A crowd of graduate students crouched on the turf of a Stanford athletic field Monday night, whispering, “Whose house?”

“C-House!” came the murmured reply. The call-and-response chant quickened with each round, until the whisper became a roar and the students uncoiled to their feet in a frenzy of cheers and grins.

Andrew Luck, the former Stanford quarterback and NFL star, looked on approvingly. Now Stanford’s Football General Manager, Luck explained that the chant originated in the 1990s as a locker-room celebration. The “C,” he reminded them, was for Cardinal – “Singular! The color, not the bird,” he added.

Earlier, the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band had blared out a welcome, with one member beating a kitchen sink like a drum.

As the sun set, current and former Stanford football players led drills for more than 100 newly arrived graduate students from around the world. Grad students laughed as they threw and caught balls, ran tackles, and practiced kicking alongside professional athletes at American Football 101, an event offered by the Graduate Life Office (GLO) and Athletics to help introduce graduate students to Stanford football.

“It gives graduate students the opportunity to experience something very American and very ingrained in Stanford culture and community,” said Christina Gibo, GLO assistant dean and associate director. “It’s helpful to get that connection early, and it’s mutually beneficial to the football team, who want to connect with students and fans coming to the games.”

Approximately 2,500 graduate students arrive at Stanford each year, many of whom come from countries where “football” only means soccer.

A crowd of students gathers before running football drills. | Aaron Kehoe

“We have a sizable population of international graduate students who may not be familiar with American football,” Gibo said. “This is a chance to learn about it and hear from our Stanford football players, some who are graduate students themselves.”

MBA student Gauraang Biyani attended Stanford’s Sept. 13 win over Boston College just days after arriving on campus. “I really enjoyed it but it was also very confusing,” Biyani said. “I grew up in India, so there was no football at all, just soccer and rugby. I wanted to learn the different rules and positions and why there are so many players.”

Tackling drills with former NFL players struck him as surreal. “That’s pretty insane, but also, it’s Stanford, so I shouldn’t be surprised,” Biyani added. “It helps us integrate better with the campus culture and enjoy it more.”

Biyani has already downloaded the Stanford Cardinal app and plans to attend more football, field hockey, and soccer games. “It’s fun and you get to meet new people,” he said. “I like our marching band and mascot quite a lot. They’re very unique.”

A member of the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band plays for graduate students to welcome them to the event. | Aaron Kehoe

Graduate school can be isolating, Gibo noted, so GLO organizes numerous events during New Graduate Student Orientation to help students build community.

“Graduate students live across the street from the Athletics complex, and if we can bring down barriers of understanding, maybe they will find a sense of connection in a place like the Stanford Stadium because they’re all cheering on the same team,” Gibo said.

Some students were quick studies. “Thanks, coach!” shouted chemical engineering master’s student Sage Wheeler, high-fiving Luck after a successful drill. “I love the opportunity to get on the field and play with some of the players,” Wheeler said. “It’s been great to meet the Andrew Luck.”

Others, like law student Kaori Okado of Japan, were still learning the game. Okado attended her first football game against Boston College over the weekend. “I went with other international students and they didn’t know much about it, but we were all teaching each other and it was a lot of fun,” she said. “Learning about those kinds of things helps us bond better.”

Chris Owusu, ’12, a former Cardinal football player and NFL wide receiver who has participated in the event for years, said the experience is especially meaningful for him as the son of immigrants.

“They show up to learn American football, and it’s a very complex sport,” Owusu said. “I feel blessed to be part of their journey being here, traveling far away from family. If we can make it a little bit more special and bring them closer to the community here at Stanford, it’s great to be part of that.”

It matters for athletes too, he added: “I remember when we were playing here at the Farm, the fans showed up and they brought a contagious energy that the players feed off of, and the players need them more than ever.”

The evening closed with a cheer and reminder that the next home game is Sept. 27 when the Cardinal faces off with San Jose State University. Stanford students get free admission to home football games with a valid school ID, plus up to two guests for $5 each. Guest tickets become available beginning at 10 a.m. Monday the week of the game. Visit gostanford.com for more information.