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Fight song modernizes original

Assistant news editor

Published: Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Updated: Tuesday, March 2, 2010

fight song

Tommy Nagel

An updated version of the DU fight song was created during winter break. 

The song is a more fun version of the original, said DU consultant Scott Gilbert. The aim was to modernize the traditional version.

Four or five students recorded the vocals for the new version in the fall. The students’ voices were put over a rock mix of the song.

The lyrics for the updated version are the same as the original version, but were sung to a different beat. The process in deciding to create the new song was informal, said Gilbert. 

It came about from casual conversation between the administration and USG. 

The updated version of the fight song was designed to supplement the current fight song, not necessarily replace it, he said. The goal was to have a peppier version of the original.

The feeling in USG was that the fight song was not being used to its full potential and had an outdated sound, said Antoine Perretta, president of USG.

“There was a general feeling that the fight song is outdated and under-utilized,” said Perretta.

Only a few students have heard the new song. It has not been played at a sporting event yet and there are no plans to play it in the future. The student reaction has been mixed. Some students love it and some hate it, said Perretta.

 

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6 comments

current student
Wed Mar 10 2010 19:51
I'm going to be one of those students that Perretta says hates it. I hope it is never played at a sporting event! I have new respect for the old fight song.
Anonymous
Wed Mar 10 2010 00:42
That was ... interesting. I appreciate the effort into promoting the fight song on campus, but I don't think there's anything wrong with the current one. Fight songs are meant to have an older, even a little bit cheesy feel to them (to reference CSU's, "fight on you stalwart ram team..."). I like ours a lot. Its an easy tune and there never seems to be anyone who has a problem singing it at hockey games.
Anonymous
Wed Mar 3 2010 20:17
no...just no. fight songs are fight songs for a reason. they have a certain sound, and this is just...no. i wouldn't listen to anything like this any day, let alone at any sporting event. no
Scott Gilbert
Wed Mar 3 2010 12:09
For clarity, this idea was initiated by an alumna from the early 2000's, Darcy Kimmich. She was hoping to create more interest in the fight song and more energy. She was hoping to connect DU'ers from the past with the present. (It was done at no cost by colleagues in her company MalenkeBarnhart, a Denver internet content provider.)
Tom Douglis '86
Tue Mar 2 2010 15:40
As one of the alumni who has worked hard to restore our current (old) fight song to greater prominence, I encourage the USG to take a wider perspective than just what sounds 'current' to 18-22 year old ears. Most of the great college fight songs were written between 1895 and about 1925, when college student sing-alongs were popular in the days before radio and TV. DU's fight song dates from 1916 and sounds just fine when played with enough instruments and volume- in fact it, it sounds quite similar to "Hail Purdue" - a well-known Big 10 fight song. We've come a long way in terms of current DU students learning the words, and the fight song has done a great job in connecting students, alumni and fans across the generations with pride for nearly 100 years, as it's easy to sing and remember. School spirit has made some big improvements in recent years around DU, and the re-invigorated old fight song is a big part of that, in my opinion. While the new version has it's limited place, I strongly encourage the DU community to stick with an old tradition that connects to all of us, not just today's undergrads. There is something very cool about meeting a DU alumnus from the 1940 or 50s or 70s who sang the same song we all sing today. We are all part of a big family, and shared school spirit is one of the things that we have in common.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 2 2010 10:59
it's kind of 80's, dontcha think?






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