By: Nathan Gillman
3/30/2006

When Dane Danielsen arrived back at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport last week, he and his fellow travelers were greeted to chants of “Sweet 16.”

About 2,000 people were gathered to welcome back the Wichita State University Shockers and celebrate their victory against the University of Tennessee in round two of the NCAA tournament. Exuberant fans showed their support by holding up signs and snapping pictures of their hometown heroes.
    
“It was kind of surreal,” said Danielsen, a junior at Friends University.

Danielsen had the opportunity to travel with the WSU team and play the trumpet with their pep band. Playing their instruments in round two of the NCAA tournament game in Greensboro, N.C., he and other band members, along with 500 Shocker fans, helped support WSU when it defeated the University of Tennessee 80-73 on March 18. 

  The pep band played in a pre-game pep rally for Shocker fans and also during the game.  The music included traditional Shocker pep band tunes such as the Hay song.

     Danielsen did not forget his Falcon pride. He wore a Friends shirt underneath his WSU shirt to show his loyalty to Friends. 

     So how did Danielsen get the opportunity to play with the WSU pep band in the first place?  It all began with his decision to take up the trumpet when he was in the fifth grade — the first year he was allowed to join his school band. Since that time, Danielsen has participated in various bands and musical ensembles, including the jazz band and concert band at Friends. 

     Danielsen works in the band department at Andover Central High School. A WSU graduate student who also teaches at the high school told him about the need for more trumpets in the pep band, and the rest was history. 

       The excitement of supporting his hometown team at an NCAA tournament was a thrilling experience for Danielsen. Traveling with the team on the way back and staying in the same hotel as the Shocker players gave him the chance to meet some of the WSU stars such as Paul Miller and P.J. Couisnard. 

     During the game, Danielsen was aired on national television -- the only member of the pep band shown -- when the camera zoomed in on his front row baseline seat. 

     Witnessing NCAA action at court level allowed him to see sights that television viewers don’t always get to see. Mark Turgeon, WSU’s head coach was more energetic, and the Shocker players seemed relaxed, Danielsen said.   

“I think we were a big part of how the Shockers played and just getting the crowd into it,” Danielsen said.   

The perks for band members were numerous.

“We had our own chartered plane,” Danielsen said. “They paid for our hotel and plane ticket and everything.” 

In addition, the band members received a stipend of $20 a day and an additional $20 for every game they played in. 

While in Greensboro, Danielsen got to meet a variety of people including some other musicians. He even had the chance to meet some of the opposing team’s forces, which included hanging out with Tennessee cheerleaders and yell leaders before the game. 
 
There was no lack of excitement.  A small confrontation with a Tennessee red-shirt freshman ensued when someone tried to take a picture of the player, while a person wearing a WSU shirt was standing in the background.

Nathan Hittle, a freshman at Friends who has played in group ensembles with Danielsen in college, thought the trip sounded like a great experience for Danielsen and demonstrates the body of talent at Friends.

“I think it speaks well for Friends when a school as big as Wichita State will come to us and ask for help,” Hittle said.