One, two, three, four, ready… The sounds of trumpets, tubas, clarinets, mellophones, trombones and percussions echo against the concrete walls of the Activities Building. The vibration of the instruments...

Jennifer Spainhour, head coach of the pep band, is a newly hired employee of the IUS Athletic Department since October 2011. She is also a part-time band director, and she said she provides pep band students with the opportunity to play pop tunes during basketball games and pumping up the crowd with energy. Joe Glover, athletic director, spoke about the purpose of pep band performing at games and what they offer.

The Athletic Department recently announced the addition of a campus pep band to play at this year’s basketball games. This is the first pep band in the university’s history, and Joe Glover, athletic director, said he could not be more excited about the newest addition to the Athletic Department and the school. “It’s really exciting for me,” Glover said. “We have been trying, as a school, to get more students, and we’d like to get more student involvement at games. I think this pep band will get more school spirit at the school.”

The Student Activity Fee distribution list was released during the summer and serves to outline exactly where students’ collective $827,351 is disbursed. Per the 2011-12 school year, the Student Activity Fee is $5.30 per credit hour, per student. The Student Life Committee — comprised of eight students, two faculty members, and two staff members — decides how much money is to be allocated in various group accounts. In order to receive money, the university’s accounts have to submit a request of the funds they wish to be allotted to them.