Skule Yell

The Skule™ Yell, known also as the Toike Oike yell, is a unique cheer for the students of Skule™. It is usually yelled following the firing of the Skule Cannon.

The Cheer

Toike Oike! Toike Oike!

Ollum te Chollum te Chay!

Skule of Science, Skule of Science

Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!

We Are (we are!), We Are (we are!), We Are the Engineers!

We Can (we can!), We Can (we can!), Demolish Forty Beers!

Drink Rum (straight!) Drink Rum (straight!) And Come Along With Us,

For We Don’t Give a Damn For Any Damn Man Who Don’t Give a Damn For Us!

Yaaaay Skule™!!

Origins

In the late 19th century, every Faculty and College had a distinct cheer in the spirit of friendly rivalry. Skule™'s original cheer during that period was a short one, and not very popular:

Who are we? Can't you guess?

We are from the SPS

S-C-H-O-O-L!

Skule™ students at the time also recognized its inadequacy, and proposed to create a new yell.

Although some variation exists as to the author of the Yell, several accounts credit A.G. Piper (a part-time student) as the author of the first four lines. These came into regular use during the autumn of 1897, and were possibly 'officially' introduced on Hallowe'en night of that year. At that time, The Varsity reported some displeasure with the Varsity yell and called for a new yell for use at the annual Hallowe'en Gala. Perhaps the students of School felt that this would be the ideal time to introduce their own yell to the University.

In those days, the Theatre Night during Halloween was a popular major campus-wide event. The students of Skule™ rehearsed their new yell beforehand and showed up to the theatre a few minutes late. As they went to take their seats, all the other faculties began jeering and shouting their own yells. Undaunted, the Skulemen calmly sat down and waited for them to finish, then broke into a rousing "Toike Oike". Upon finishing, the rest of the theatre sat in stunned silence, then broke into applause that reportedly lasted several minutes. Thus, our beloved Skule™ Yell came into being and has livened the University ever since.

The remaining lines of the yell are not the particular property of School, but were introduced on November 25, 1905 during the procession from Rosedale Field to the King Edward Hotel following a victory of the University of Toronto Rugby team over the Ottawa Rough Riders. In the game, Casey Baldwin, a Skuleman, had made a spectacular play in the last minutes to win the dominion championship for the university.

Incidentally, 'Toike Oike' is pronounced 'Toy-kee-oyk.' Today, no one knows the meaning of the strange words, although several legends attempt to explain the mystery. Legend has it that around that time, there was a janitor in the old Skulehouse, an Irish fellow by the name of Graham. whenever students were working late in the labs and he had to close up the building, he would tell them to "take a hike". Because of his accent, it sounded as if he was saying "Toike Oike". Students of the day used this as the original inspiration for the words of the cheer.

References

History adapted from A Centry of Skill and Vigour by Barry G. Levine and Adam Trumpour, Archivist 0T2-0T3 (published in the Cannon, Volume XX, Issue III)