BOOM!

The men of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity make a thunderous statement at every Iowa State home game, firing the infamous football cannon.

The old Civil War cannon has been a permanent fixture at every home football game for as long as anyone can remember.

Kyle Brown, a senior in anthropology, said no one really knows when his house actually started shooting the cannon.

“We’ve asked before about it, but even our oldest alumni don’t really remember. It’s just been going on for a long time,” Brown said.

Even during the two years when the Alpha Sig house was closed between 1993 and 1995, the cannon was still present at the games. “

The alumni organization continued to do it every season,” Brown said.

The cannon is shot after every Iowa State kick-off, touchdown, or field goal.

Chip Fievet, a junior in computer engineering, said house members must have gotten the idea for the cannon after seeing something similar at other schools. “Every school had something. We needed something as well.”

Fievet said the eight-member cannon crew arrives at the game at least 45 minutes before kick-off to get everything in order.

They try to leave as soon as the game is over to avoid the crowds.

“We try to get out of there as soon as we can,” Fievet said, “just because when the game’s over some people don’t think as much.”

Fievet was referring to last year’s Ohio game when ISU fans took to the field to take down the goal posts.

House members had to make a human wall to protect the cannon from the rushing crowd.

“You really don’t want to lose the cannon. It would cost us more to fix it then we’d really want to spend on it. It’s old so there’s not just parts lying around,” Fievet said.

Fievet said house members see themselves as “another pep squad, except not an officially university sanctioned one.”

Greg Carenza, a junior in elementary education, said he hopes being part of an Iowa State football tradition will help get the Alpha Sig name out.

“We think it represents the tradition of our house, which is really important,” Carenza said. “It’s recognition of our fraternity and just a good time.”

The fraternity members enjoy being on the field when thousands of fans are cheering their hearts out. This season has been great, he said, for crowd enthusiasm and spirit.

“It’s just great being on the field, just knowing that you’re doing something to help get the crowd up ’cause this season the fan response has been just fantastic,” Fievet said.

Brown, who also helps coordinate the cannon squad, said shooting the cannon is good for fraternal bonding.

“It’s neat to have the opportunity to be on the field and see the game that much closer up. Its fun for us to be together when we’re down in a small group on the field, there’s a lot of camaraderie,” Brown said.