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“We are CC”: A ‘Fight Song’ for Colorado College

by Daniel F. Morris

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree, Bachelor of Arts

(Music)

The Colorado College

2/17/16

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“We are CC”: A ‘Fight Song’ for Colorado College

Sections:

1. Music History at CC

a. Provides a timeline of music history at Colorado College. Introduces the idea

of communal singing and its diminishing presence on campus over time.

2. Fight Songs across the U.S.

a. Defines three categories of fight songs across the U.S. and highlights a few

examples of these categories. Relates aspects of these songs back to a fight

song at CC.

3. “We Are CC”

a. The fight song lyrics, chords, and description. Highlighted in the lyrics are all

the keywords or phrases that can be supported by research in the “CC as it is”

subsection.

4. The CC Community

a. Identifies and analyzes key ideals, symbols, and commonalities within the CC

community. Addresses the fact that there are different micro-communities

within the larger CC community that would all have varying perspectives on

the fight song.

Acknowledgements: Thank you to those people who helped in the completion of this capstone

project, including those who were interviewed, responded to surveys, or

assisted in the research in any way. Furthermore, thank you to my advisors,

Ryan Bañagale and Ofer Ben-Amots, for their advice and support.

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Introduction

Pasadena, California’s year-round climate made for a sunny New Year’s Day when the

University of Wisconsin Badgers faced off against the Stanford Cardinals for the 99th

annual

Rose Bowl. It was a clash of two giants in the college football world: The Big-Ten Conference

champions versus the PAC-12 Conference champions, respectively--two number one teams, each

from a highly competitive conference. With an attendance of over 93,000 fans and a viewership

of over seventeen million, the atmosphere was ecstatic. Suspense of knowing who will come out

on top filled the air of the stadium as fans found their seats—although these are not very

important because they will be standing for most of the game—and took in the sounds of the

stadium in anticipation of the first kick-off.

When in attendance at a game like this, or any game in college football, the energy

around the stadium is overwhelming. The Rose Bowl can be likened to a modern-day

Colosseum; bringing the fiercest competition to the field for the entertainment of the masses. The

fans are divided between the two competitors, singing and chanting in support of their side.

Depending on the events of the game, you and everyone around you might chant in support of

your team’s defensive line or grimace at the sight of the opposing team scoring a touchdown.

Throughout the game there is a sense of community engagement for what is happening on the

field. Team mascots, logos, and school colors all worn by supporting fans create this sense of

community. However, one of the hallmarks of college football that ties in all of these elements,

one of the key unifying elements that create this community engagement, is the fight song.

Imagining the scene at the 2013 Rose Bowl, you probably did not specifically hear the

tunes for “On, Wisconsin” or Stanford’s adaptation of the hit single “All Right Now” by the

English rock band Free—unless, of course, you have some familiarity with the traditions around

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Wisconsin or Stanford athletics. What you most likely did imagine, however, is the presence of a

marching band, or two, playing from opposite sides of the stadium, producing powerful, brassy,

and percussive music that seems to take control over everyone around you as they begin belting

lyrics in support of their team. To an outsider, this may seem a bit intimidating. It is as if

someone flips a switch and everyone begins chanting the same ritualistic words in devotion to

something larger than themselves. Or, they begin to sing in unison, the same song, repeatedly,

entranced by the music. This is the effect fight songs can have at colleges and universities all

across the United States.

Most colleges and universities across the United States have an official fight song, but

this not the case for Colorado College (henceforth also referred to as “CC”). Although, this may

not be all that surprising given that CC does not have a football team, is only 2,000 students

strong, and is a privately funded liberal arts college. None of these attributes come comparatively

close to either of the teams in the 2013 Rose Bowl or any school that has a Division I football

team. The current CC community simply does not embody the ‘Rah-Rah’ mentality around

sports.1 However, from 1885 until 2009 there was a Division III football team at CC and, even

more, the school still boasts having two Division I sports (Men’s Ice Hockey and Women’s

soccer). As expected, the football tradition at CC was accompanied by a fight song for many

years, titled “Colorado C Men.” There are records of the song being sung at football games,

reunions, and homecoming going back to the 1940s, but it fell out of use during the 1970s.2 The

song existed and was sung within the community going back to at least 1924 when it was

1 2014 Knowledge Development Team Research. Personal Communication with Colorado College Office of

Communications. https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/communications/ (last accessed February 17, 2016) 2 Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO: CC Publications folder.

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mentioned in this first-hand account that describes a “serenade” (campus gathering for singing as

a group) outside of Bemis Hall:

The first all college serenade in the history of the college was given Friday night.

The serenade took place in the quadrangle, and was well received by the C.C.

coeds… Art Gow's orchestra furnished the music for the affair. A few of the latest

jazz numbers were given by the orchestra. This was followed by 'Colorado C.

Men'…3

Interestingly enough, the song belonged to another institution, Washington and Lee University.

The tune of “Washington and Lee Swing” received words that were altered to fit CC (see section

2: Fight Songs across the United States).

No official fight song currently exists at Colorado College. The goal of this project is to

produce a fight song that represents CC in the present day, while incorporating research from the

musical history of CC as well as the origins and use of fight songs at other institutions. In recent

years (2013-present), CC president Jill Tiefenthaler developed and began the implementation of

the new Colorado College Plan: Building on the Block. One aspect of this plan includes a master

communications plan designed to present CC in a way that “reflect[s] the nuances of our

distinctive curricula and programs and our special place, signifying who we are as an academic

community.”4 The goal of the communications plan is to build a stronger identity for CC that can

then be presented and branded to extend beyond the immediate campus community. The current

capstone project is an extension of this plan as it attempts to capture qualities of CC, including its

history and ideals of the current community, and translate this research into a fight song that can

both be enjoyed by the on-campus community as well as branded and presented beyond the

immediate campus community. The research included in this project, incidentally, includes some

of the same research that is being used by the Knowledge Development Team responsible for the

3 https://www.coloradocollege.edu/aapps/tours/walkingtour/bemis.php (last accessed February 17, 2016).

4 https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/strategicplan/progress/implementing.dot (last accessed February 17, 2016).

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redesign of the CC logo (part of the master communications plan). In this way, surveys and

interviews of members of the CC community are used to identify the themes and symbols that

are incorporated into the lyrics of the new Colorado College fight song.

Given that CC does not have a football team and is a small liberal arts college, does it

even need a fight song? As will be shown in this paper, a fight song is based in the tradition of

athletics and serves as a rallying point when large groups of the school community are together

to support one another. The CC community gets together for formal college affairs

(commencement, baccalaureate, and convocation) as well as annual campus events such as Blues

and Shoes and Llamapalooza. None of these events are typical venues for which a traditional

fight song would be used. Again, imagine the 2013 Rose Bowl as a setting for a traditional fight

song. At face-value, it may seem that CC does not need a fight song because we do not have

sporting events on any scale comparable to the epic clash between Wisconsin and Stanford.

