Cornell on the way home from one of the worst Michigan defeats. , 1905: Enrollment passes 2,000 students. , 1908: University Field was renamed Ohio Field , 1910: The Oval opens. , 1918: Nearly 30 Midwest games were canceled because of an influenza outbreak. Cities banned public gatherings, and Ohio State closed its campus for a few days., "Oh come let's sing Ohio's praise , And songs to Alma Mater raise , While our hearts rebounding thrill , With joy which death alone can still , Summer's heat or winter's cold , The seasons pass the years will roll , Time and change will surely show , How firm thy friendship…OHIO!" , Lyrics to Carmen Ohio, Fred Cornell, 1902