On the prowl for a new growl

As it has been stated at every “Welcome Back” function held by GCSU, the students’ SAT scores and GPAs rank with University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. However, these two larger institutions have something that GCSU lacks.

What is it? It is a simple answer, something usually overlooked, but highly necessary. It is a fight song.

Although GCSU does not have a football team, there is plenty of school spirit. A GCSU Bobcat’s sense of school pride can surpass that of a Bulldog at “Dear Old U-G-A” or a “Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech.” So why do we need a fight song? Many students may not know this, but GCSU does have a song: the alma mater, “O Beacon Bright.”

When talking to students about the song, the general consensus was that they had no idea that GCSU had one.

“I don’t even know what the words to our alma mater would be,” sophomore John Gose said.

The fact is, the alma mater, while perfect for formal events, is a little too ceremonial. No one wants to be chanting, “of caring sage and ardent youth.” at a basketball game. Our teams need the musical encouragement that they deserve.

Over the summer the Student Government Association attempted to write what they thought would be a great fight song.

“It just wasn’t fightish enough,” SGA President Ryan Greene said.
As a result, SGA, along with the Athletics Department, Department for Student Affairs and Campus Life, has put the creation of the fight song into the students’ hands. They have organized a competition in which a student or group of students can write and submit their own creative ideas for a fight song to be performed at basketball games by the pep band.

A recording of the song will be made to be played at other activities where the band will not be present. Dr. Doug O’Grady of the music department will be composing the song.

“I am going to wait until I get the lyrics to do anything with the song,” O’Grady said, “It should be a collaborative process between me and the writer.”

The winner of the competition will be working with O’Grady to make the song the best it can be. The song has to be composed for the entire pep band.

O’Grady said he has been preparing for the creation of the fight song by listening to other universities’ fight songs and getting a feel for them. He also suggests this method when preparing to write the lyrics for the song; it has to feel like every other fight song.

“We’re a school that has a history, and that history needs to be incorporated in the song,” O’Grady said.

Other hints that O’Grady mentioned were to include something personal to GCSU that only those who attend the college would understand.

“Alabama has the yellow hammer, which still to this day I do not understand.” O’Grady said of his own fight song.

However, he did understand that it meant something to the school, and it worked to get the crowd pumped up.

A song invoking school pride, respect and spirit is obviously necessary. Some helpful hints when writing your submission are to include anything that relates to GCSU, such as bobcats, columns, liberal arts and the colors green and blue.

A $250 grand prize will be given to the winner, and his or her name will be attached to the song. The competition starts now while the deadline for submission has not been announced. The winning song will debut during Homecoming Week, Feb. 16-21, 2009.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 5 2008. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry