Misplaced Pages

#132867

61-471: Some of the traditions are well-known, the most notable being the now-banned tradition of stealing the "T" from Tech Tower. Tech Tower , Tech's historic primary administrative building, has the letters TECH hanging atop it on each of its four sides. A number of times, students have orchestrated complex plans to steal the huge symbolic letter T, and on occasion have carried this act out successfully. One especially well-known tradition that has existed nearly since

122-516: A field goal/safety and preceded by " Up With the White and Gold " after a touchdown) in a football game, and frequently during timeouts at basketball games. The title refers to the Ramblin' Wreck , one of Tech's mascots and a nickname for Tech students. Oh, sons of Tech arise behold The banner as it reigns supreme For from on high the White and Gold Waves in its triumphant gleam, The spirit of

183-675: A long life; he earned several degrees, fought in World War II, and almost won Time ' s 2001 Person of the Year award. Georgia Tech is also known for the largest margin of victory in a football game, achieved in their 222-0 thrashing of Cumberland University in the 1916 Cumberland vs. Georgia Tech football game . Tech's historic and primary administrative building, Tech Tower , has the letters TECH hanging atop it on each of its four sides. Since 1969, students on several occasions have orchestrated complex plans to scale Tech Tower and steal

244-524: A number of freshmen, most notably those in the marching band , wear gold caps known as RAT caps at each football game. RAT is short for Recruit At Tech , although recently the Student Government has begun incorrectly using "Recently Acquired Tech Students" or "Recently Acquired Techie". The RAT caps are decorated with the football team's scores, the freshman's name, hometown, major, expected graduation date, and "To HELL With Georgia" emblazoned on

305-563: A parade of contraptions was created to subdue student protests. The parade has run every year since 1932 except for the years of 1942-1943. The American fuel shortage caused by World War II stopped the parade. In 1944, the parade was renewed except the contraptions had to be human powered . Gasoline power was allowed again in 1946. The Freshman Cake Race is a foot race from the Russ Chandler Stadium to Bobby Dodd Stadium that takes place before sunrise (about 6:00 am) on

366-684: A particular emphasis on mediating campus-wide sporting events. The Bull Dogs utilized their Cake Race ties to the Athletic Association in order to coordinate the first intramurals on the athletic playing fields. The Bull Dogs also aided in spirit and tradition upkeep on campus by aiding in Ramblin' Wreck Parade judging, homecoming queen selection, and homecoming dance planning. Despite the Bull Dogs roles in homecoming celebrations, their intramural coordination became their primary focus by

427-533: A track and cross country coach. The race founder is alumnus L. McTier "Mac" Anderson, class of 1967. The first race in 1973 was 3 miles long and was expanded to 3.14 miles after 1975—hence the Pi Mile. In 2002, the race distance was slightly shortened to 5 kilometers , intendedly to attract more runners. Another race tradition is the Ghost Run, where all the entrants sign up as George P. Burdell ; participants pay

488-402: A twelve game win streak in homecoming contests. Tech is 44-13-1 since 1949 in its homecoming football games. The Mini 500 is a tricycle race held during homecoming every year that requires teams to complete laps around Peters Parking Deck on East Campus. Men must complete 15 laps, while women must complete 10. There are mandatory pit stops in which the front tire must be rotated 3 times during

549-399: Is a lasting bond; Oh may we be united Till the victory of life is won! At every football game and every home basketball game, the fans of Georgia Tech perform an unusual dance at the end of the 3rd quarter in football and during the second to last television timeout of basketball. The dance is a simple bobbing motion which alternates every other person (simulating the up-and-down motion of

610-597: Is a parade of classic cars and engineering oddities held before every homecoming football game. There are three classes of vehicles, which participate in the competition. The first class is known simply as classic cars and these are vehicles over a certain age limit (currently 25 years). The second class is known as fixed bodies and these vehicles are normal cars, which have only been cosmetically modified retaining their original drive train . These are often themed, but are distinctly different from floats and are prohibited from being "pseudo-wrecks displaying pomps". The third class

671-420: Is a spirit group consisting of 900 Georgia Tech students found seated along the north end zone during home football games and on the court during basketball games. The Swarm was started by Suzanne "Suzy Swarm" Robinson of the Ramblin' Reck Club in 1996 to increase the amount of student participation in the stands. The Swarm was only 250 members when it began in 1996. The group increased to 650 members by 2001 and

SECTION 10

#1732790334133

732-413: Is contraptions. Here, wheel-driven vehicles (that is, those using a conventional drive train ) are banned; human power has been used instead, as has propeller drive and jet engines . Judging criteria include both creativity and effective operation. The Wreck parade dates back to 1929 when The Technique began an "Old Ford Race" to Athens. In 1932, the race was deemed unsafe by the administration so

793-543: Is currently 900 members strong. All Swarm members donate to the Alexander-Tharpe fund and are given gold T-shirts before every football and basketball season. One of the more popular traditions amongst Swarm members is the "Running of the Swarm". Because all Swarm seating is general admission, there are no reserved seats. The Swarm members must run once the gate is opened to get the best seats. A flashcard display

854-596: Is performed at every home football game by students. The flashcard section was first formed in 1957 by an organization known as the Block-T Club. The idea for a flashcard section and group to organize its efforts was conceived by members of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Through the support of Ramblin' Reck Club the first flashcard section featured 400 freshmen and highly coordinated flashcard images. The original flashcard sections were completely voluntary but afterwards,

915-442: Is split up by gender. The winners receive cakes baked by faculty, alumni, or students, and all participants receive cupcakes. The winners also receive a kiss from Mr. or Ms. Georgia Tech at the homecoming half-time show. The race began as a cross-country race in 1911. In 1913, the winners received cakes from wives, mothers, and other women affiliated with Tech. The race was initially mandatory for all students. The Ramblin' Reck Club

976-526: The 1960s. With the planning of the Student Athletic Center , intramurals were placed under official Institute control rather than the Bull Dogs and in 1969 the Bull Dogs were disbanded, relinquishing all homecoming duties to Ramblin' Reck Club and the student government. The Georgia Tech Bands are student musical groups fielded at many of the home athletic and schoolwide events. None of the musicians receive scholarships for participating in

1037-688: The Fall 2017 semester, the Whistle blew five minutes before the hour, every hour from 8:55 am to 5:55 pm, but following a modification of the class schedule, the whistle now follows a modified blowing schedule. The Faculty newspaper is also named The Whistle . Georgia Tech has an ongoing rivalry with the University of Georgia , often simply called "Georgia" for short. The rivalry was called Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate by Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist and UGA supporter, Lewis Grizzard. An annual issue of

1098-604: The Georgia Tech Cable Network (GTCN), produced a show, about the history of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate 'To Hell With Georgia' . If one student asks the word from another ("What's the Good Word?"), the response is always "To Hell with Georgia!" If asked about the Bulldogs ("How 'bout them Dawgs?"), an old tagline from the "University of Georgia" expression, the correct answer is, "Piss on 'em!" Every year,

1159-555: The Goldfellas occurred in the 2007 football game against rival University of Georgia with over 80 Tech students painted up with the Goldfellas for the event. Oh well it's up with the White and Gold, Down with the Red and Black, Georgia Tech is out for a victory. We'll drop the battle-axe on Georgia 's head, When we meet her our team is sure to beat her. Down on the old farm there will be no sound Till our bow-wows rip through

1220-601: The Institute newspaper, The Technique , focuses on this rivalry with an issue that spoofs The Red and Black , the newspaper of the University of Georgia. As a dig at the rival school, the Technique will typically refer to it as "the university (sic) of Georgia" (sometimes shortened to "u(sic)GA") in articles. " To Hell With Georgia " (abbreviated "THWG" or "THWUGA"or "THWg") is also known as "The Good Word." In 2009,