However, a fight song would fill such a role perfectly in a CC hockey game at the World Arena

before 7,000 dedicated fans.5 How can a single song balance these opposing needs? We need a

song that can be adapted and arranged for both a campus community setting-- Blues and Shoes

or Llamapalooza--and an arrangement that can be played over the loud speakers at sporting

events: one arrangement for the campus, and the other for sporting events and school advertising.

This would balance the values and practicality of a fight song on-campus while still recognizing

the athletics department’s desire for a traditional fight song, as might fit better with the presence

music had on campus early on in CC history.

5 http://www.uscho.com/stats/attendance/division-i-men/2013-2014/ (last accessed February 17, 2016).

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Music History at CC

There is a long and eclectic history of music at Colorado College. The school’s unique

musical past includes the ‘de facto’ fight song—“Colorado College C Men” (see appendix D)—

taken from another university but containing words written for CC, many adapted popular tunes

from the early twentieth century, and a few original compositions written specifically for the

college. The earliest piece of music in the archives at Colorado College is a song printed in the

1905 yearbook titled “The Invocation of the Tiger Spirit” with words and music written by B. B.

Strock, who graduated in that year.6 However, music had a presence on campus prior to this time

as some songs from the early twentieth century were written by alumni as early as 1902,

meaning that music had a strong presence on campus even before “The Invocation of the Tiger

Spirit” was written. The strong musical presence on campus has helped garner a sense of

community at CC since a very early time in the college’s history. Over time, however, the large

number of campus songs has fallen out of use.

Campus songs are an example of something that brings a community together. The

bonding of a community through communal action has been called Communitas. Coined in 1967

by anthropologist Victor Turner, communitas describes the emotional state people attain when

performing group activities.7 This emotional state is thought to create a stronger bond within the

community. Music, undeniably tied with emotion, facilitates this sense of communitas. In the

early twentieth century CC fostered a strong sense of communitas through the music that was

sung in groups. Songs such as “Colorado College,” or “Colorado, hail!” were sung at gatherings

on-campus including football games, dinners, and as in the above example, all-college

6 “Invocation of the Tiger Spirit.” Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO: CC Publications

folder. 7 Turner, Victor. Forest of Symbols. 1967.

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serenades.8 People knew these songs, in part because of how often they were sung at social

gatherings and sporting events, but also, because they were written down in pamphlets and given

to the students for their reference. Some of these pamphlets still exist in the CC archives today

and are excellent examples of how prevalent group singing was on CC campus in the early

twentieth century. Regardless, as further investigation into the history of song at CC reveals, this

manifestation of communitas began to diminish as the school moved further into the middle of

the twentieth century.

The next item found on the timeline of CC’s musical past is a collection of lyrics to songs

written by CC alumni, published in the yearbook of 1907.9 A few of these songs reappear in later

items such as “Colorado College” to the tune of “Gaudeamus Igitur” and words by Marion

McGregor Noyes; “In Sunny Colorado,” an original tune with no musical record in the CC

archives except the lyrics written by J. H. Nash, 1904 and harmonized by C. W. Bowers; and

“Colorado, Hail!” to the tune of the march-like English folk song “March of the Men of Harlech”

with words by Mildred H. Humphrey, 190710

. A final example exists in “The Colorado Mascot”

to the tune of “Mister Dooley” and words by Donald DeWitt 1903 with a chorus that may have

been adapted for “Our Colorado,” a different Colorado College song published in 1915 that will

be discussed later. Notably, “In Sunny Colorado” is the only song in this collection with original

music. The rest have all been adapted from existing melodies. The adaptation of preexisting

songs and changing the lyrics to better fit CC continues to be a trend as we move through CC’s

8 https://www.coloradocollege.edu/aapps/tours/walkingtour/bemis.php (last accessed February 17, 2016).

9 All contributors are alumni with the exception of Marion McGregor Noyes and C. W. Bowers whose names are not

followed by a class year. 10

There were no materials in the Colorado College archives that contain these harmonies. No further information on

these harmonies existed.

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musical history. Former CC professor and choir director, Don Jenkins, has deemed this as “their

music, our words.”11

Around 1909, a pamphlet was printed by Donald DeWitt 1903 and Robert M. Work 1903

in order to “encourage the delightful custom of singing on the campus and the athletic field.”12

This pamphlet, along with two other collections printed circa 1912 and 1917, respectively,

includes the largest collection of songs and yells used at CC from this early time in its history.

More than twenty songs are included within these collections. Many of these songs follow the

trend of taking an existing folk or popular melody and applying new lyrics related to CC. The

lyrics to most of these adapted songs were written by Donald DeWitt, 1903. DeWitt graduated

from the college in 1903 and became an instructor in public speaking at CC by 1906.13

The songs

in the pamphlet are presented with the title, the key, the name of the original tune, and the CC

adaptation of the lyrics. The large number of songs included in the pamphlet provides evidence

for the prevalent place that song and communal singing held on campus at this time.

Furthermore, official student singing groups existed, such as, the Colorado College Glee Club as

evidenced by a single publication from 1915 called “Colorado Rose”. 14

Members of the CC

community at this time were aware of the popular tunes that each song was adapted from. The

familiarity of the music made it easier for the community to learn the adapted lyrics. This

communal singing aspect of CC culture began to diminish as the school moves away from

traditions of the nineteenth century and further into those the middle of the 20th

century; most

notably, with the lack of an official fight song.

11

Jenkins, Don. Personal Interview. 4 September 2015. 12

Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO: CC Publications folder. These are the same

author as “The Colorado Mascot”. 13

The Nugget, 1907: 40/284. Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO; Colorado Springs,

CO. 14

Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO.

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Each newly compiled pamphlet includes slight changes to the college repertoire,

demonstrating a gradually changing culture of communal singing on campus. In 1912, another

pamphlet titled “Tiger Club” was printed to consolidate the various songs used at the time. Many

of these same songs were in the pamphlet printed in 1909, with words written to a pre-existing

tune. In this new collection, however, a new song was added, entitled “Colorado College,” with

words by Lois Virginia Stoddard ’02 and music by Robert Berryhill ’13. Both the words and

music were written by members of the CC community: words by an alumnus and music by a

contemporary third year student. This song was printed as a supplement to the former college

newspaper The Tiger on May 9, 1912. Presumably, the printed version on May 9 predated the

lyrics that were printed in the same year in “Tiger Club.” This song is one of the few, at this

point in CC history, that has original music written for the college.

