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Media Credit: Bethany Baker The ISU Marching Sycamores march with Sycamore Sam in the Torchlight Parade Wednesday night playing the school fight song.

Media Credit: Bethany Baker A crowd of students walks up Fourth Street during Wednesday night's Torchlight Parade.

For ISU President Daniel J. Bradley, the annual torchlight parade and pep rally Wednesday evening was about carrying on Sycamore traditions and unifying the student population for Homecoming.

He said he wants the traditions to be carried out through his term as president of ISU.

Greek students were not the only people marching around campus to create school spirit.

The Marching Sycamores played the ISU school song and the Alma Mater in front of all the residence halls on campus.



Alto saxophonist for the Marching Sycamores Michael Baum, a sophomore music education major, said the marching band participates in the Torchlight Parade to "pump up people at ISU to create spirit" for Homecoming week.

"It is all about passing on traditions to unify the campus," he said.

Kay Anna Hurst, a freshman nursing major, marched with friends at the event despite the cold weather.

"I feel a sense of unity as I see all the organizations' and students' torches burning in the distance," she said.

Sarah Christian, a junior history and legal studies major and a Delta Gamma Homecoming representative, said she marched with pride to "promote unity" among all students at ISU.

Also she wanted to "get school spirit pumped for Saturday's Homecoming game."

Michael Scott Jr., the SGA president and a junior political science and social studies major, walked behind the Marching Sycamores and Sparkettes with Union Board President Regina Atkins, a junior liberal studies major.




Both agreed that the purpose of the night's event was to rally students for the game and to promote school spirit.

After marching around campus in the Torchlight Parade, students congregated in the South Gym of the Arena for a pep rally to introduce the football team and to kindle the spirit of ISU.

In the Arena, the Marching Sycamores and Sparkettes again performed the fight song and the school song.


Sarah Hoskins, a sophomore elementary education major and a member of Alpha Phi, went to both events.

She said that the Greeks strive to inspire unity around campus especially during Homecoming.

At the rally she said, "I hope we [ISU] can go for a win."

She said the best parts of the event were "getting to walk with my sisters and supporting ISU."

( Heidi Staggs is a freshman communication major. She can be reached at sascamed@isugw.indstate.edu.)

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