Third grade class creates viral IU video

A group of third grade students wearing cream-and-crimson-striped sunglasses danced in the center of the Assembly Hall basketball court Thursday afternoon.

The group of 33 students from the Cold Spring Environmental Magnet School in Indianapolis gave their own rendition of the “This is Indiana” song, gesturing to the five banners on the far wall.  

They visited the IU campus for a day-long tour organized by third grade teacher Kathryn Sullivan. The students experienced a scavenger hunt tour around campus, ate a complimentary lunch with IU football players, toured the athletics facilities and finished the day with a visit at WonderLab Museum.

Since September, Sullivan’s class has been discussing the importance of a college education as part of a college preparation curriculum required in the Indianapolis public school district. Each grade was instructed to choose a university to focus on and Sullivan, a 2012 IU graduate, decided to teach her class about IU.  

“We started talking about college and what it takes to get in,” Sullivan said. “I decided to introduce them to the ‘This is Indiana’ song. During my four years at IU I felt that my life revolved around that song.”

The class became hooked on the song, she said, and they began listening to it every day for four months.

“I thought it would be a one-time thing, but it turned into a morning routine,” Sullivan said. “It was a motivational song for them about college.”

In January, Sullivan decided to film the class performing their own parody of the song, with the help of Mika Brown, a freelance camera operator for networks such as ESPN and Fox Sports.

Daniel Weber, one of the two creators of the original song and video, helped promote the students’ video on Twitter and other social media networks. It has received 41,000 views on Vimeo and almost 1,500 views on YouTube.

The group received donations to help fund their trip to IU, and they used their video to spread the word.  

When the IU Athletics Department, including Coach Tom Crean, saw the video, they decided to work with the Office of the Provost and the IU Visitor Information Center to help bring the class to campus, Assistant Athletic Director Jeremy Gray said.

“We understand people are excited about Indiana sports, but to see it inspire a group of kids like that to go to college, it moved a lot of us,” Gray said. “I got a little misty the first time I watched it.”

Upon arriving on campus, the students were welcomed at the Sample Gates by Provost Lauren Robel.

Later in the day, the students ran into senior Jordan Hulls walking on campus. The students took a picture with the basketball player, and they were ecstatic, Sullivan said.

The group wore matching t-shirts with the words “collegebound2022” written on the backs, representing the grade’s graduation date from high school.

Amillian Easley, a student in Sullivan’s class, said her favorite part of the day was walking through the Sample Gates.

Easley said she would love to attend IU someday. She hopes to get a degree and a job to support her future family, she said.

“I want to be a kid’s doctor, a pediatrician I think it’s called,” she said.