Spam & Caffeine: Tiger Definitions

Every close-knit group, like a band, has it's own take on the world. But we're different: we've created our own reality. Once you're here, there's no escape. And it's easier to get here than you realize. So study up, you wouldn't want to be lost in our world.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

A-WDPFTI/OP?CPB&SSRU!!!!@DPU
Acronym for "Award-Winning DePauw Fighting Tiger Indoor/Outdoor Professional(?) Cheering Pep Band and Spam Society Revue, Unlimited!!!! at DePauw University." Who said acronyms were pronounceable? Heck, "pronounceable" is barely pronounceable. (Okay, we admit we borrowed this idea from the really-cool Virginia Pep Band.)
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Asynchronous
The ordinary manner in which the trumpet section performs in relation to the rest of the band.
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Attention
Something the band and the team should pay occasionally -- especially while playing!
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C

Caffeine
The driving element behind any Tiger Pep Band member. Blood-caffeine checks are administered frequently on a random basis to ensure that there is plenty of hyper-energy to last the game and party afterwards.
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Clock Runs Out, The
Even the clock couldn't stand it.
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Countermarch
When the Tiger Pep Band makes for the concession stand. See T-Formation
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D

Dan H. Hanna Tarnished Spitvalve Award, The
The Dan H. Hanna Tarnished Spitvalve is awarded annually to the most overachieving member of the Tiger Pep Band -- the one who gives it all in the name of Tiger Spirit -- the one who's clearly the biggest, well, band-geek! Recipients are nominated by the members and are finally chosen by "The Management." The original Tarnished Spitvalve Award was originally created by Mr. Dan Hanna, director of DePauw bands emeritus, and this recently " revived and revised" award is named in his honor.

"Revived and revised?" Well, we brought back the name, but we've changed the idea. One must understand that, during Mr. Hanna's tenure, "the Tarnished Spitvalve award was - well - a mixed honor -- sort of like being last in your graduating class. You had to be sort of a general screw-up who ... managed to pull it together and come through to save the day," according to alumni Andy Cooper. At the time, senior marching band members who did not earn the Tarnished Spitvalve were granted Certificates of Ineligibility, which read, "This is to state for all posterity that _________, a senior in the DePauw Marching Band, is not eligible to receive the Tarnished Spitvalve. (Though the effort was made, such distinction can come only to a few dedicated individuals.)"
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Doubletime
The tempo the band usually ends up playing. See Halftime.
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E

End zone
The coda.
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Extraordinaire, Pep Band __________
A title bestowed on retiring members of the Tiger Pep Band. It is always combined with some description. For example: Jeff Radcliffe is our Pep Band Poet Extraordinaire. Cameron Mott is our Pep Band Member Extraordinaire. And Jennifer Peschke is our Pep Band Existentialist-Cheer Composer Extraordinaire.
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F

Fanfare
What everyone except the band and teams pay to watch the game.
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Fashion
An element the Tiger Pep Band defies: White shoes. Black pants. Multi-color yellow shirt. Simple, looks good in large groups. But don't do it alone, the bees might take a liking to you.
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Flam
The sound of two tubas locking bells.
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Foop Foop
The sound of a bass drum after the stick breaks.
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H

Halftime
The tempo the percussion section usually ends up playing. See Doubletime.
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Hannaphone
A type of field instrument so designed that even in the hands of anyone no sound is forthcoming. Essentially a clarinet sans reed. Etymology: Hann-a-phone. Hann(a) refers to Professor Dan H. Hanna, director of DePauw bands emeritus. A, in this case, negates the next term, as in "asynchronous." Phone refers to a sounding-making device.
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Homecomming
What students do after a day of schooolgoing. See also Old Gold Weekend.
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I

Instrument
This thing you either blow into, hit with a stick, or press the pretty buttons on to make coordinated noise called music. Usually it sounds good when lots of instruments play the same music at the same time. Yeah, we like it when that happens.
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Instrumentation
The science of making all those noise-makers sound like they should be making noise together and not in any random fashion.
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M