In 1915, however, three original songs were published by two CC alumni: words by

Allison T. French, 1910, and music by Earl W. Hille, 1911. 15

These songs were “Our

Colorado,”16

“The Black and the Gold,” and “The Bruin Inn” (see appendices A, B, and C). All

reflecting different aspects of CC, “Our Colorado” served as an unofficial alma mater for the

college, along with aforementioned “Colorado College,” “The Black and the Gold” represented

school pride and was potentially used in the athletic realm. “The Bruin Inn” pays homage to a

place that was special to the CC community that used to exist in Cheyenne canyon, but later

burned down some time in the 1940s. “Our Colorado” is in a major tonality and follows a

strophic form. The verse hints at nostalgic ideas by describing the meaningful places around

campus and using a melody that almost borders on an alma mater. Interestingly, the chorus of

15

Although these three songs were published in 1915, lyrics to “Our Colorado” appear in the 1912 Tiger Club

collection of songs and yells. In the CC archives this collection has written on it “1912?” by hand. It is possible that

either, the song was written and used at CC before its publication in 1915, or that the hand-written date is incorrect

as found in the archives.

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“Our Colorado” sounds remarkably similar to the chorus of “Mr. Dooley.”17

“Mister Dooley” is

a song from the 1902 production of The Wizard of Oz on Broadway, popularized by Edward M.

Favor who recorded it for Columbia Records in that same year.1 The song was popular at CC, as

is evidenced by its inclusion in the pamphlets and may have influenced the composers for the

chorus of “Our Colorado.” Both choruses are quite similar melodically, although the verses vary

greatly. The legacy of these three songs is remarkable. They have stood the test of time and are

still performed by the Colorado College Tour Choir. Their publication in 1915 may be further

evidence of the importance group singing had on campus in 1915.

Due to the prominence of community singing at Colorado College, it may not have felt

necessary to have any song (or songs) be deemed ‘official’ by the college. As previously

mentioned, at this point in 1915, the college had neither an official alma mater nor an official

fight song. The community on campus seems to have strongly encouraged group song and

therefore had a large repertoire of material to sing. The practice of having an official fight song

at an institution was still relatively new at this time (Notre Dame’s classic “Notre Dame Victory

March” was not written until 1917). Despite these three uniquely CC songs having been

published in 1915, the culture of unofficial community singing was still present in 1917 when yet

another collection of songs and yells was printed. This collection still included some of the same

“our words, their music” tunes from the 1909 collection.

Out of all the music that is a part of CC history, one unexpected piece still remains to be

mentioned: “America, the beautiful.” The song that has become an unofficial hymn for the

college was first sung at the 1946 commencement ceremony and since 1976 it has become an

annual musical tradition at every commencement ceremony. This iconic national song was

17

According to this recording done in 1902 taken off of youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9IZeoxn7BQ.

(last accessed February 17, 2016)

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written by Katherine Lee Bates in the summer of 1893 while teaching at Colorado College. She

was inspired by Pikes Peak and the surrounding region and composed the poem in her room at

the original Antler’s Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs. In 1910, the poem was put to a tune

written by Samuel A. Ward. Within the well-known lyrics, one can hear the inspiration that

comes from the Pike’s Peak region. “Spacious skies…amber waves of grain…purple mountain

majesties” all generate tangible images from the view atop the Peak. The song is included in

official college ceremonies such as commencement, baccalaureate, and convocation due to the

song’s ties to the school through Bates. Therefore, it is integral to the communitas within the CC

community. America, the Beautiful was the original inspiration in the compositional process for

this new fight song for CC.

Colorado College has a long history of communal singing on campus. However, with the

exception of a fight song for only a portion of the school’s history, athletics have not been a part

of this tradition. Students sang songs on campus as a mechanism for communitas; not primarily

in support of the athletics programs. That is why I propose two versions for a new CC fight song:

one, for the community and another, for athletic events. Both will borrow inspiration from the

locally rooted song “America the Beautiful.” Across the United States colleges and universities

have a long tradition of fight songs, some dating back to the beginning of the twentieth century.

The origins of each school’s fight song and the traditions associated with each song are unique to

that school. How do other institutions use fight songs? How did they become a part of tradition?

How are they used? Answers to these questions are necessary for developing a fight song at CC

and will be examined in the proceeding section.

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Fight Songs across the U.S.

The ‘fight song’ is an integral aspect of the American collegiate athletic system. Nearly

all major academic institutions have an official fight song that is sung, traditionally, at football

games and other sporting events. Most colleges and universities have also arranged these songs

for full marching bands that play the tune in the stadium along with the fans. Colorado College is

an exception to these generalizations around collegiate athletics. Colorado College no longer has

a football team and does not have an official fight song. Because the ultimate goal of this project

to write a fight song for CC, it is necessary to examine the history of American collegiate fight

songs, how they are used and incorporated into tradition, and to highlight a few notable and

relevant fight songs across the country, particularly as they relate back to CC.

To begin, it should be noted that limited research has actually been done on the subject of

American fight songs. Much of my research has been conducted through university websites

and/or publications that give a brief background of the history of the tune and the lyrics. These

sources are nonacademic and may be inaccurate or biased in some way. The websites of

institutions are less concerned with correct research or research methods, than they are with

presenting their institution well. Fight songs are not just history and tradition but are a form of

school branding and advertisement as well (especially with the University of Tennessee’s fight

song, as will be discussed). The research presented in this paper provides a broad sweep of fight

songs at institutions and highlights a few that are relevant to the uniqueness of the current

project. Of the few academic resources available in this field, most merely identify the more

famous fight songs and discuss them briefly in the context of a broad historical timeline. There is

little definition or examination of these songs in terms of origin of composition in the available

research. The remainder of this section will attempt to redress these shortcomings.

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Although necessary to formulate a timeline of college fight songs in this field of study,

for this project it is important to define the different origins of fight songs and how they were

composed. Fight songs fall into one of three distinct categories of compositional origin: original

self-composed, adapted (tune taken from folk or popular tunes), or borrowed (taking a

preexisting fight song and making it the institution’s own by retaining the music but changing

the words). Original self-composed fight songs were written specifically for the institution, often

composed by an alumnus of the school. Both adapted and borrowed fight songs can be described

using Don Jenkins’ term “their music, our words.” These three categories are commonly found

when researching United States college and university fight songs.

Fight songs fall under the umbrella of ‘College Songs,’ which also includes the alma

mater. The alma mater, Latin for ‘kind mother,’ was originally used as a name for the institution

one has graduated from but has since been used also to refer to a song of that institution. Often

hymn-like, the alma mater is slower in tempo, calmer, and is intended to reflect a feeling of

nostalgia for the years spent at the institution. The first commissioned alma mater was written for

Harvard University’s 200th

anniversary in 1836. Although commissioned specifically for the

school, the melody is that of the traditional tune “My lodging is on the cold ground.”18

Almost

forty years later, in 1872, two alumni of Cornell University wrote “Far above Cayuga’s Waters”

based off of the 1858 song by H. S. Thompson, “Annie Lisle.”19

Around the turn of the twentieth

century fight songs were beginning to be used at institutions in the United States for school

rallies and sporting events; primarily American football games. The prominence of the fight song

grew steadily in the first half of the 20th

century and became commonplace after the middle of

18

Bailey, D., 1986: 470-474. 19

Studwell, W. E., 1995: 126.

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the 20th

century; consequently, in the same way American college football popularity grew in a

similar time frame.

