games, and several commencement ceremonies. Hockey line As the popularity of hockey grew, tickets became hot items among students. Owing to its origins as a military warehouse, most views were obstructed at least some angle between the rink and the seats due to large support columns that held up the Field House's roof. This led to the birth of what is known simply as "hockey line." Groups of people – usually members of various fraternities and sororities – take a place outside of the RPI Student Union building. Traditionally, the line began sometime during late July or early August prior to the beginning of Fall classes and continued until tickets went on sale in mid-September. People in line are allowed to buy up to eight tickets and can have people hold their place in line while they eat or go to class. Students set up beds, couches, television sets, and, more recently, computers and video games to pass the time as someone occupies each place in line on a 24-hour basis. Following the Engineers' 1985 national championship victory, the Epsilon Iota chapter of the Psi Upsilon fraternity set a hockey line record by beginning the line on the very next day – March 31, 1985 – and continuing the line through the summer until tickets went on sale on September 25, 1985 — besting the previous record of 33 days with 178 days. Renovation and rejuvenation In 1978, a new tradition started that continues today – the annual Big Red Freakout! event. This event fills the Field House with thousands of screaming fans, and there is a giveaway each year. At the 1978 Commencement ceremonies, it was announced that the RPI Field House would be renamed Houston Field House in honor of former president Livingston W. Houston, who had died the previous winter. Houston had been RPI's 11th president from 1943 to 1958, and was president when the Field House was built. 1983 brought several changes to the Field House. The Institute spent $2.5 million to renovate the building during the summer, including a support renovation which allowed the removal of all but four of the columns. Some think the view obstruction caused by the original columns gave rise to "hockey line" and that column removal led to the demise of "hockey line", but popularity of hockey was at least as large a factor. Indeed, "hockey line" reached its peak