Sandstorm returns — however do college students perceive the importance?

On the Kansas State basketball recreation in opposition to Texas Tech College this previous Saturday, Darude’s “Sandstorm” was performed for the primary time this season. It was met with each screams and confused faces as older college students and alumni cheered wildly for the music and youthful college students simply tried to determine what was happening.

The coed physique’s Sandstorm privileges have been revoked throughout Okay-State alumnus Ethan Goff’s freshman 12 months basketball season, Goff stated. Goff, who graduated in December 2022, stated the removing was because of the hateful chant in direction of the College of Kansas that accompanied the music. 

“Clearly we had a extremely good crew within the Massive 12 that 12 months, so all of the video games have been enjoyable. They nonetheless had the mantra happening then. I imply, being a freshman on campus, you have been simply making an attempt to really feel cool and slot in, so that you went together with it,” Goff stated. “It undoubtedly received your complete pupil part rowdy and received the place actually loud. My mother and father would watch the sport on TV, textual content me and say they may hear it loud and clear.”

Goff stated he’s relieved and appreciative that the coed physique is extra centered on Okay-State success slightly than regarding itself with different universities, which is mirrored in the way in which college students conduct themselves on the video games.

“I believe it was evident once we performed Texas Tech Saturday that the mantra was thrown out the window,” Goff stated. “I used to be on the recreation and I didn’t hear anybody round me use something vulgar in direction of KU. It was undoubtedly simply Okay-S-U your complete time the music was performed.”

Not each ticket holder was as thrilled or relieved to listen to Sandstorm as Goff. Katie Free, junior in dietary sciences, stated she was actually confused by the uproar when Sandstorm performed.

“I type of simply went together with the group,” Free stated. “I had no context.”

Free stated as a result of she had by no means heard the music at a basketball recreation, she didn’t perceive the importance. However she additionally stated different college students may higher perceive due to their backgrounds as Okay-State followers, a background she doesn’t share.

“I additionally don’t come from a Okay-State-loving household; I come from a Nebraska Cornhuskers household, so I hadn’t gone to Okay-State video games till I used to be in faculty,” Free stated.

There hasn’t been a lot buzz surrounding the music, Free stated. In truth, she stated discussions about our present basketball rankings overshadow Sandstorm’s return.

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“Within the group chats I’m in, persons are sending screenshots of the place we stand compared to groups nationally,” Free stated. “I haven’t heard rather a lot about Sandstorm, simply extra about our rankings generally.”

Grace Hartman, senior in civil engineering, stated she is upset underclassmen don’t grasp the significance of Sandstorm like seniors do.

“I believe it’s loopy that they don’t perceive the importance of it,” Hartman stated. “Sandstorm was such a giant a part of my underclassmen years, however hopefully they quickly will perceive the importance now that it’s again. It’s — in a approach — a convention at basketball video games.” 

Each Goff and Hartman stated they hope Sandstorm is right here to remain. 

“Return and take heed to a few Coach Tang’s postgame conferences, particularly after KU, the Texas Tech recreation and even a number of earlier than these,” Goff stated. “He type of talks about displaying love and character and being purchased into this system and never making an attempt to be nervous about different universities.”

Goff stated he urges college students to take Head Males’s Basketball Coach Jerome Tang’s message of affection and good character to coronary heart.