Boston College’s “For Boston” is thought to be one of the oldest fight songs still in

existence, but this is contentious. For the purposes of this study, it is also an example of an

original self-composed fight song. Many within the Boston College community claim that the

song dates back to 1885 and is “the nation’s oldest fight song.” As it turns out, this is most likely

not true.20

Composed by alumnus Thomas J. Hurley, class of 1885, the common thought is that

the song dates back from that same year. However, according to Jeremiah McGrann, associate

chair of the music department, “As best can be determined, ‘For Boston’ dates from between

1913 and 1919…”21

McGrann’s claim stems from the fact that the song references a building on

campus that did not exist until 1913. Accordingly, in its current form, the song could not have

been written before that time. He further cites that the song was first accredited to Hurley in

1919. This is an example of why research in this area is difficult. Boston College would love to

boast they have the oldest fight song still in use because it highlights the history, tradition, and

uniqueness of the institution. However, this ‘fact’ about their fight song is most likely untrue.

McGrann also cites multiple requests for college songs sent out by the Stylus (campus

newspaper): “first in the fall of 1885 just after Hurley graduated; then again in April 1886; in

March 1888 a competition…”22

This was quite common in the early twentieth century for

schools, who did not have college songs (either alma maters or fight songs) to hold competitions

and awards for students to write songs for the institution. The Colorado College yearbook did the

same in 1907. The yearbook of 1907 includes a collection of campus songs (as discussed above)

and concludes with the observation that with “no acceptable original song having been submitted

20

https://www.bc.edu/offices/bands/ensembles/marching/faq.html (last accessed February 17, 2016) 21

McGrann, J. W.: 9. 22

McGrann, J. W.: 9.

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in response to our offer, the twenty-dollar prize was not awarded. We hope this offer will be

repeated until a really meritorious song is contributed.”23

Although not the case at Colorado

College, original self-composed fight songs were common at other institutions during the early

twentieth century. This is the case for what is arguably the most famous fight song: “The Notre

Dame Victory March” at the University of Notre Dame.

“The Notre Dame Victory March” was written by the Shea brothers Michael and John,

class of 1905 and 1906, respectively. The song was copyrighted, published, and premiered in

1908 when Michael Shea played it on an organ in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Although it was not

copyrighted by the University until 1928, it was first played on campus in 1909, a mere one year

after its initial publication. In 1969, the year of college football’s centennial, “Notre Dame

Victory March” was deemed the “greatest of all fight songs.”24

But, why has the song become so

famous?

The answer to this question is inevitably due in part to the presence Notre Dame Football

has had in college football since 1887, and likewise, the same fight song that has accompanied

the team for most of this time. However, tradition and history do not answer why the song has

remained popular for such a long stretch of time. The music is upbeat, energetic, and, most

importantly, catchy. As is necessary for a fight song, the tune is simple and easy to remember.

The melody of the chorus (see Ex. 1) is comprised of a sequence of rising minor seconds that end

on the fifth scale degree after 8 bars.

23

Colorado College Yearbook of 1907. Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO;

Publications folder. Perhaps I should request $20 from the college for my own composition? 24

http://www.und.com/trads/nd-fightsong.html (last accessed February 17, 2016)

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Ex. 1: The chorus of “The Notre Dame Victory March.” 25

This tension is resolved by the next phrase which is essentially a descending major scale starting

from the tonic and ending with the tonic major arpeggio (mm. 9-11). The final phrase of the

melody (mm. 17-24) uses the secondary dominant so that the melody terminates on the dominant

harmony. This allows the return to the beginning of the melody seem quite natural. Thus, the

song has a naturally cyclic nature allowing those who are singing it to repeat the chorus as many

times as is necessary for the context. For example, at a football game after Notre Dame scores a

touchdown the fans, as well as the band can repeat the chorus until the celebration is over and the

game resumes. This original self-composed fight song is simple, easy to remember, and contains

a form which facilitates repetition depending on the context at which it is sung. The “Notre

Dame Victory March” is an excellent reflection of the institution itself in its history and of an

original self-composed fight song. Composed by members of the school’s community, Notre

Dame’s fight song is one of the most famous of all American College/university fight songs, but

many other beloved fight songs were not composed by a member of the institution. These

schools adapted popular or folk songs to be played by a marching band and gave them lyrics that

25

Self-Transcribed from The Best of College Football Fight Songs by The Florida State University Marching Band,.

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reflected the institution; namely, that of Clemson University’s “Tiger Rag” and University of

Tennessee’s “Rocky Top.”

Clemson University’s “Tiger Rag” fight song is of unknown origin although it is credited

to The Original Dixieland Jazz Band who recorded it in 1918.26

According to a brief description

on the Clemson College webpage, student band director in 1942, Dean Ross, found sheet music

for “Tiger Rag” and brought it back to the college for the band to play. Since then, it has been

transformed into a sequence of pieces that are all played together before each home game.

Performed by the Clemson Tiger Marching Band, this sequence is called the "90 Minutes Before

Kick-off Concert" and was first performed in 2002. The “Tiger Rag,” as Clemson has arranged

it, includes four of the main themes from the 1917 original. The four themes are labeled as A, B,

C, and D in Ex. 2.

Ex. 2: Excerpt from the 1st Trumpet part from the Tiger Band’s arrangement of “Tiger Rag”.

27

26

Studwell, William E., 1998: 5. and http://www.clemson.edu/about/traditions.html (last accessed February 17,

2016) 27

From the official band website, http://tband.people.clemson.edu/Download_SheetMusic.html (last accessed

February 17, 2016).

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Within the arrangement each theme is played once and then repeated, if needed based on

context. Similar to the “Notre Dame Victory March,” function of the song is built into the form

of the arrangement. There are four distinct themes that can be played independently or repeated

as necessary. At the Tiger Band’s “90 Minutes Before Kick-off Concerts” for example, they may

play all four themes twice, but at a football game they may only play theme A and B depending

on time or what is happening in the game. The same four themes are not always all played

consecutively. Arrangements of the four melodies are used at different contexts within a single

football game; for instance, offensive first downs, defensive third downs, and touchdowns. This

demonstrates the versatility of the arrangement. The original “Tiger Rag” includes many

variations on these themes and would not translate well for the purposes of a fight song. The

Clemson adaptation incorporates only the main themes (stripping down the extra ‘jazziness’ in

the song), simplifies them for ease of learning and singing for the fans, and has therefore

become, as they boast, the “song that shakes the southland.”28

Although Clemson University’s fight song may be the song that shakes the southland, the

University of Tennessee promotes their marching band as “The pride of the Southland Band” and

their signature fight song is “Rocky Top.” “Rocky Top” is another example of an adapted fight

song and is representative of the Tennessee’s rich history in bluegrass music. Originally, the tune

was a bluegrass song written by songwriting couple Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in August of

1967 and the Osborne Brothers first recorded it in that same year. Anecdotally, the song was

written in about 10 minutes by the couple in a room at the Gatlinburg Inn in Gatlinburg,

Tennessee, which lays just an hour drive south of Knoxville (the main campus of the University

28

http://www.clemson.edu/about/traditions.html (last accessed February 17, 2016).

