University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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if X I 1 li.: ' 1 , by 1 Z af 7, fy j, fl if 2, Ve ' 1 A I' 1 7' , f 2 1 49142 'K 'Wffwmw ,mf if r ,fM, 4,1 I 2 Q If fa, f ' I f 12 2 , tif 'if l l It was said through the years that the stone statue of the Iayhawk in front of Strong Hall would fly away if a virgin should ever graduate from the University. Cplzoto by Tim Kilgrijf? , Q f 4 4 7, ' 4 f ,,'f ff -4 ' 7 ,, The north side of the Sigma Nu house is the burial ground for the former house dog, Sarge, who passed away in 1961. The dog was well- known on campus for sitting in front of Strong Hall each day. Cphoto by Tim Kilgriffl The flag poles in front of the Kansas Union are similar to that of the totem pole that once stood. At one time it was traditional for two classes to team up against the other two by the pole for Riot Day for a several hour rumble. Qplzoto by Tim Kilgrijfh 5tuLfe11tLU52

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Traditions, confirmed from page 23 friends, the Sigma Nu's, buried him north of the house where he would always have his place in the sun. Many traditions could be considered universal throughout college campuses. The panty raid is one of these. Panty raids at the University were evident since the construction of female housing. On May 19 and 20, 1952, an estimated 500-1000 men participated in an enormous raid that targeted three female dorms and five sororities. Accord- ing to reports, there were minimal injuries but most of the clothing was never recov- ered. Running nude was a trend that also was witnessed at other campuses including the University of Kansas. This fad, streaking ' as it is commonly called, reached its peak in 1974. On March 7, 1974, 20 women and several men ran naked around the Gertrude Sellard Pearson Hall's parking lot. When 9 men were arrested for streak- ing, Chancellor Archie Dykes assigned extra security guards to night patrol on campus. Although he felt it was not detri- mental to the college itself he had other reasons for discouraging the behavior. But we don't want to offend any of our neighbors here or across the state, said Chancellor Dykes in an article in the March 8, 1974, issue of the Lawrence Iournal- World. The streaking reached a head on May 20, 1974, when two seniors tore off their black robes and ran the across the football field of Memorial Stadium during the graduation ceremonies. A source of many traditions, both local and national, was birthdays, and primarily a 21st birthday. The coming of age to 21 was a time of stress for many people, as the customary night involved drinking to extreme excess. The proverbial 21 shots that some students attempted to drink could be very upsetting especially to the stomach and anyone standing too close. The dangers involved can lead to alcohol poisoning, injury or death. How- ever, the tradition continued to prevail among students. 24 Srulenr LW The fountains around campus also received a lot of attention on birthdays. For those who lived near one of these foun- tains, being dunked in the fountains on one's birthday became a long-standing tradition. Those who lived in the residence halls were not exempt from having traditions of their own. Often, a group of students ended the year trashing the residence halls where they lived. Whatever their reasons may have been, the moving-out day created an opportunity for chaos. I'd say a great number of people like to vent their aggressions in trashing the dorms, said Heather Hudson, Olathe senior. Common practices involved littering the halls with garbage, destruction of furniture and vandalism. We used to draw on the walls with watercolors, throw chairs, and one of my friends set fire to a couch in the parking lot, said Susan Reeves, Rome, NY, sopho- more. Despite this tradition, Fred McElhenie, associate director of residence halls said, Most people are very good at following our directions on moving out, said Fred McElhenie, Associate Director of Residence Life. Other, less aggressive practices occurred in the dorms on television nights. Favorite programs such as Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210 drew many watchers to the comfort of their own rooms or the TV lounge. We even try not to schedule programs as R.A. 's because we know they'll be watching their shows, said Nesli Isgoren, Izmir, Turkey, senior, and Resident Advisor at Corbin. In addition to unofficial traditions, many campus legends existed on campus. Many students were told never to enter Campanile until their graduation day or else they will never graduate. An even more common legend involved the stone Iayhawk statue in front of Strong Hall. lt was said that should a virgin ever graduate from the University, the statue would spread its wings in disgust and fly away never to be seen again.

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