1281-684: The RAT rules in 1965. By 1967, the Club was given a more wholesome duty. Reck Club was given charge of the Ramblin' Wreck in 1967 following the disbandment of the Student Council's Reck Committee. A member from Reck Club known as the wreck driver has been elected annually since 1967 to drive the Wreck onto Grant Field for football games and other school functions. Reck Club was the first group to make attempts at humanoid mascots on Tech Campus. The first

SECTION 20

#1732790334133

1342-414: The Ramblin' Wreck. The fight song for Georgia Tech " I'm a Rambling Wreck " begins with the lyrics, "I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer." The song is sung at sporting events, official school functions, and always at the end of every graduation ceremony. A steam whistle that blows at various times throughout the day to mark the end of classes. This tradition is a hold over from

1403-720: The Reck Club until his mysterious disappearance in 1975. The Ramblin' Reck Club today oversees several homecoming traditions such as the Freshman Cake Race, the Mini 500, and the Wreck Parade. Reck Club also serves as a bridge between Georgia Tech Athletics and the Georgia Tech student body organizing the Swarm cheering section, pep rallies, flashcards sections, and other spirit related events. The Bull Dog Club

1464-530: The South end zone goalpost. Occasionally, the Goldfellas will attend home basketball, volleyball, or other sporting events. The group had its origins in the 1998 Georgia Tech football season, when a group of guys painted up for the homecoming game against the favored Virginia Cavaliers, the second of the fabled 41-38 games. The Jackets upset the Cavaliers and the tradition was started and passed on by residents in

1525-465: The Swarm maintained the tradition as a mandatory requirement of being a member of Swarm. Currently, the flashcard display is no longer performed due to difficulty coordinating it. It was last performed in the 2011 football season. The Goldfellas are a group of Georgia Tech superfans who paint their entire bodies yellow, spelling out words and phrases in black letters on their chests. These painted fans attend every home football game and are located behind

1586-552: The Thrasher cup. The band has some of the richest traditions on campus, including a strict enforcement of RAT caps amongst first year band members, no matter their actual year in college. The first Georgia Tech bands were formed in 1908 and led by "Biddy" Bidez . Bidez lead the group until his graduation in 1912. He was succeeded by another student named Mike Greenblatt who continued in Bidez's footsteps until 1913. Greenblatt wrote

1647-429: The administration used to turn a blind eye to this practice, it is now officially discouraged, due to the risk of fatal falls and the potential for damage to the building, and equated to criminal activity (trespassing and theft). In recent years, this has become a serious offense, and perpetrators today would face a hefty fine to repair damages done to the building and a minimum of a semester-long suspension for attempting

1708-494: The air; When the battle is over Georgia's team will be found With the Yellow Jackets swarming around! "(I'm a) Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" is Georgia Tech's fight song . The composition is based on Son of a Gambolier by Charles Ives (1895), and the lyrics are based on an old English and Scottish drinking song of the same name. "Ramblin' Wreck" is played after every Georgia Tech score (directly after

1769-506: The assorted bands meaning the bands are composed entirely of volunteers. Every home football game and most away games include a 300 member Georgia Tech marching band performing during dead ball time and half-time . The GT Bands also field smaller pep bands at home basketball , ice hockey , and volleyball games. The bands are known to follow teams for special events such as bowl games and basketball tournaments . The ice hockey pep band in particular travels to Savannah every year for

1830-516: The back of the cap. It is important that 'HELL' should be in all capital letters, while 'Georgia' should be all lowercase. Students who intend to utilize the cooperative education program circle the top button on the cap, and fill it in once they have completed their involvement. The tradition began in 1915, and freshmen were required to wear the RAT caps every day until the Thanksgiving weekend game with UGA (if Georgia Tech won) or until end of

