University of Georgia - Pandora Yearbook (Athens, GA)

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of which was the annual Senior Parade. Each Spring before the home baseball game against Tech, the male Seniors paraded at Sanford Field in all sorts of wild and irreverant costumes. By the 1930s formally dressed Seniors, with the men sporting canes and derbys, simply strolled around the field during halftime at the Homecoming foot- ball game. In the minds of Seniors, the ultimate tradition has of course been the graduation ceremonies. The University ' s earlier commencements, held in early August, served as a meeting ground for many poli- ticians. The ceremonies themselves lasted for three to four days, and both distinguished statesmen and graduating Seniors were given the opportunity to speak at these. Some traditions at the University have remained essentially classless. In 1887, a meeting of the stu- dent body was held, and a committee selected col- ors for the students to adopt. The committee chose black, gold, and red as the original school colors. In the spring of 1888, gold was withdrawn as many of the students did not want anything yellow to be associated with the UGA athletic program. As well as wearing the colors red and black, the students also adopted them as the title for their school news- paper. The most predominant tradition however, is in- disputably that of UGA ' s mascot. During one of the first football competitions against Auburn University, the Georgia team entered the field ac- companied by a goat. Due to intense ridicule the goat was replaced with a bullterrier. In 1956, the athletic department made the English brin- , ' - .. die bulldog the official mascot of the Uni- I I I versity, and appropriately gave him the | j | name of UGA. Campus Life 19

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Georgia ' s Traditions Continue Graduates cherish that long awaited diploma (RIGHT. Photo courtesy of Special Collections Di vision, the University of Georgia Libraries.) Seniors arrive in disguise tor the traditional senior parade in 1921. (RIGHT. Photo courtesy of Special Collections Division, the University of Georgia Li- braries ) ■T ampus life at the University is rich in a wide variety of traditions. All of these traditions are honored quite seriously, regardless of how trivial they may ap- pear. The most popular of these is The Arch. It was erected in 18S8 as part of an iron gateway and fence across the front of the campus. The three iron columns and the arch itself are representative of the Seal of the State of Georgia, the three col- umns representing the motto of the Slate; Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation, and the arch representing the Constitution. Until the 1960s, Freshmen were taught to avoid walking under The Arch. Tradi- tion has it that if a Freshman did risk walking through The Arch, he would become sterile. Another Freshman tradition was ringing the chapel bell. Originally housed in a cupola atop the chapel, the bell was transferred and the cupola destroyed in 1913. Its primary function had been to announce compulsory chapel attendance. Howev- er, in its new position the bell gave rise to a new tradition: following each victory on the football field, the bell was to be rung until midnight unless the opponent was Georgia Tech. In this event the bell was to toll the entire night long. Furthermore, Freshmen suffered greater humili- ation at the hands of the Uppcrclassmcn in the annual Shirltail Parade. Before each football game against Tech, Freshman men were forced to march through town in their underwear. They were not allowed to walk under The Arch, and they an- swered to several kanagaroo courts for any inap- propriate conduct. Freshmen were also required to purchase rat caps for 754, and each one was registered to prevent snatching . They were in- structed to wear these caps at all times, including to all football games. Once a Freshman survived this hazing and moved up in class rank, he participated in the fun side of these pranks. However, when he reached the exalted status of being a Senior, he was expect- ed to lake part in a number of Senior activities, one 18 Bic — Campus Life

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f he University of Georgia, the oldest state-chartered university, was incorpo- rated in 1785. The doors opened in 1801 with only one faculty member and thir- ty students. Classes in Latin, Greek, mathematics, debate, and natural history were held in a one- room, wooden building. The first commencement exercises were held in 1804, with ten men receiv- ing their Bachelor of Arts degrees. By the turn of the twentieth century, the University was still rel- atively small, but had an enrollment of nearly 300. Old College, the first permanent building on campus, was begun in 1801. It has historical signi- figance, for it was the home of two respected na- tional figures. Alexander Stephens, Vice-President of the Confederacy, and Crawford W. Long, dis- coverer of ether anesthesia. The Chapel, built in 1832, has two noteworthy characteristics. First, it houses the world ' s largest framed oil painting. And second, when a person stands in the middle of the Chapel ' s steps, he is in the exact center of Athens. At one time, the Chapel was used for graduation ceremonies. During that time, Robert Toombs was not allowed to partici- pate in the ceremonies, so in protest he sat in a tree and eloquently argued his position while the cere- mony was in progress. A third building that has experienced drastic change over the years is the Academic Building. It was originally two separate structures: the Ivy Building and the Old Library. They were joined in 1904, and presently house the Admissions Office and other administrative offices. The Phi Kappa Hall, completed in 1836, is an- other of the older buildings on campus. It was used by Sherman ' s troops during the Civil War. The lower floor was converted into stables, and the upper into a house of revelry for the entertain- ment of Union soldiers. The older portion of the Law School Building was completed in 1932, and features a foyer with a curving marble stairway. The cupola on top served I $ This informal springtime shot shows students at Old College (often called Yahoo Hall) in 1893. These students were allowed to room there rent free. (ABOVE. Photo courtesy of Special Collec- tions Division, the University of Georgia Librar- ies.) Memorial Hall, a general activities building, was named in honor of the forty-seven Georgia men who had died in WW 1. This photo was taken on October 17, 1923 and Memorial Hall was complet- ed in 1925 to serve as a center of campus life. (RIGHT. Photo courtesy of Special Collections Di- vision, the University of Georgia Libraries.) S:3 20 Bic. — Campus Life