"Hail the Utah Aggies..."
What is an "Aggie" anyway? How does one become a "True Aggie?" What's all the fuss about Aggie Ice Cream? Questions such as these have baffled several students and visitors as they have come to Utah State.
Since the founding of The Agricultural College of Utah in 1888, now known as Utah State University, many students have passed through this campus, but not without making their own mark.
Utah State has a great history that is rich with traditions. From the Be-no Club starting the "True Aggie" tradition and Gustav Wilster overseeing the production of Aggie Ice Cream, to the four "Founding Fathers" howling during final's week, Utah State is anything but short on tradition.
Some of our Traditions
True Aggie
In 1916, several students from Salt Lake City founded the Beno Club. In 1916, the Benos erected their ýheadstoneý on campus, a "Block A," which was placed to the west of the Mechanic Arts Building.
In the late 1930s, the monument was moved to the front of the Library, at the east end of the Quad. When construction began on the Merrill Library in the early 1960s, the Block A went into storage. In 1967, past students, alumni, and older faculty members campaigned to have the Block A returned to the Quad, where it was erected atop Old Main Hill, just northwest of the Main Building.
The Block A has stood as a traditional monument to aggie spirit. Campus tradition dictates that only those who kiss while sitting on the Block A, under a full moon, can be "true aggies."
Divergent stories exist as to the founding of the Benos. One story claims that the Salt Lake City students, while still in high school, had approached their principal at West High about starting a club. The principal's response was that there would "be no" clubs. The experience stayed with the young men, and when they came north to attend the UAC, Carl "Stubby" Peterson, one of the students, suggested they use the name for a club on campus.
Another story involves student pranksters affiliated with one of the clubs on campus during the time period who greased the trolley tracks coming up 500 North to College Hill. The episode so infuriated President Widtsoe, that he reportedly told the student body that there would "be no more clubs."
Whatever its derivation, the Beno Club performed a conspicuous amount of service on campus. In 1926 the club affi liated nationally with the Intercollegiate Knights, adopting the motto of "service, sacrifice, and loyalty."
Today one can become a "True Aggie" by receiving a kiss on the "A" under a full moon at midnight by somebody who already is a "True Aggie," or on Homecoming or A-Day by somebody who is not. The True Aggie tradition is run by the Student Alumni Association.
Aggie Ice Cream
The Animal Science Building included a modern creamery, and in 1921, the College hired Gustav Wilster to oversee instruction. One of Wilster's innovations was an ice cream manufacturing process.
"Wilster is now making lacto ice cream which has never before been produced in Utah," noted Student Life. While instructive, the creamery was also operated on a commercial basis, and students and visitors to campus could purchase cheese, butter, or generous portions of ice cream at the Dairy Products Laboratory in the Animal Science Building. Ice cold buttermilk could generally be had for the asking. The first taste of Aggie Ice Cream became a rite-of-passage on campus, and is fondly remembered by many students and alumni.
People loved it so much, more flavors were created. Now, Aggie Ice Cream has 26 different flavors and is known around the world.
Why is it so good? Well, Aggie Ice Cream has a 12% butterfat content. It's aged slightly longer and contains less air than most commercial brands.
So how is it known around the world? A Korean USU student named Duk-Man Lee loved the ice-cream so much, he devised a plan to take it home with him. He gathered a group of Korean business men, who proposed the idea to USU, and in June 2000, the first international Aggie Ice Cream was opened in Seoul, South Korea.
Not only that, but Aggie Ice Cream was also the first ice cream to make it to outer space, thanks to USU's aerospace technologies division.
Paul Bunyan
Students in the School of Forest, Range and Wildlife organized a Forestry Club in 1928, and in honor of their newly appointed Dean, Paul M. Dunn, inaugurated an annual "Paul's Party" in 1938.
As part of the festivities, members presented Dunn with a huge wooden statue of the "patron saint of all true foresters," Paul Bunyan. The event was offi cially recognized in 1939 as Forester's Week. The celebrations included competitions, along with a good share of bravado and hi-jinx involving the forester's "arch rivals," the engineers.
During the 1939 festivities, the Forestry Club arranged with Logan's radio station KVNU to broadcast its assembly. It was the first radio broadcast made from the College auditorium. Additionally, club members commandeered the Student Life offices, and began the tradition of publishing a special Forester's Week edition. According to reports, the "engineers had a lot to say about the activities, and ended up kidnapping Paul Bunyan from the fourth floor of our building and holding him for ransom of 500 tickets" to the Forester's Ball. When the Foresters refused to pay the tribute, the engineers hung Paul from the entrance of the Engineering Building - "much to the delight of the engineers and amusement of the student body at large."