1891-506: The behest of Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen . Following successful thefts, the T would then be returned at the halftime of the homecoming football game or would be returned to the lawn of the president's mansion, and the student's achievement would be celebrated. Tradition dictates that the first T to be stolen should be the one facing east, as this can most easily be seen from the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector . Although

Traditions of the Georgia Institute of Technology - Misplaced Pages Continue

1952-587: The cheering Throng Resounds with joy revealing A brotherhood in praise and song In memory of the days gone by. Oh, Scion of the Southland In our hearts you shall forever fly! We cherish thoughts so dear for thee Oh Alma Mater in our pray'r. We plead for you in victory And in the victory we share, But when the battle seems in vain Our spirits never falter We're ever one in joy or pain And our union

2013-437: The course of the race. Because the average racer weighs more than the average 5-year-old, the car is allowed one support brace to be welded onto the frame. The race traces its roots back to the early 1960s, when fraternity pledges were forced to ride tricycles around campus as a form of hazing. The race was eventually formalized in 1969, and rules were instituted to make the Mini 500 an instant classic. The Ramblin' Wreck Parade

2074-499: The disbandment of the Yellow Jackets. A new traditions club was actively pursued by Anak to instill the rich Tech tradition into new freshmen. The new club was the Ramblin' Reck Club and it was established in late July 1945. The first order of business for the new Ramblin' Reck Club was to stage a Pep Meeting and traditions review for new freshmen. Reck Club was designed to prevent political domination by individual social fraternities as Yellow Jacket Club had been. Membership in Reck Club

2135-476: The event. The Technique, Blueprint, and Omicron Delta Kappa rejuvenated the major event but the Yellow Jackets' reputation was severely tarnished. On May 8, 1945 the Yellow Jacket Club staged a last-ditch effort to reorganize the traditions club but by July 14, 1945 the club was disbanded. When new freshmen arrived on campus in 1945, the student body was concerned that traditions would be lost with

2196-426: The feat, if not outright expulsion. Security features such as security cameras, pressure sensitive roof tiling, and fiber optic cabling running throughout the letters have been added to the T to help prevent its theft and aid in catching the perpetrators. In 1999, the T was successfully stolen by a group of "six or seven people" on the morning of June 3. The location of that T is still unknown. In 2001, two members of

2257-491: The fee and get a T-shirt but do not have to run. Part of the race is run along the Tyler Brown Pi-Mile Trail, a 3.14-mile running course around well-lit areas of the Georgia Tech campus, designated with disc-shaped markers and maps along the way. Tyler Brown was a former Student Government Association president who ran daily for ROTC and pushed heavily for a well-lit and safe running trail. Tyler Brown

2318-451: The first versions of "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech". The first professional band director was Frank "Wop" Roman. Roman is noted for writing Tech's Alma Mater as well as "Up With the White and Gold". Roman copyrighted "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" in 1919 and led the bands until his death in 1928. Since Roman there have been seven professional band directors. The directors have had varying levels of success and longevity. The Swarm

2379-498: The fraternity Beta Theta Pi were caught and suspended in an attempt to steal the T. In October 2005, a replica of the T was stolen from the Student Services Building and returned two days later. Despite the lack of physical danger involved in stealing the spare T, the theft was still strongly criticized. The most recent successful theft of the T occurred during Georgia Tech's spring break on March 18, 2014, which

2440-531: The heads of the familiar team of Clydesdale horses ) and is performed to the tune of an old Budweiser jingle . The Georgia Tech additional lyrics are as follows: The Dean George C. Griffin Pi Mile 5K Road Race is run annually in the spring on the Georgia Tech campus. One of the longest continually running races in Atlanta, it is named after former dean of students, George C. Griffin, in honor of his tenure as

2501-485: The huge symbolic letter T off the building. The 'T' was first stolen in April 1969 by a secret group of Georgia Tech students calling themselves the "Magnificent Seven." The students, who were inspired by a similar prank that had taken place in 1968 at Harvard University , planned the theft as a means of commemorating Institute President Edwin D. Harrison 's retirement. The 'T' was returned several days later via helicopter at

