[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]With all the noise radiating from Camp Randall Stadium Thursday evening, someone standing outside the gates might have thought the Badgers were driving toward the end zone.

Though the University of Wisconsin football team was on the field, they were only holding practice. But that didn't stop boisterous UW freshmen occupying sections M, N and O from making a game day-like ruckus.

Following annual tradition, the Badgers opened the doors to UW greenhorns to highlight Welcome Week. According to UW student Ryan Rampetstreiter, a SOAR guide and member of the Welcome Week Committee, the event was meant to get freshmen acclimated early to UW traditions.

"This is the big kicker of Wisconsin Welcome Week," Rampetstreiter said. "The freshmen who are here are going to learn all the cheers that you see at the football games. We're going to make sure they know what they're doing on Saturday. It's like a Notre Dame pep rally, Madison style."

Coach Bret Bielema and four of his players — quarterback John Stocco, wide receiver Paul Hubbard, linebacker Jonathan Casillas and defensive back Ben Strickland — addressed the excited crowd. Bielema began by apologizing for his Iowa roots but followed by emphasizing the importance of the student section at games.

"The first time I came here, one thing I noticed was how loud the student section was," Bielema said. "We weren't winning back then like we are now, but the students have always been great."

The players' message to the students was to be proud to be Badgers and that, as fans, freshmen are just as important as any other class. Stocco directly expressed to the crowd the importance of fan support.

"Camp Randall Stadium is a special place because of you," Stocco said. "We feed off of you guys, and the louder you get, the better we do."

Strickland echoed Stocco's beckoning, imploring students to shout out for the team.

"Give us your best, and we'll do our best," he announced.

Casillas challenged students to treat every game as though it's a huge one.

"I know [Western Illinois] is a 1-AA school, but we want you to act like we're playing Michigan," He said. "It doesn't matter who we play, we need your support."

All four also stressed the importance of upholding the Badger tradition.

The crowd was already in a tizzy when UW Band Conductor Mike Leckrone took the microphone, and all hell broke loose as the marching band stormed the field in a coordinated fashion, working the fans as only a nationally renowned band can.

With the aid of his band, Leckrone walked the freshmen through a traditional fifth quarter to ensure the freshman class would feel comfortable in the student section Saturday.

Leckrone approved of the freshmen's ability to catch on quickly, but seemed disappointed that they, like many older UW students, were aware of the addition of profanities to some of the songs. Still, from Thursday's experience, Leckrone can expect the newly inducted Badger fans to be both loud and boisterous at Saturday's game.