Georgia Institute of Technology - Blueprint Yearbook (Atlanta, GA)

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TRADITIONS Tech Spirit Alive and Well Georgia Tech is a school of traditions, which are as varied in practice and ori- gin as are the students. There are tradi- tional rivalries, traditional activities, and even a traditional mythical student, whose true identity was only discovered this year. But any year at Tech can truly be seen through the eyes of traditions, some broken and others made stronger by the unity and closeness that knits together the students and their lifes- tyles. Homecoming, an annual tradition at Tech, brought spirit and enthusiasm, disappointment and crushed dreams. But even though homecoming week was climaxed by defeat at the hands of Duke, breaking an eighteen year record of homecoming wins, the activities which preceded that defeat exampled Tech students at their best. From the Freshman Cake Race to the homecom- ing displays, student participation and support was as strong and fierce as expected, and no homecoming tradi- tion was overlooked during the week of festivities. As if in retaliation for their homecom- ing defeat, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets took severe measures to see that their most traditional rival didn ' t get off as easily. Winning the Tech-Georgia game, an annual battle that goes back as far as anyone can remember, was a pleasant and happily accepted event by the student body. FHonor was preserved, and Tech students, alumni and fans were gifted with the one thing that could make up for a heartbreaking sea- son, and handed Georgia their first los- ing season in the fourteen years of Coach Vince Dooly ' s reign. The Yellow Jackets provide a good deal of tradition at Tech, but there are many other traditions that are witnessed throughout the year, not only during fall quarter and the football season. Perhaps the proudest of those traditions at Tech, is the Freshman Class, Rats. This year the student body was blessed with the most spirited and motivated class of Rats in recent years. Rat hats were an abundant and common sight at all classes and campus activities, and the support given to the team by the Rats was unsurpassed by any Freshman class of late. Who is George P. Burdell? That is a question which has often been asked around campus, but it was only answered for certain this year. Digging through rumors and tales from the past along with mountains of accumulated material, the true origin of George P. was finally uncovered. A Tech tradition begun in 1927 by four creative Rats with a unique and mischievous sense of humor, George P. Burdell is still alive and well, passing all his ESM courses and even graduating with a degree in Industrial Management. Who stole the T on the Tower? Will anybody ever know? How did the Phys- ical Plant manage to put the returned yellow T on the white side of the Tower? When will the missing white T be returned? It is possible that few of these questions will ever be answered, and even more probable that the midnight phantoms who are responsible for such pranks will return again and again to continue their plun- ders upon the Tower in keeping with one of Tech ' s newer traditions. The Tech 200, a eight year old tradi- tion that kicks off Greek Week every spring quarter, is sponsored by the Interfraternity Council, Interdormitory Council, and the Student Center. The race is held in the EE parking lot where the course is set up to accommodate Go-carts, built and driven by the entrants. It gives students the opportu- nity to show off their mechanical and engineering talents, and the chance to live out their fantasies as Richard Petty or Mario Andretti. The event is well sup- ported by the students and gives every- one an opportunity to shed the gloom of winter and get outside and enjoy the coming of spring. 24

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Homecoming 1977: The Thing That Tech Ate Say the word Tradition and one immediately thinks of something long loved a nd seldom if ever broken. Tech unfortunately managed to break a long standing record by losing her first Homecoming game since 1959. The loss was a disappointing end to a week of spirited festivities, but it in no way affected the usual enthusiasm tradition- ally displayed by Tech students. Kicking off the week of activities this year was the Biggest Anything Con- test, supporting this year ' s theme The Thing That Tech Ate. The entries included the world ' s largest devil food cake symbolizing the ease with which the A.D. Pi sorority sisters hoped the Yellow Jackets would devour Duke ' s Blue Devils, a giant Q-Tip swab, and the winning entry: a box of animal crackers which Tech undoubtedly ate. With Homecoming falling on the eve of Halloween, this year ' s Homecoming committee took full advantage of the mischievous spirit by sponsoring a Frankenstein Look-Alike Contest. As could be expected, the entries were not only imaginative but extremely con- vincing as well.