The long tradition of Puget Sound’s fan-led rallying cries provides the spirit behind the university’s athletics

Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, the University of Puget Sound has a long history of memories, stories and origins of Logger traditions.

At any university there are long-held traditions of different chants and celebrations, and Puget Sound is no different.

From football games to volleyball games, supporting Logger fans can be seen and heard cheering the most popular slogans.

Because they are emphasized and repeated so often, any bystander will instantly pick up these energetic and catchy songs.

While some of the recent and more familiar cheers that students and fans will hear at sporting games include, “All My Life I Wanna be a Logger” with a response of “Hack, Hack, Chop, Chop” or “Once a Logger, Always a Logger” the history of songs and cheers date back to the early 1900s.

The Student Handbook and Constitution and the Puget Sound Logbooks are small handbooks created by the student body of the College of Puget Sound, and they are filled with traditions, songs and yells.

These handbooks have recorded the cheers and chants that students during each academic year have used.

The most prominent chants that have appeared throughout numerous handbooks and throughout the years include “Puget Sound, The Best, The Truest” which was the 1923 Glee song; “It’s Old Puget on the Sound,” “College O’ Dreams,” “Logger Fight Song,” and “Go Loggers.” Many of the yells include short lines and beats that include “Timber,” “Locomotive,” and “Yo, Loggers.”

The spirit of a Logger was, and still is, very important to the student body at this school.

There are many accounts of different chants and yells that students were expected to memorize and use not only at sporting events and games, but also during other campus events to show Logger spirit.

While a majority of these historical and traditional cheers and chants that were seen throughout the early years of Puget Sound are no longer used, there is still a sense of community and school spirit that can be witnessed at games.

To accompany the slogan of “Hack, Hack, Chop, Chop” there are arm movements that represent a swinging hatchet—a logo that is seen on many Puget Sound symbols.

The interesting and entertaining aspect of the cheers at this school is the use of repetition and response from the audience.

Instead of chanting all at once, one person or group can yell the first part of the cheer, and then wait for the following cheer to be answered by the rest of the audience.

The University of Puget Sound, though it is only a NCAA Division III school, still has a strong sense of pride and support for different sports teams and players.

The songs and cheers that are used to gain enthusiasm and spirit within the crowd are very successful.

While there are a few dominant chants that can be heard all around campus, the audience will also hear generic sporting event chants.

The Alma Mater at Puget Sound is seen as a symbolic and necessary aspect of being a Logger.

In the 1947-1948 College of Puget Sound Logbook, “Who’s Where,” the opening page includes the Alma Mater and the significance of it:

“In victory or defeat the ‘Alma Mater’ expresses the pride we    always feel in our college.”

This represents the spirit of Loggers at any campus event, especially sporting events, and the coming together of fans to support their fellow Logger athletes.

Even though the song “Fight, Ye Loggers” is not a common chant that is heard by Loggers at sporting events, the chorus represents the newer and more used chants and the spirit behind them.

“Fight ye Loggers!

Fight ye Loggers!

Plunge right on ahead!

Always trying, Always fighting,

History will be made.

With your laurels on your shield,

And all your fighting o’er,

Win or lose in any field,

You’re the fighting Loggers still.”