Morris 20

of Tennessee) on the edge of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. 29

In 1982, the state

assembly of Tennessee voted “Rocky Top” to be an official state song of Tennessee and the

songwriting couple was later inducted into the National Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986. The

song was first played by the University of Tennessee marching band (AKA the Pride of the

Southland Band) in 1972, just five years after its composition.30

Interestingly, “Rocky Top” is

not the official fight song of the University of Tennessee, but rather an unofficial anthem played

at football games and sung by the campus community. Collaboration between the university and

the Bryant Estate (which owns the rights to “Rocky Top”) led to the establishment of the “Rocky

Top” Institute. It relies on student creativity to turn the song into a brand name, with students

designing logos utilizing the song title and lyrics and creating new designs and products to be

sold by the Institute. The origins of the song allow it to be founded in the culture and region of

the Tennessee, similar to the outdoorsy atmosphere and region of Colorado. Furthermore, the

song itself is a brand name for the school, again, a reflection of its firm foundation in state and

culture. Although performed by marching band more frequently than by bluegrass band, the

arrangement still includes musical elements of bluegrass.

Typical elements of bluegrass that remain in the marching band arrangement are the

form, chords, and lyrics. The song has five verses and a chorus that is sung after the second,

fourth, and final verses; typical of a bluegrass song. Although the form of the original is simple,

it is even further condensed to fit the context of University of Tennessee. The arrangement

played by the Pride of the Southland Band includes a short three measure chromatic introduction

(in bluegrass termed the ‘kick-off’) leading to the tonic, or I chord, and then immediately plays

29

Found in a news story done on the origins of the song. http://www.wbir.com/story/life/music/2014/08/26/rocky-

top-house-of-bryant-songwriting-university-of-tennessee-gatlinburg-inn-marketing/14647827/ (last accessed

February 17, 2016). 30

http://licensing.tennessee.edu/utk/utkofficialsongs.html (last accessed February 17, 2016)

Morris 21

through the melody of the verse, followed by the chorus.31

This form, as has been evident in

other fight songs, is simple and allows for repetition if needed depending on the context in which

it is being played. The transition from bluegrass to marching band is seamless in this

arrangement. The chords used are typical of the bluegrass genre but work smoothly for a

marching band as well. The chords used in the verse are I, IV, I, vi, V, I; expected of a typical

bluegrass song. The chords used in the chorus are vi, V, IV, I, VII, I. This I-VII-I cadence is

found in many bluegrass songs and is a reflection of Tennessee musical culture. Bluegrass is an

integral part of Tennessee culture, thus, it only makes sense that the University of Tennessee

anthem and one of the state songs are from this genre. The elements of bluegrass that are

incorporated into the song allow the fan-base of Tennesseans to relate too and understand the

song more easily. This fight song is a clear representation of the culture and community it is

intended for. This may be one reason that in 2015 the College Football Fan Index found

University of Tennessee’s “Rocky Top” to be the number one fight song in all of college

football.32

This may be quite an honor for an adapted bluegrass fight song that is not actually the

‘official’ fight song. That honor is afforded to “Down the Line,” an example of the third type of

fight song: borrowed.

Borrowed fight songs are common throughout colleges and universities in the United

States as well as at high schools across the country. But borrowed songs are inherently do not

reflect their institutions. Furthermore, some of these borrowed songs have led to awkward

moments in football history. Not every university can have such an iconic tune as Notre Dame’s

“Notre Dame Victory March” or such a brand name song as “Rocky Top”; therefore, it is only

necessary that many schools have borrowed fight songs from other institutions and used them as

31

The Best of College Football Fight Songs. Track 30. 32

http://fanindex.usatoday.com/2015/10/24/the-top-10-fight-songs-in-college-football/ (last accessed February 17,

2016)

Morris 22

their own. The University of Tennessee’s “Down the Field” is also used by the University of

Oregon and was originally used by Yale University.33

Perhaps a more contested example of

borrowed fight songs is that of the University of California, Berkeley’s “Big C” and University

of California, Los Angeles’s (UCLA) “Sons of Westwood.” “Big C” was written for UC

Berkeley in 1911 by Harold P. Williams and N. Loyall McLaren.34

The song was used by UCLA

for about 30 years before they commissioned a new one to “step out from Berkeley’s shadow.” 35

They began using the same fight song during an ‘All-UC’ weekend in which UCLA and UC

Berkeley played double-header football games and in which each school’s marching bands

would perform at half time. The UCLA director at the time, Kelly James, arranged UC

Berkeley’s “Big C,” calling it “Sons of Westwood,” and performed it live during that weekend. It

was accepted so well by the students that it was then adopted as the official UCLA fight song.

Then, in 1984, for fiftieth anniversary the school had a competition of lyrics for a new fight song,

which would then be put to music by composer Bill Conti (a UCLA alumnus). This new song

was titled “The Mighty Bruins” and is still the official fight song for UCLA. However, UCLA

fans do still sing “Sons of Westwood” at football games and the lyrics can still be found on the

UCLA alumni website. Not all examples of borrowed fight songs include rivalries of cross-state

schools. Other examples of borrowed fight songs, such as the “Washington and Lee Swing” for

Washington and Lee University, are just catchy melodies that work for many schools to borrow

as their own; including, Colorado College.

In fact, Colorado College’s adaptation of “The Washington and Lee Swing” is

remarkably similar to the original:

33

Studwell, William E., 1998: 40. 34

http://calband.berkeley.edu/media/cal-songs/#BigC (last accessed February 17, 2016) 35

https://alumni.ucla.edu/ucla-history/ucla-history-songs/ (last accessed February 17, 2016) and

https://alumni.ucla.edu/ucla-history/ucla-history-47/ (last accessed February 17, 2016)

Morris 23

“Washington and Lee Swing”

When Washington and Lee’s Men fall in

line,

We’re going to win again another time;

For W. and L. I yell, yell, yell, yell, yell.

And for the university I yell, I yell like hell

So fight! Fight! Fight! For every yard;

Circle the ends and hit the line right hard

And roll the enemy up in the sod!

“Colorado C Men”

When Colorado C Men fall in line,

We’re going to win again another time;

For old CC I yell, I yell, I yell

For our colors black and gold I yell, I yell

like hell

So fight! Fight! Fight! For every yard,

We’ll circle the end and hit the line right

hard

We’re going to roll Boulder on the sod!

The CC adaptation is almost an exact replica of the original, but with some slight alterations

regarding the name of the school, the replacement of “University” with CC’s school colors, and a

reference to our rival, University of Colorado, Boulder. Otherwise, these two songs are nearly

identical and, for CC, are unrepresentative of the uniqueness of CC. What makes CC so unique?

