Rock Chalk, Jayhawk
"Rock Chalk, Jayhawk" (a.k.a. the Rock Chalk chant) is a chant used at University of Kansas Jayhawks sporting events. The chant is made up of the phrase "Rock chalk, Jayhawk, KU".
History
[edit]The chant was first adopted by the university's science club in 1886. Chemistry professor E.H.S. Bailey and his colleagues were returning by train to Lawrence after a conference. During their travel, they discussed a need of a rousing yell. They came up with "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, Go KU",[1] repeated three times.
By 1889, "Rock Chalk" had replaced the “Rah, Rah!” Rock Chalk is a transposition of “chalk rock,” a type of limestone that exists in the Cretaceous-age bedrocks of central and western parts of the state and which is similar to the coccolith-bearing chalk of the white cliffs of Dover. (The University itself is located on top of Mount Oread, a ridge of flinty Carboniferous limestone used in some of the buildings.) Those responsible for the change are unknown, with Bailey himself crediting the geology department,[2] and others an English professor.[3]
Kansas troops used it in the Philippine–American War in 1899, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War II.[4] In the 1911 Border War football game, over 1,000 fans gathered in downtown Lawrence to listen to a "broadcast" of the game by telegraph and participated in cheers including the Rock Chalk.[5]
In the 1920 Summer Olympics, Albert I of Belgium asked for a typical American college yell, and gathered athletes replied with the chant.[4]
Former United States President Theodore Roosevelt called the Rock Chalk chant the best college chant he ever heard.[6]
Usage
[edit]It is best known as being loudly chanted at basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse and football games at University of Kansas Memorial Stadium. During pregame, the refrain of "Rock chalk... Jay-Hawk... KU," is repeated twice slowly, and then three times quickly. It is usually preceded by the Kansas alma mater "Crimson and the Blue,” and followed by the fight song, "I'm a Jayhawk.” Since the early 1990s, Kansas fans have been known to do the slow repetition of "Rock chalk... Jay-Hawk... KU" when the Jayhawks are believed to be safely ahead, and victory is guaranteed.
References
[edit]- ^ "Rock Chalk K-State? Kind of, a century ago". The Topeka Capital-Journal. 2007.
- ^ "KUhistory.com - A Swell Yell". Archived from the original on 2006-01-15. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
- ^ "The Rock Chalk Chant". RockChalk.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ a b DeReus, Bailey and Betsy McLeod (May 20, 2005). "The Land of the Jayhawks". The University Daily Kansan. Archived from the original on March 19, 2006. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ "100 years ago: Football fans enjoy mechanized reproduction of KU-MU game". Lawrence Journal-World. November 27, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
- ^ "The Chant". KU.edu.