AU Traditions: Dunn Hall Drumline

 BY CASSIE SANCHEZ ’20

 2 MIN. READ

If you’ve attended a football game here at Anderson University, you may have caught a glimpse of passionate students enthusiastically pounding on the bottom of plastic trash bins. While they might be off beat (sometimes), the energy they provide to the game unifies and engages the crowd supporting our student-athletes. 

While the history of the Dunn Hall Drumline is hard to pin down, residents of the third floor of Dunn are credited with its beginnings back in 2002. These students were ready to see rowdy, spirited students at the football games — something that had been lacking for some time. 

They wondered, what if they were those students? 

So, the third floor gathered together, made some mallets out of tennis balls and wood, found some old trash cans, and the Dunn Hall Drumline was born.

Drumline students
The boys attended as many games as they could, from club sports like rugby to big events like football. They came decked out with face paint, orange hair, any spirit wear they could find, and plenty of Raven pride. Rodney also made appearances, dancing and cheering with the well-known drum beats, such as:

  • The Ninja
  • The Dirty Ninja
  • Snoop
  • T-Hom (named after alumnus Thom Newell)
  • The Crossover
  • Kanye
  • Touchdown
  • Lip Gloss
  • Varner (named after Dr. Jason Varner when he was Dunn Hall’s RD)

After a while, the drumline fizzled out — but recently, the 2018-19 Dunn Hall RA staff brought the tradition back! Now, it’s no longer limited to the third floor, or even to Dunn itself. 

“For me, the drumline was impactful because it drew me closer to hall mates I would have had little interaction with otherwise,” shared Graeme States ’21, former DC and RA of Dunn. “It was a great way to bring people together.” 

All AU fans are welcome to come and participate in the Dunn Hall Drumline. The only requirement? 

All that Raven pride.

Drumline students and Rodney
Drumline students

Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.