What themes should a fight song for CC reflect? Below are the lyrics to my newly created fight

song and an explanation of its composition. Following the lyrics will be an analysis of research

that has been done on the CC community to find out, “What makes CC, CC?”

Morris 24

“We Are CC”

This song attempts to encompass musical history at CC, the current values and

perspectives of various communities at CC, and ways in which fight song have been composed

and used at institutions across the country. As demonstrated in the various examples above, a

fight song needs must be rooted in tradition and be easy enough for people to learn and

remember. Therefore, I have used “America the Beautiful” as inspiration for the new CC fight

song. The tune is representative of CC history, due to its long association with the institution,

and is already familiar to the general public. The melody of the verse stems from a transposition

of the original melody of America, the Beautiful with an altered harmony (VII chord) that fits the

bluegrass style. The chorus is an original composition. The lyrics I have written reflect themes

and symbols that were taken from research on the CC community. These lyrics are highlighted in

the stanzas below. However, in order to best reflect the various communities of CC it is arranged

as both a traditional fight song (marching band) and as a college song (bluegrass ensemble). The

chords for the chorus are I, IV, bIII, and VII typical of bluegrass (with the exception of bIII) and

the verses are the same except with a dominant V leading into the chorus. The marching band

arrangement will attempt to reflect the way the University of Tennessee’s “Rocky Top” retains

elements of bluegrass tradition, while still expressing the typical sound and energy of a fight

song. Although not a musical tradition embedded in the state of Colorado, I chose bluegrass as

the second arrangement because of its prevalence on campus. Colorado College currently has

three active bluegrass ensembles that perform regularly on and off campus and increasing

perform further afield, representing CC at festivals such as the Durango Bluegrass Meltdown.

Furthermore, there is a bluegrass festival hosted on campus annually in the spring called Blues

and Shoes. In this way I hope for the bluegrass arrangement to appeal to the on-campus

Morris 25

community (students, faculty, and staff) and for the marching band arraignment to appeal to the

athletics programs, in particular, that of the hockey community and residents of Colorado

Springs who attend these games. See appendices E and F for the notated bluegrass and marching

band arrangements.

Highlighted, are keywords and phrases that can be supported by research in the “CC

Community” subsection.

CHORUS:

To (C)Rocky (G)heights we climb,

Under (C)Pikes Peak’s (G)light we shine!

We (Bb)are (F)C-(C)C! We (F)are (C)C-(G)C!

VERSE:

(G)Immerse yourself in (D)life alone

For (F)that’s how (C)you’ll really (G)know.

Know (G)who you are or (D)what you’ll do

Those (F)questions (C)seem so (G)far.

Go (G)up above, be-(D)yond the Peak

And (F)find what (C)you may (G)find.

For the (G)Black and Gold and what ad-(D)venture holds

If (F)you feel (C)so in- (D)clined.

(CHORUS)

Uniquely are the people here

In-de-pend-ently

Morris 26

We extend our arms so openly

To embrace globally

Hockey:

Though few we are we’ll fight you hard

And return with victory

With tenacity and ferocity

Like Tigers soon you’ll see!

(CHORUS)

Morris 27

The CC Community

In recent years (2013-present), CC has been in a transitional period to modernize and prepare

the school for the future. President Jill Tiefenthaler developed and began the implementation of

the new Colorado College Plan: Building on the Block. One aspect of this plan includes a master

communications plan designed to present CC in a way that “reflect[s] the nuances of our

distinctive curricula and programs and our special place, signifying who we are as an academic

community.”36

The goal of the communications plan is to build a stronger identity for CC that

can then be presented and branded to extend beyond the immediate campus community. The

song above attempts to capture qualities of CC, including its history and ideals of the current

community, so that it can be enjoyed both by the on-campus community as well as branded and

presented beyond the immediate campus community. The following section encapsulates surveys

and interviews and identifies themes that best epitomize the CC community as it is.

Colorado College is a small, selective liberal arts undergraduate institution nestled within the

Rocky Mountain range in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The student body is known for being

eclectic, entrepreneurial, and driven. Founded in 1874, the college has gone through many

academic changes in its history, most notably, the introduction of the block plan in 1970. The

block plan is often what draws students and faculty to Colorado College. It is an intense

academic schedule that completely immerses the students and faculty into the material and

allows for great focus and learning to occur. Over the years a vast, diverse community has

stemmed from Colorado College that extends all across the world. Students, alumni, professors,

and staff reflect a large number of cultures and perspectives. This diversity of perspectives at

Colorado College lends itself to the liberal-minded culture that the community exudes. While

36

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/strategicplan/progress/implementing.dot (last accessed February 17, 2016)

Morris 28

still maintaining such a unique academic opportunity for college students, it also represents over

140 years of tradition.

The above introduction identifies those aspects of CC that are most apparent. These facets of

the CC community are what set it apart from other similar institutions across the United States.

The remainder of this section is intended to identify and extract ideals, symbols, and

commonalities that those who are members of the CC community share, which ultimately

informed my inclusion of specific lyrics into the new CC fight song.

Due to the entrepreneurial nature of the students and the diverse perspectives the community

reflects, it can be difficult to identify those things that bring the CC community together. A fight

song, or ‘college song,’ would reach all aspects of the CC community and would be received

differently depending on the nature of that community. For example, a lyric could not be

included that discusses politically left ideology (representative of the majority of the current on-

campus community) because the lyric will likely conflict with the broader Colorado Springs

community. Members of this community would hear the song while at CC hosted events (e.g.

hockey games) and this community is often politically more right than our on-campus

community. The need for including the Colorado Springs community in this research is not only

for the purpose of the fan base they provide at hockey games, but also for the purpose of

advertising and branding the school as it relates the communications plan mentioned above. Due

to clashes in perspective of the various micro-communities that exist in and around CC, the

community as a whole must be identified and analyzed to incorporate the most appropriate

ideals, symbols, and commonalities into the song. In my research, I draw on three main data

sets: a 1997 research study done by a logo redesign team; a 2014 research study done by

Morris 29

different logo redesign team; and my own 2015 survey of current CC upperclassmen. The

surveys include data from students, staff, faculty, parents, and alumni.

There are three primary segments of the CC community that are evident in the research: the

on-campus community (students, staff, and faculty), the Colorado Springs community (those

who attend hockey games and other CC hosted events), and the off-campus community (alumni,

parents, and prospective students). All three of these communities would be influenced by the

nature of the fight song and, therefore, need to be included in identifying the ideals, symbols, and

commonalities amongst the CC community as a whole. This section will analyze the various

importance of the Tiger as a mascot, the location in which CC is located that fosters an outdoors-

loving culture, the block plan, and the nature of the people who attend or work at CC.

