TEALA KRAPFL STAFF WRITER
The rivalry between the Knights and the Norse took shape more than 50 years ago and has been characterized by pranks since.
“Most colleges have rivals, but not many rivalries are as historic, natural, intense and colorful as Wartburg’s rivalry with Luther,” William Hamm, class of 1966 and 2008-09 interim president, said.
Wartburg plays Luther in football Saturday in Decorah.
The rivalry began in the 1950s when Wartburg’s safely-secured Knight armor suddenly went missing. Later that same week, Wartburg students were surprised when the armor appeared at the halftime show of the Wartburg vs. Luther basketball game in Decorah.
Wartburg students immediately retaliated by painting the Norse’s Martin Luther statue a bright yellow.
By the time Hamm came into the picture, pranks were followed by counter attacks.
“I had to do off my britches at the 50-yard line at Luther’s stadium after we lost the football game in 1965,” Hamm said.
Hamm started the tradition of the “battle of the britches”, which consisted of the losing team’s student body president surrendering his or her pants to the winning school’s president. He saw this as a way to keep the friendly aspect of the rivalry alive.
Jeff Beck, class of 2001, recalled the pranks as, “a way to try and beat [Luther] outside of sports.”
“It’s the idea that we’re one-upping them,” Beck said.
In one memorable occurrence, two students took to the skies in a rental plane and bombarded Luther’s campus with leaflets that contained menacing messages.
The incident made Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the most memorable college pranks of the year.
In 1998, KWAR staff members infiltrated Luther’s homecoming parade posing as a church group from Wisconsin. The escapade was broadcasted live on KWAR.
The group dressed in blue and pretended to be proud Norse. When the float reached the parade announcer, the students donned orange and black and more Wartburg students joined the float from the crowd.
Aside from playful pranks, sports have also been a large part of the rivalry.
In the past, students took school spirit seriously at games against Luther. Beck said the feelings surrounding the games created “a playoff-type atmosphere”.
Beck fondly remembers the excitement at basketball games against the Norse.
“It was something you looked forward to and planned for,” he said. “It was just understood that you were going to the game.”
Beck is one of many that feel the flame needs to be rekindled.
Courtney Ihnen’s job as Student Alumni Council, or STALC, president is to do just that.
“We’re really into school spirit and keeping traditions alive,” Ihnen said.
STALC said the Luther rivalry as a long-running tradition that needs some encouragement. She said students don’t seem to have the same spirit as those who, years ago, burned a large “W” into the Luther football field. (The ‘W’ still showed even three years after the incident.)
“It appears the rivalry has less intensity than was once the case,” Hamm said.
That is why STALC is currently working to give students that extra nudge, Ihnen said. “Beat Luther” shirts are being sold and students are encouraged to support the Knights, especially at games against Luther.
In February, students initiated the Wartburg-Luther Energy Challenge. There was no clear winner in the competition, but some people hope that it was a step toward a more intense rivalry.
“We can all bond together [over the rivalry] as a school,” Ihnen said.
While school spirit will help promote enthusiasm over the rivalry, several people believe the pranks of the past are the missing link.
“I would love for the pranks to come back into the picture,” Ihnen said.
Hamm said he does not understand why there have been no pranks recently.
“The rivalry has been the source of many good times,” he said.