The following year, in "partial payment for the gross insult..." the foresters burned an effi gy of an engineer on the front steps of the Engineering Building, "while the engineers stood helplessly by and watched with tears in their eyes." The engineers made several attempts to again abscond with Paul, but each "attempt was neatly curbed (but sometimes not so gently) by the ever alert and well organized Foresters."
During the war years, the depleted student body declared a hiatus for Forestry Week. In 1946, however, the foresters and engineers resumed their feud, with the engineers seizing the opportunity early during fall quarter to kidnap Paul Bunyan. The foresters searched in vain for their lost "idol," who eventually showed up on April 1st, at the beginning of Forestry Week, hanging from the campus flagpole.
During succeeding years the foresters/engineers feud became increasingly more bitter. In 1947 for instance, unable to get their hands on Paul, the engineers kidnapped the Queen of the Forestry Ball, Lenore Hansen, drove her to Pocatello, Idaho, and sequestered her in a motel room. As "friendly" competitions became ever more rough, and pranks ever more dangerous, the College Administration declared an end to hostilities and to Forestry Week in 1953.
The large footprints of Paul Bunyan's boots which appear painted on campus sidewalks each spring, are the only hint of the once vibrant, sometimes raucous, Forestry Week of more than 50 years ago.
Big Blue
Are you Big Blue? Probably not; however, you may not have known that Utah State's mascot has some deep history.
Originally Big Blue was a real white bull painted blue before home football game. Because of the damage done to the football field Big Blue was discontinued.
In 1986 Big Blue got a second life when Student Athletics Vice President John Mortensen decided that Utah State should get a new mascot and spent $750 on a costume for Big Blue. The costume was somewhat of a disappointment because it was royal blue, not navy, had real animal horns, and was not easy to move around in. Big Blue took another backseat for two seasons until 1989 when a student pestered the cheerleading advisor, Linda Zimmerman, to let him be the mascot. Big Blue has been an iconic symbol for USU ever since. Many former Big Blues have gone on to become professional mascots and their identities remain anonymous.
Homecoming
Completion of Romney Stadium brought renewed interest to create an annual Homecoming game. "For years there have been murmurs from alumni far and near," wrote Alumni Association Executive Secretary Alden Lillywhite, "that the USAC begin such an event."
The new venue made the homecoming celebration possible, and on October 11, 1930 the College invited the University of Colorado to Logan to help inaugurate the event. The Football Homecoming Committee was assisted in planning for the event by the College's Athletic Council, the Alumni Association, the Associated Students, and the Logan Chamber of Commerce.
The days events included pep rallies; patriotic flag ceremonies involving ROTC students; a downtown parade featuring floats by Bingham Cafe, J.C. Penney, Ford Motor Company, Needham Jewelers, Logan Hardware and other local merchants; and a procession to the stadium featuring sororities and fraternities, the Benos and Spurs (who had busily manufactured special pop poms in Aggie blue and white). All the past Aggie lettermen who could be located were also involved. One thousand of the best seats in the stadium were reserved for returning alumni.
Although extraordinary, the pre game festivities were only prelude to what Student Life reported as "one of the most thrilling contests ever staged..." Pundits had picked Colorado as the clear favorite to take the Rocky Mountain Conference championship, having lost only one game the previous season to the University of Utah, who went undefeated. While the Aggies had already notched two conference wins, and were tied for fi rst place, they were underdogs to Colorado, who had yet to play a conference game. The Aggies battled the "silver and gold" to a scoreless tie, in which the Aggie defense held the goal line on six separate occasions. The Aggies threatened four times to score, but were similarly rebuffed by Colorado.
A standing room only crowd witnessed the College's first Homecoming Game. The new stadium repeatedly filled to capacity as the Aggies consistently fielded highly competitive teams during the 1930s.
One of the most memorable teams was the squad from 1936. This Rocky Mountain Conference champion team included Bernard Magnusson, Tracy Maero, Dallas Greener and fi rst team All-American half-back Kent Ryan in the backfield; with Elvin Wayment, Edwin Peterson, Gerald Mathews, Edward Wade, and Clark White on the line. Team Captain Robert Bunker and Carl Mullenaux were at the end positions. The 1936 team went undefeated, tying the University of Denver 0 to 0 before holding both BYU and the University of Utah scoreless.