The earliest reference to Colorado College athletics came in the 1901 yearbook, The Pike’s

Peak Nugget. There is no explanation as to the origin of the Tiger as the mascot, however. The

earliest musical reference to the Tiger comes from the earliest song on record, “The Tiger

Victory Song” from 1905.37

Despite the history of the Tiger as a mascot, CC students do not

appear to identify with it as a symbol of the school. In response to the prompt “In one word or

phrase, describe what makes CC, CC…,” not one respondent to the survey (all upperclassmen:

86% seniors and 14% juniors) identified the Tiger as representative of the school. According to

the 2014 logo research team, “Friends and other students didn’t feel like a Tiger because CC is

not a sports school. There is a disconnect between the tiger and how the students feel.”38

Furthermore, one respondent said “Tigers connect with the sports teams but not other aspects of

the school, the tigers are kind of weird because the students don’t really feel like ‘Tigers’; not a

37

“Tiger Victory Song” by Patricia Marchall ’05. Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO:

CC Publications folder. 38

2014 Knowledge Development Team Research. Personal Communication with Colorado College Office of

Communications. https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/communications/ (last accessed February 17, 2016)

Morris 30

unique mascot, multiple other schools have the same mascot.”39

In fact, 45 other schools also

share the Tiger mascot with CC (Clemson, Princeton, etc…) and the Tiger ranks second, only to

the Eagle, as the most common mascot amongst United States colleges and universities.40

The Tiger does not represent the uniqueness of CC. In fact, in the 1990s there was a

movement to change the mascot to the Cutthroat Trout, a native fish to the fresh water of the

Colorado Rockies. This movement came to no avail, however, as the Tiger is so much rooted in

CC history and athletics programs. Therefore, in order to best represent the immediate campus

community, that is, students, faculty, and staff, the Tiger should not be a prominent part of the

fight song. However, in order to best represent CC athletics, where the Tiger is a prominent

symbol, the lyrics should represent the Tiger. Thus, one verse that could be specifically used at

hockey or other sporting events will include the Tiger as a symbol. One complaint about the

Tiger, that favors the movement for the Cutthroat Trout, is that the Tiger is not native or

representative of the region in which CC is located: the Rocky Mountains. In fact in the

yearbook of 1900, one year before the inclusion of the Tiger as the mascot, the opening page

includes a picture of Pike’s Peak and a caption that reads “our mascot.”41

Rocky Mountains

Colorado College’s location in the Rocky Mountain West is integral to understanding the

culture of the student body and according to the research, might even be a better mascot for the

school than the Tiger. The Logo Research team of 1997 found that 70% of respondents were

favorable to including “natural images” in the logo. According to the same research team, when

questioned about the positive aspects of CC, “more respondents commented on the remarkable

39

2014 Knowledge Development Team Research. Personal Communication with Colorado College Office of

Communications. https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/communications/ (last accessed February 17, 2016) 40

https://sites.coloradocollege.edu/bulletin/2010/04/year-of-the-tiger/ (last accessed February 17, 2016) 41

Pike’s Peak Nugget, 1900. Special Collections at Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO.

Morris 31

location than all other positive attributes.” Those interviewed saw the geography, location, and

region to be a “defining element” of the college and that “geographic desirability is a big selling

point to students.” 42

Similarly, when the 2014 logo research team asked what visuals that come

to mind when thinking about CC, respondents said “Pikes Peak”; “rocky mountains, Pikes

Peak”; “Students being able to get off campus and take trips whether it’s for class trips or block

breaks”; “the mountain backdrop”; “pikes peak: widely used in Colorado Springs as a reference

point, all about getting outdoors, can’t avoid the mountains at CC and people miss them when

they leave C. Springs, a lot of what people do is outside”; “Pikes peak makes sense because it

places you in a specific part of the country and speaks to the outdoor spirit”; and “the outdoors,

skiing and hiking.”43

Additional evidence comes in response to a question posed to current CC students: “What

are some common links that bring CC students together? Can you think of any specific symbols,

ideals, or common ground that CC students relate to?” Twenty-Eight of the thirty-seven

respondents (~ 76%) included the words “environmental,” “nature,” “outdoors/outside,” or

“mountain” (Pike’s Peak fell into this category).44

Evidently, the location, and a complimentary

love for the outdoors, is a hallmark of the CC community. However, one consideration must be

made: is this the image that the school wishes to portray? The 1997 research team found that

while location may be important, it is an element that might be “down played” as “academics

should be number one in our minds” and “we don’t want to be known as a ski school.”45

The

multiple communities at CC are at the heart of this issue. The on-campus community (students,

42

1997 Logo Research (pp. 6). Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO: CC Publications

folder. 43

2014 Knowledge Development Team Research. Personal Communication with Colorado College Office of

Communications. https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/communications/ (last accessed February 17, 2016) 44

Student Survey (comprehensive). 45

1997 Logo Research (pp. 6). Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO: CC Publications

folder.

Morris 32

faculty, staff) takes advantage of the location by enjoying views, hiking, skiing, and other

outdoor activities. Likewise, the Colorado Springs community shares the same pride in their

location under Pike’s Peak. However, the school’s image, directed at the extended CC

community (alumni, parents, and prospective students) as an ‘outdoorsy’ school may not draw

the same level of respect as would a similar institution on the east coast. Too much emphasis on

the outdoor aspect of CC could detract from the serious academic aspect of the school. That is

why academic inclusion in the lyrics of the song would represent the perspectives of alumni

quite well.

Alumni, one of the groups who fall into the extended CC community, have reported that

academics are one of the greatest takeaways from their time as CC students. In an open-ended

response format, the class of 2009 (only 26% percent reported) responded after five years post-

graduation: 35.4% reported developing or refining time management skills as a result of their

experiences at CC; 29.3% reported developing or refining writing skills; 25.6% reported

developing or refining critical thinking skills; 24.4% reported developing or refining skills to

more effectively communicate or collaborate with others; 9.8% reported developing or refining

skills to more effectively endure or persevere through stress.46

Thus, to these members of the

extended CC community, the academic imprint of CC is quite valuable. Similarly, from the

perspective of parents and prospective students, the primary goal of a four-year liberal arts

college is academic rigor, not, the convenience and community enjoyment of outdoor activities.

However, one other aspect of CC that is prominent in the research is the importance of, and pride

46

2009 Five-year alumni survey. Personal communication with the Colorado College President’s Office.

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/presidentsoffice/staff.html (last accessed February 17, 2016).

These values are summaries of open-ended questions that analyze the same themes; therefore, some respondents

may have reported one or more of these skills, thus causing the numbers to summate to more than 100%.

Morris 33

in, the block plan. It should be noted, however, that the block plan often takes advantage of the

location and encourages learning outside of the classroom.

The Block Plan

The significance of CC’s block plan is not how it forces curricula or academia onto the

students, but how it allows students, staff, and faculty, together, to build their own education—

literally one block at a time. As one respondent to the question “What makes CC, CC…”

answered, “The people who are here to take advantage of the crazy platform that this place gives

us.”47

This “crazy platform” is the block plan. The block plan provides opportunities for

professors and students alike, to learn and explore beyond the classroom setting. Respondents

identified that the block plan cultivates “experimentation” and “adventurousness” and

accommodates visiting scholars and lecturers who “enrich the curriculum.”48

The block plan

places everyone in the on-campus community on the same schedule. This synchronicity creates a

daily and yearly rhythm that those in the on-campus community share and understand.

