IllustrateD volume 25, issue 1 43
f
diately given to the Glee Club and
sung at Chapel, where it was met
with popular favor. From that point
forward it was adopted as Purdue's
official song.
Wotowa's comments more than 57
years ago indicated an astute under-
standing of the continuing legacy of
the song.
"You can hardly read the words to
the song without hearing the music,"
Wotowa said. "It makes you want to
go to a football game."
From a Purdue perspective, truer
words have not been spoken.
The song hasn't changed much
over the years, though the relative-
ly recent addition of two words —
"Boiler up" — have added a little
spice. The phrase, which originated
with Arnette Tiller, wife of Joe Tiller,
ads a cheer and subsequent arm mo-
tion that has come synonymous with
big-time Purdue sports events.
"The thing I like best about the
song is the fact that it is all about
Purdue," said former Purdue Pete
Andrew Walters, who has
spent a great deal of time
studying the song since
his graduation in 2012.
"It is one of the few fight
songs in the country that
doesn't demean a rival
and that makes it extra
powerful in my book."
Walters, a purist,
doesn't particularly like
the addition of "Boiler
up." He called it: "A catchy
phrase, but it does not ful-
ly embody the Boilermak-
er experience.
"'Boiler up' is more
of a greeting or rally cry.
Unlike 'Boiler up,' the
two words 'hail Purdue'
describe something more
than a hello or let's get
fired up. 'Hail Purdue' has
a much more profound
meaning."
To help commemorate
the 100-year anniversary
of the copyright, the lyrics are etched
in glass and displayed prominently
between the Bell Tower and Hovde
Hall. It was an initiative executed by
Purdue students in an effort to show
school spirit. The monument has the
effect of showing Purdue's past in red
brick that supports the glass, but also
has a futuristic look with the trans-
parent nature of the graphic.
"The placement of it is great
there," Walters said. "It is the first
thing a student sees when he or she
walks into Elliott Hall of Music for
Boiler Gold Rush and the last thing to
see before heading into the building
for graduation."
j
Purdue
"Hail Purdue" has been a tradition of the "All-America" Marching band since the
band's inception.
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