Management, The
From Mr. Dan H. Hanna's era of the DePauw Marching Band, a term referring to the Director and Drum Majors. Now, the term affectionately refers to the Faculty Advisor and Student Directors when awarding the Dan H. Hanna Tarnished Spitvalve and accompanying Certificates of Ineligibility.
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Monon Bell
Not necessarily the last game of the season, but quite possibly one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football between DePauw University and Wabash College. (Seriously, ESPN and Tostitos mark the DePauw-Wabash rivalry in the top 29 of their Great Rivalry Challenge match up.) If you're not up on your DePauw History 101, the Monon Railroad donated a 300-pound locomotive bell as a prize to the victor of the 1932 DePauw-Wabash game. However, this was not the start of the fierce rivalry, the DePauw Tigers have been beating up on the Wabash Little Giants since 1890.

Students from both schools do some pretty outlandish things to steal the bell during the remainder of the year, so be prepared to throw yourself in the way of any Wabash boy who might try to steal our bell from us -- and it is our bell, no matter what the ref says.
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N

Non-Conformist
Basically, anyone who dares call themselves a proud member of the Tiger Pep Band or the Tiger Pep Band Tiger Maniacs. This title is a throwback from Professor Dan Hanna's days as director of the "DePauw Mini-Marching Band" and "DePauw Stumble Society," when marching band members received cards warning others of their membership in the band.
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O

Old Gold Weekend
An opportunity for the DePauw trustees to turn on the fountains in Bowman Park. This is supposedly DePauw's homecoming, which explains why bunches of last year's graduates are hanging around. At the game, an Old Gold King and Queen are crowned, but we're not quite sure what they rule over: there's nothing but a football game for the students to go to that weekend.
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P

Paradiddle
Two goof-offs in the percussion section. Also, Double Paradiddle: Four of 'em.
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R

Rank
adj., regarding (1.) the Tiger Pep Band at DePauw: "You have one of the ranking bands in the nation," or (2.) the Wabash Pep Band and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Pep Band: "You have one of the rankest bands in the nation." See Tiger (for first definition) or Wabash College (for second definition).
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Rim Shot
Just a sip, please.
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Rolloff
A novel way to leave the game.
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Ruff
1. Will somebody chase that darn dog off the field again? (No kidding, we had one out there during the Sewanne game.) 2. September through November. 3. Intonation.
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S

Sanity
Something that you won't find here. Nope, not allowed. If you were sane, you might qualify as a faculty advisor!
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Snare
1. A drum with a high-pitch stacatto sound. 2. A device for trapping additional pep band recruits.
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Spam!
We are the single highest consumers of verbal spam in America. It is in our cheers, it is in our chants, it is in our blood. Why? Why not. Ask our Hawaiian member; she likes Spam with her eggs and rice.
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Spitvalve, Tarnished
See Tarnished Spitvalve Award.
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Stumblebum
1. One of those alumni folks who marched (?) around Blackstock Stadium as a member of the DePauw University Marching Band, a.k.a. The DePauw Stumble Society. 2. A member of the Tiger Pep Band who can't even climb the steps into the stands without tripping, throwing a hotdog into the air to become a new decoration on the press box, and landing on a pile of music stands and other riff-raff.
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T

T-Formation
When a British band makes for the concession stand. See Countermarch.
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Tiger
1. The fierce fighting feline mascot of DePauw University. 2. Any DePauw University student. 3. The namesake of the Tiger Pep Band. 4. Someone in an animal costume who studies for a degree on weekdays.
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V

Victory
As in victorious. See Tiger.
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W

Wabash College
Wabash College is an all-boys school up the road on US-231. We've had a fierce rivalry with them since 1892. See Monon Bell and Rank, second definition.
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Whatsat?
A question asked by people in the away stands when listening to the band in the home stands. Also, a question asked by people in the home stands.
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