Everybody on campus feels the ebb and flow through a single block and from the end of one

block to a block break. This fosters, as one respondent said “a work-hard, play-hard attitude” that

the on-campus community embodies. As one student responded, “The block plan is probably the

most special thing that differentiates CC from and makes CC special to me.”49

Although

scheduling may bring a stronger bond to the on-campus community, it is more the opportunities

that the block plan creates which set CC apart. The block plan allows students to be completely

immersed in one class at a time.

47

Student Survey: “What makes CC, CC…” 48

1997 Logo Research (pp. 7). Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO: CC Publications

folder. 49

Student survey: “What makes CC special to you?”

Morris 34

This structure leaves a blank slate for each and every block, a new opportunity and

experience. A single block may be in another country, may go on field trips for a week or a day

all across the southwest, or might go see a concert or production related to the class material.

Inherently, the block plan allows for creativity, adventure, experimentation, and hands-on

learning. It fosters the uniqueness of the school as each and every block is a unique three-and-a-

half weeks for both faculty and students. Respondents describe the block plan as “not only

academically challenging but also indicative of the experimental and adventurous spirit of both

the students and the faculty; Block Breaks that provide a healthy gap for relaxation and

adventure; Opportunities…”; “unique and adventurous by nature. As a bio student, the block

plan has allowed for many amazing opportunities, such as week-long field trips. It also creates a

strong sense of community and routine to have everyone on the same schedule.” 50

“providing

students with flexibility”; “unique to CC and what attracts [students] to the school.” 51

In

response to the question “What makes CC special to you?” 70.0% of respondents cited the

people in the community, and 29.9% cited the block plan.52

Most of those who said the block

plan also included the people into their reasoning. There is a link between the kind of people who

are attracted to the unique qualities of the block plan and the people who are drawn to the school.

The block plan does not just cultivate adventurous, creative ideas in the students: but it reflects

the students and faculty who naturally seek out the adventurous and avant garde style of learning

that the block plan provides.

50

Student Survey: What makes CC special to you?” 51

1997 Logo Research (pp. 2). Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO: CC Publications

folder. 52

Student Survey: “What makes CC special to you?”

Morris 35

The people at CC: “People are here because they want to be here.”53

The people within the on-campus community are what drive the CC community. The

faculty, students, and staff are all drawn toward the ‘uniqueness’ of the school and,

simultaneously, contribute to the on-going adventure and experiment that CC is. In the on-

campus community it is common for faculty, staff, and students to eat meals together, share

drinks, and speak openly. It is rare to find anybody at CC who responds and is introduced by title

and surname. Even between the president of the college and students first name basis is the

norm. One student described the relationship between faculty and students by describing faculty

as “incredibly intelligent aunts and uncles.”54

Others used the adjective “open” or “open-

minded” when describing the personal community that exists on-campus.55

Another student

described how one of the most notable aspects of CC is that smiling at a passerby will be

reciprocated with another smile, even if that person is a stranger. Another stated that “everyone

is friendly” and that students and faculty are always supportive of one another. These positive

personality traits of the on-campus community seem generate a “culture of happiness at CC.”

This culture of happiness fosters a sense of independence for every student. Adjectives also used

to describe the on-campus community members are “Entrepreneurial,” “independent,” and

always pushing initiative.”56

It seems one thing that bonds the on-campus community together is

the very fact that everybody is independently learning and working on their own interests. There

is communal support in everybody’s individual interest. These qualities of the people at CC are

so much of what makes CC a unique institution.

53

2014 Knowledge Development Team Research. Personal Communication with Colorado College Office of

Communications. https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/communications/ (last accessed February 17, 2016) 54

Student Survey: “What makes CC special to you?” 55

1997 Logo Research (appendix). Special Collections at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO: CC Publications

folder; and, Student Survey: “What makes CC special to you?” 56

Student Survey: “What makes CC special to you?”

Morris 36

Colorado College is an incredibly unique place with a self-selecting community of

individuals, a different way of approaching academics, and in a location that speaks for itself.

The three communities that revolve around CC all would use a fight song in a different way but

there are certain commonalities that they all can relate too. These being, the intensity of

academics, immersion in courses, an education that extends beyond the classroom, a positive

attitude, and an overwhelming attachment to the outdoors, specifically the Rocky Mountains.

These aspects have been incorporated into the lyrics of the CC song but the title was given to the

most overwhelmingly most commonly cited aspect of CC, the people; therefore, the song is

given the title, “We are CC.”

Morris 37

Bibliography

Bailey, D. “College Songs,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H.

Wiley Hitchcock and Stanley Sadie (London: Macmillan, 1986), vol. 1, p470-474.

McGrann, J. W. “Music History at Boston College.” Music Department, Boston College.

www.bc.edu/music.

Studwell, William E. “American College Fight Songs: History and Historiography.” Popular

Music and Society 19/3 (1995): 125-130.

Studwell, William E., (Ed.), and Bruce R., (Ed.) Schueneman. College Fight Songs: An

Annotated Anthology. New York: Haworth, 1998.

Turner, Victor. Forest of Symbols: Aspects of Ndembu Ritual. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University

Press, 1967.

Discography

The Florida State University Marching Band, The Best of College Football Fight Songs. CD-

ROM (Florida State University: Sheridan Square, 2007).

Uniform Resource Locator (last accessed February 17, 2016)

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/aapps/tours/walkingtour/bemis.php

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/strategicplan/progress/implementing.dot

http://www.uscho.com/stats/attendance/division-i-men/2013-2014/

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/aapps/tours/walkingtour/bemis.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9IZeoxn7BQ

https://www.bc.edu/offices/bands/ensembles/marching/faq.html

http://www.und.com/trads/nd-fightsong.html

http://www.clemson.edu/about/traditions.html

http://tband.people.clemson.edu/Download_SheetMusic.html

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http://www.clemson.edu/about/traditions.html

http://www.wbir.com/story/life/music/2014/08/26/rocky-top-house-of-bryant-songwriting-university-of-

tennessee-gatlinburg-inn-marketing/14647827/

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/strategicplan/progress/implementing.dot

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/communications/

https://sites.coloradocollege.edu/bulletin/2010/04/year-of-the-tiger/

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/presidentsoffice/staff.html

Table of Appendices:

Appendix A: “Our Colorado” – from the CC Archives

Appendix B: “The Black and the Gold” – from the CC Archives

Appendix C: “The Bruin Inn” – from the CC Archives

Appendix D: “Colorado C Men” – from the CC Archives

Appendix E: “We are CC” – Lead Sheet

Appendix F: “We are CC” – Marching Band

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

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Appendix D

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Appendix E

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Appendix F

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