Robins Awards
The Robins Awards are the most coveted of all Utah State honors. They reward students and faculty for hard work and dedication to their individual goals, as well as the goals of USU.
The awards memorialize William E. Robins, a campus hero who had a rare quality to turn his vision into Utah State's vision. Robins was a Sigma Nu at Utah State who served as USU's student body president in 1949. He was the primary and initial visionary of today's Taggart Student Center.
In 1954, Bill and wife Geraldine died in a plane crash, leaving behind a one-year old orphan boy. This prompted Bill's fraternity to set up a fund so the boy could go to USU when he was ready. Tragically, the boy died at the age of eight from leukemia. Since then, the fund has been used to continue the Robins Award tradition.
Each year, the gallant event is held in the evening, and several awards are presented. The ceremony is followed by the Spring Formal dance. Throughout the years, the name of Bill Robins has stood as a symbol of the best efforts students can offer. As a memorial to him, the night's feature award is called the Bill Robins Memorial Award. Other awards include: Achievement of the Year, Woman of the Year, Man of the Year, Organization of the Year, and the Val R. Christensen Service of the Year.
A-Day
It started as a day set aside each spring for all students and faculty members to give the campus a "thorough grooming." During A-Day, students would participate in activities, such as projects, free lunch, assemblies, a football game on the QUAD, and a special student body dance.
Today A-Day has turned into a week of activities and service projects. Some of the most popular include True Aggie Night, Day on the Quad, a 5K race, and Senior Celebration.
The Hill
A tradition known primarily to the Fraternities here on campus. At the conclusion of every Fall Rush, all who wish to pledge a fraternity congregate at the top of Old Main Hill.
At this time, those still deciding between houses make their final decision, separate into houses, and the houses take turns running down the hill. At the bottom they are greeted by the current members of their house where they engage in rowdiness and walk to their respective houses, singing songs of pride the whole way. The sororities do the same thing, but on the stairs from the TSC to the fountain.
Old Main Hill is also the site of sledding and ice blocking. It was used until the 70's as the location of beginning ski classes. It was also plowed as a victory garden following WWI.
Hello Walk
On designated days, students are encouraged to say "hello" to one-another, and volunteers station themselves along the walk to greet people. The intent is to promote interaction and friendship among students as the student population increases.
Military Traditions
Utah State has ties with the military that stretch back to its beginnings. Since Utah State was established under the Land-Grant Act of 1862, one of the required subjects to be taught was military science.
In 1892, military science was compulsory for both male and female students. The college catalog noted that these drills produced most happy results. However, compulsory military drills for women did not endure for long. In 1893, in lieu of military science, women participated in a class taught by Miss Clare Kenyon, entitled "Physical Culture."
During World War I, the facilities of most land-grant institutions were pressed into service, and the Agricultural College was no exception. The college was almost completely shut down to support the war effort, and Old Main auditorium and the Smart Gymnasium became barracks. It was a common sight on Thursday afternoons to see cadets drilling on the Quad. The military ties continued during World War II.
In fact, in 1947 there were more second lieutenants commissioned from Utah State than from any other school in the country, except for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. This occurrence earned USU the nickname, "West Point of the West." However, in 1955, after Military Science was no longer required for men, this sight of cadets on the Quad became more rare, and enrollment in military science tapered off.
Holiday Lane
Every year, a Christmas tree is displayed on the QUAD. It is decorated by various campus groups. There are also ornaments on the tree that contain the wishes of unfortunate children. You can take an ornament and buy the item for the child.
Finals Week Howl
Need a great way to unwind? Then try howling. No we are not talking about the massive Halloween party. We are talking about the up and coming tradition of Finals Week Howl.
Started in spring of 2006, the founders of the howling started howling at ten o'clock on the Wednesday of finals week in the library to relieve stress and celebrate their love of wolves. To the dismay of the librarian, the howling grew louder for the next ten minutes. The police were called. However, by the time the police arrived everything had quieted to a conducive study environment, with a little less tension.
Since then Howling has only grown in popularity. In order to avoid further confrontations with the law, the founders of Howling are seeking University support. The dream of the founders is for those coming through Sardine Canyon to hear the howling of students letting loose test anxiety at 10 p.m. on the Wednesday of finals week. So no matter where you are on the Wednesday of finals week remember: howl from ten to ten till ten!
