Students rise early to prepare for game

Avid fans without tickets gain admittance by distributing pom-pons to student sections

By Stephanie Hepburn
and Alice Robinson
Daily Staff Reporters

Students shivered outside Gate 9 of Michigan Stadium at 8 a.m. Saturday morning as a TV news helicopter hovered above to document the day's events.

About 100 student volunteers, dressed from head-to-toe in Michigan garb, tore themselves out of bed to distribute 45,000 maize- and blue-striped pom-pons on bleachers in the student sections. In return, each student received a free ticket in either section 27, 28, 29 or 30 of the student section.

The pom-pon distribution was just one example of the Michigan pride displayed all over campus prior to the kickoff of the Michigan-Ohio State game.

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Public Health second-year graduate student Jeff Holtzhausen, known at Michigan sporting events as Superfan, enters the empty stadium before Saturday's game.

At 503 Hill street, Architecture senior Mike Krug and LSA sophomore Tom Littlefield beat the "Go Blue" cowbell melody, usually played at home games in student sections, on a drum from their open window.

Two hours before the game started, 500 students gathered for free roses, frappaccino and live music at the first-ever student tailgate party at Elbel Field, between East Hoover and Hill streets.

The early morning pom-pon distribution team displayed temporary 'M' tatoos, painted faces, Michigan baseball hats, skull caps and sweatshirts. Some members of the University swim team stood with wet hair after their Saturday morning practice.

The students distributing pom-pons were very excited about the upcoming events of the day.

LSA junior Jill Schmidt said that it was rewarding to see a dedicated group of students at the stadium - even at 8 a.m.

"It's a nice way for everyone to come together and show school spirit," Schmidt said.

Schmidt said that when she saw arriving fans react to the pom-pons, it made her feel like she contributed to the exciting atmosphere.

"It was a great day. It was one of the best days of my life," Schmidt said. "It was cool to see people using the pom-pons to cheer on our team and wondering who put them there. Then I thought 'yeah I did it.' People were excited to have some way to express their school spirit."

The participating students learned about the volunteer effort, which would earn them a ticket to the game, through an e-mail from the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, which often coordinates special events such as the pom-pom crew.

University Athletic Director Tom Goss said the idea for a pom-pon crew came from a student suggestion.

"I finally had them produce the pom-pons for $16,000," Goss said. "It was a student who recommended it. We don't come up with all the ideas, just most of them."

Students from the group Spiritchange, which organized the tailgate party, said the idea for the tailgate sprung from their Organizational Behavior 314 class, where they were asked to design a class project that inspired change. The tailgate party was their effort at increasing school spirit.

Whereas many private tailgate parties are held by individual student groups or groups of friends, Spiritchange organizers emphasized that all members of the University community were welcome to attend the Elbel Field event.

"I think people are willing to tailgate together, but they just need a place to do it," said LSA senior Jon Newsom, a member of Spiritchange. Newsom said he hopes the tailgate party will become an annual tradition.

-Daily staff reporter Peter Romer-Friedman contributed to this report.

11-24-97