University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

Page 17 text:

l A student displays her take A dedicated Razorback fan on the Texas Longhorns at sleeps outside Donald the Pep Rally in a “Longhorn, Reynolds Stadium a day before ' it’s what’s for dinner! T-shirt, the Sept. 11 game. As man F in the week leading up to the as 50 students set up tents® game, the only things in sight sleeping bags and lawn chairs wvere “Beat Texas!” T-shirts and camped outside Gate 17 to land upside-down Hook ' Em ensure front row seats in the student section for the Arkan- norns signs. Photo Courtesy of the Arkansas Travelec sas-Texas football game. Photo Courtesy of the Ark Rivalry Reunited

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Razorback spirit abounds as long-standing tradition reunites Hogs and ' Horns once again The rivalry between Arkansas and Texas was rooted in a long¬ standing tradition that began over a century ago when the schools first played each other in 1894. It took 15 tries before Arkansas was finally able to defeat the Tex¬ as Longhorns in 1933. However, it was not until the 1960s when heated competition only elevated the rivalry between the schools. Arkansas fans still grieved when reminded of the 1969 loss in “The Big Shootout,” when number one ranked Texas came from behind to defeat number two ranked Ar¬ kansas 15-14 in Fayetteville. This game determined the national champions and ultimately defined the ‘Homs and Hogs rivalry. The teams played each other annually for 60 years in the South¬ west Conference, making it one of the most competitive leagues in college football. Since Arkansas switched to the Southeastern Conference in 1991, Arkansas and Texas had met only twice. Once in the 2000 Cotton Bowl, when Arkansas won 27-6 and in the 2003 football season, when Arkansas stunned the crowd at the Darrell K. Royal Texas Me¬ morial Stadium with a 38-28 win. With so much at stake, Arkan¬ sas fans were ready for another victory when the ‘Horns came to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the second meeting of the two-game contract. As early as Wed. Sept. 8, 2004, students camped out in front of Gate 17 at the stadium to ensure front-row seats. They camped in the humid Arkansas weather and played cards to pass the time. “I slept outside the stadium be¬ cause I knew it would be a great game,” Brittney Ramirez said. “There is so much history behind Arkansas and Texas football.” The week leading up to the game featured many activities designed to build excitement and enthusi¬ asm across campus. And, the pep rally Thurs. Sept. 9, served as the ultimate spirit booster. “Wooo Pig Sooie” and the “Fight Song” could be heard for miles beyond the Chi Omega Greek Theatre. Cheerlead¬ ers, mascots, band members and fans alike donned the infamous “Beat Texas” T-shirts that came to symbolize the week. On Sept. 11, the Longhorns came to Fayetteville for the first time in 15 years for one of the most anticipated games in Razor- back football history. The Razor- backs took on the number seven ranked Longhorns but fell 22-20 in the final minutes of battle. Fans were silenced only as Arkansas was intercepted on the last play of the game. And consequently, the walk back up the hill was a long one. The game was also the 35 th an¬ niversary of the fateful 1969 game. Plans to commemorate the game were cancelled because of fans’ ob¬ jection to honor players from both 1969 teams on Arkansas’ field, as the planned celebration would have. Insead, Arkansas honored its 1964 team, which claims a dis¬ puted national championship, at halftime. Fans waited 15 years for the Longhorns to finally come back to Fayetteville. Fans waited in line all day before the game and spent as many as 18 hours at the stadium in the miserable Arkansas sun. And fans would have to patiently wait for the next matchup, not know¬ ing when that day would arrive. Despite the heartbreak, the en¬ ergy of the 75,671 fans at Razor- hack Stadium that night was un¬ paralleled, each fan witnessing 210 years of competitive tradition. •V

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Three-year anniversary of 9 11 restored students’ faith and unity while honoring those who served time at war Carolyn Finnie Every generation experienced life-altering milestones - the at¬ tack on Pearl Harbor, the assas¬ sination of JFK, the crash of the Challenger. Likewise, the terrorist attacks committed on Sept. 11, 2001 forever changed our genera¬ tion. It was a date etched into his¬ tory and a fateful memory forever embedded into our minds. We all remembered where we were, what we were doing, what thoughts raced through our minds while watching the horrific mo¬ ments unfold. These emotions forever set this date apart from any other. Three years had passed since thousands of lives were taken after the devastating terrorist attacks when students, faculty, alumni and the rest of the world sat in horror as the first of two planes crashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. The acts of terror left Americans filled with disbelief, tremendous sorrow and unyielding anger. This year, the Arkansas-Texas game took place on the three-year anniversary of the attacks, provid¬ ing a time for reflecting on the past and looking ahead toward a brighter future. And the Razor- back Marching Band set out to do just that. To honor those who died in the attacks and those who had since died at war, the Razorback March¬ ing Band performed a commemo¬ ration show titled “In Memory of 9 11 01.” Prior to the game, F-16s flew over Donald W. Reynolds Stadium to kick off the show. At halftime, Arkansas soldiers repre¬ senting various military units who served time in Iraq and Afghani¬ stan stood on the field, and a mo¬ ment of silence was observed for the 12 fallen Arkansans lost to the war in the previous year. The entire performance required extensive practice and rehearsal. “Perfect timing was our big¬ gest concern,” Razorhack March¬ ing Band drum major and senior Charles Frazier said. “The script that was read had been written in such a way that big impact mo¬ ments in the music would line up with powerful moments in the script.” Band director Timothy Gunter said, “I believed that we had the obligation on the day of 9 11 to take our audience to a place of remembrance and reverence as we try to get them to focus on the memory of the lost, the bravery of our troops, and what they can do as Americans to help.” The Sept. 11 attacks gave Americans a sense of national uni¬ ty that they had not experienced for generations. And certainly, the impact of the anniversary perfor¬ mance greatly enhanced the spirit at the football game and brought back many emotions. “It was also our job to bring them back to the football game, the place they have chosen to be and the reason they are there that night,” Gunter said. “It is true that this is a serious show in that we are not only remembering a terrible time for our country, but honor¬ ing our soldiers and the thousands who lost their lives in this horrible tragedy.” “I was very pleased with the re¬ sult of the band’s hard work,” Fra¬ zier said. “There were moments just during rehearsals that really touched me and times where the entire band and our staff just knew that on game day we were going to do something very special.” The Razorback Marching Band set out to capture the pride of Americans and to honor our country. In turn, they not only re¬ stored students’ sense of unity but strengthened it. Students stood united in the stadium amongst our nation’s heroes. Soldiers representing all of the military branches from Arkansas who served time in Iraq and Afghanistan stand on the field in the Sept. 11 com¬ memoration halftime show. Students honored the soliders for their courageous service to our country. Photo Courtesy of the Arkansas Traveler 14 Student Life