THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 20
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012
TRADITIONS
School traditions, past and present
VICTORIA PITCHER
vpitcher@kansan.com
In a small office on the third floor of the Union is a treasure chest of University history. Artifacts from the past are scattered all over campus, but in this office there are photos, a collection of Jayhawk figurines, and even student event tickets that date back to 1932, when a bundle of them only cost $2.75.
Mike Reid, director of public affairs at KU Memorial Unions, lights up when he talks about the University and its unique and deep-rooted traditions. Here are 10 traditions, some alive and some that have faded over the years.
1. The Rock Chalk Chant
this nationally-recognized chant was started by members of the science club in 1886. The idea was E. H. S. Bailey's, a chemistry professor, and it was approved by the club's members. The original chant was "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, KU," but it quickly changed to "Rock Chalk." According to KUHistory.com, this chant was ranked best in the country in the mid-1890s by a Harvard publication. Although some traditions live and some die out, Reid said he doesn't see this one ever going away.
2. Waving the wheat
In Kansas, where wheat fields are plentiful, waving the wheat is a symbol of home pride. Whether the football team just scored or the basketball team finished with another win, you will see the crowd of people waving their hands back and forth, like grains of wheat in the wind.
"It's probably the biggest tradition that nobody knows where it came from or when it started," Reid said. Reid estimates the tradition began some time before the 1960s, but no one is sure.
3. Basketball games
It's no secret that basketball is a tradition at the University where the father of basketball, James Naismith, served as chaplain and director of physical culture. But even the smaller traditions within basketball are popular among students.
Carolyn Bandle, a freshman from Lawrence, said she has been to basketball games already and loves when the students tear up newspaper pieces and
throw them in the air.
"You can see the energy of the students," handle said.
Because basketball games are so popular, it can be hard to snatch good seats for the game. That's where camping comes in.
"Camping is one of my favorite traditions," said Vinit Nanavaty, a senior from Overland Park. Nanavaty said sometimes during camping, students have the chance to meet the players. Before one game in particular, the players handed out pizza to the campers while he was there.
4. Baby Jay
Although basketball may be a favorite among students, Reid said it was more than a game to Naismith, which makes it that much more special.
Believe it or not, a tradition can be started by just a single person. Baby Jay was an idea that Amy Sue Hurst, a student in the late 60s, came up with. And when the University said they couldn't fund another mascot costume, she made her own and donated it. Since 1971, Baby Jay has been in the Jayhawk family.
5. The Jayhawk
The Jayhawk has not always been the symbolic mascot that it has become. Reid said in the University's early years, before the University had a distinct mascot, the school used a pig named Don Carlos as the mascot. Fortunately, Don Carlos was a short-lived tradition. In 1912 the Jayhawk, drawn by Henry Maloy, was recognized. However, even up until 1917, the Jayhawk was often accompanied by a bulldog as Big Jay walked across the football field.
6. Crimson and Blue
Before our colors were crimson and blue, they were maize yellow and sky blue, but many students wanted to change the colors. Reid said the Kansan at the time told students to wear the colors they thought should represent the University to the next football game. Sure enough, the majority of students wore crimson. According to the University's website, the crimson was to honor a man from Harvard who donated money for the University's athletic field. The colors became official in 1986.
7. 100 years of Homecoming
The University is celebrating the 100th anniversary of homecoming. The first homecoming football game was played against Missouri on Nov. 23, 1912.
The first queen was crowned in 1925 and the last in 1969 according to KUHHistory.com. The tradition ended because crowning of a homecoming queen was thought to be unbecoming of the University. Many publications around the nation said the end of the homecoming queen was a good thing.
8. Walking down the hill
After four (or five, or three) years of college, students complete a rite of passage, signifying graduation: walking through the Campanile and down the hill into Memorial Stadium. But according to legend, if a student walks through the Campanile early, they won't graduate on time.
Chris Manship, a senior from Cave Creek, Ariz., said campus traditions like walking through the Campanile influenced his decision to come to the University.
"Not many schools have a ceremony like that," he said.
9. Night shirt parade
Reid said the night before big football game, male students would head downtown wearing pajama shirts for the "night shirt parade." Sometimes it was done after a victory or to celebrate a big event such as appointing a new chancellor. These parades are reported to have happened in as early as the 1890s. The final parade was held on September 27, 1957.
10. Hobo Day
riroo Day was a day that students dressed like, well, hobos. It also created a party atmosphere around campus, which led the University to end the tradition. Hobo Day lasted from 1923 to 1939 according to KUHistory. com.
100 years of The Kansan
In 1912, The Kansan became the first college newspaper in Kansas. The paper only came out three times a week, but it wanted to be comparable to neighboring states' college newspapers that published daily.
The newspaper sparked different traditions during the century, including students intimidating opponents
ASHI FIGH LEF/KANSA
Fans cheer as they sing the Alma Matter during sporting events is one of the many traditions at KU. Other sports related traditions include camping for basketball games, the Rock Chalk Chant and waving the wheat.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Baby Jay, one of the most recognized faces associated with KU traditions, preforms the Rock Chalk Chant during a basketball game. Baby Jay was first introduced in 1971 by a student, Amy Sue Hurst.
by ripping it up before home basketball games to make confetti. According to KUHistory.com, the Kansas was first rated by the Associated College Press in 1949 as one of the best
college newspapers in the country and has continued to rank.
Edited by Allison Kohn