A sea of bobbing heads spilled into Memorial Stadium, guided and greeted by volunteers dressed in the University’s signature orange. Volunteers passed out carrot-colored T-shirts, decorated in school symbols and chants.
The incoming students donned their orange Illini Pride, initiating their journey with their new alma mater.
“I love the colors, I love the passion,” said Michael Przybyl, freshman in Engineering. “The culture’s energetic, I like it.”
The first of many events in the University’s Welcome Week, Illinois Sights & Sounds introduces students to the community they have joined. Through nonstop music, performances and videos, student energy levels kept climbing.
“I can see a bit more of the culture,” Przybyl said. “You don’t see that when you just move in and walk around town.”
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Przybyl came to experience the event with a friend he made in his dorm, Parker Roeder, freshman in Engineering.
Roeder’s parents both went to the University, so he feels excited to be a part of the school, Roeder said. He looks forward to seeing the football games and wants to continue learning the University’s chants.
“I-L-L!” Roeder shouted.
Throughout the event, students performed on the field. A cappella singing prefaced the event before handing off the stage to Fighting Illini Cheerleading Team.
Dozens of orange and blue pom poms shook to capture the rhythm of the music while other cheerleaders danced across the field and lifted each other into the air.
Soon after, the Marching Illini covered the field, with hundreds of brass pieces glimmering in every direction.
The marching members formed into various shapes, including the word “Illini.”
Throughout the performance, an announcer taught students various Illinois chants. As he instructed students to stand up, they began holding each other and dancing together.
According to the University’s New Student website, Illinois Sights & Sounds teaches students “what it means to be an Illini and that (they), the student, are Illinois.”
