Richard Kern, Ph.D., professor emeritus of history, and UF band members performing the fight song under the direction of Louis Chenette, Ph.D., author of the fight song and former acting president, will be heard over the airwaves of the student-operated radio station, WLFC 88.3, through the end of January.

On Jan. 18, community members and UF faculty, staff and students were invited to attend a special event in Ritz Auditorium, featuring Kern and Chenette. This event marked the first of many celebrating the University’s 125th anniversary.

Air times include Jan. 27 at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Jan. 28 at noon and 6 p.m.; Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.; and Jan. 30 at 3 a.m., 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The show lasts approximately 30 minutes.

The audience was welcomed by Chenette, who led members of the UF band in a spirited rendition of the song he wrote when he was hired to create UF’s first marching band. Following the band’s performance was Kern, who delivered his fondly remembered freshman orientation address.

Kern first welcomed UF freshmen in the 1970s and continued to do so through the fall of 2002. He provided a history of the University as well as humorous stories of students who walked the halls of Old Main many years ago.

He reminded the audience of the 1890s when “work study” had a completely different meaning: Students helped pay their way through college by carrying coal to stoves in classrooms at 6 a.m. Kern also told of a time when there was a common drinking cup attached to the hand pump of the all-campus water well near the south entrance of Old Main.

Early presidents of the college sometimes used the lawn of rye grass in front of Old Main to pasture their cows. Kern noted that the practice was “a presidential perk which later presidents, including Dr. Freed, have been slow to embrace.”

Kern recited several all-college yells, also known as cheers. The most popular was known for its incorporation of Latin, a requirement in 1892 when the yell was written, and natural gas, as Old Main was the only college building in the world heated with natural gas at one time. The cheer, “Hic Haec Hoc! Free from smoke! Now you know, Findlay College, O-Hi-O!” was written by student William Nelson “Nockemstiff” Yates who later became president of the college from 1893-1895.

The event closed with a performance of the alma mater sung by Micheal F. Anders, Ph.D., director of choral activities, and accompanied by members of the UF band.