Traditions of the Georgia Institute of Technology - Misplaced Pages Continue

2562-496: The jungles of Panama . These devices and their creators were nicknamed Ramblin' Wrecks from Georgia Tech. Since then the term Ramblin' Wreck has been applied to a graduate or current student of Georgia Tech. The actual Ramblin' Reck is a 1930 Ford Model A Sports Coupe first acquired by then-associate dean of students James E. Dull , in 1961. The first Ramblin' Wreck mascot reference was in 1926 to Dean Floyd Field's 1914 Ford Model T . Sports teams of Georgia Tech are also called

2623-417: The late 1890s was stolen in 1902. The whistle was returned to Dean Griffin in 1949 as a retirement gift. The second theft of the whistle occurred in 1963, when a group of students nicknamed the "Magnificent 7" stole the whistle. Fearing Institute repercussions, the group returned the whistle in the spring of 1964. The whistle was again stolen in 1978 by a group nicknamed the "Committee of Five". The whistle

2684-403: The morning of the homecoming game. This distance is about a one-half mile, so the crowd of several hundred participants engages in a mad sprint over the relatively short distance. The race runs through the middle of the campus's Greek sector and is often subject to tampering by fraternity students. The competitors are supposed to be freshmen (students with less than 30 hours of credit), and the race

2745-579: The name Pilgrim's and was originally located on the corner of North Avenue and Techwood Drive. Its name changed to Junior's Grill in 1958, and it moved locations twice since then. Due to the need to construct apartments for the 1996 Summer Olympics , the restaurant was forced to close and vacate its North Avenue location in October 1993; in February 1994, it reopened in the Bradley Building. It

2806-447: The now-defunct Area II dormitories. Each member is given a unique face design that is retired upon his graduation. The group is not considered an official club as its members do not bow to any charters and are not affiliated with Swarm. The Goldfellas take pride in their complete lack of clothing besides a yellow wig and gym shorts. The group never sits during the course of a football game, not even during halftime. The largest gathering of

2867-411: The reason. Georgia Tech Homecoming is a celebration held once a year for alum of the Institute to return to campus and take part in several festivities and Institute traditions. The themed homecoming festivities all lead up to a Saturday football contest. The events are usually led off with various Greek sports tournaments followed by the Mini 500, Freshman Cake Race, and the Wreck Parade. Every year

2928-409: The school year (if Georgia Tech lost). If Tech did not play UGA that year, freshmen were allowed to stop wearing their caps after a homecoming game victory. If the team lost, then the previously stated rules applied. Freshmen caught not wearing the cap faced varying degrees of hazing , including having their hair shaved into the shape of a letter tee ("T") or a T-cut. Anti-hazing laws in the 1960s led to

2989-420: The school's establishment is Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate , Georgia Tech's heated, long-standing and ongoing rivalry with the University of Georgia . The first known hostilities between the two schools trace back to 1891. Several legends originated at Georgia Tech. George P. Burdell , Tech's ever-present fictional student, was created in 1927 when a student filled out two application forms. Burdell went on to lead

3050-494: The student body elects a Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech. These are two individuals who have excelled in academics and extracurriculars on Tech campus. The titles changed from homecoming king and queen to Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech in 1987 at the request of Dean James E. Dull . The first homecoming was organized by ANAK in 1916. In 2008, Georgia Tech hosted the Virginia Cavaliers for its 92nd homecoming celebration and ended

3111-425: The task. The Yellow Jacket Club helped facilitate the Freshman Cake Race and helped to organize the first Wreck Parades in 1932. The Yellow Jacket Club were the strict student enforcement of the freshmen RAT rules as well. The Yellow Jacket Club maintained prestige and political power on campus until late 1944. The Yellow Jacket Club was in charge of the 1945 school-wide Spring Social and failed to properly organize

SECTION 50

#1732790334133

3172-545: The trade school days, originally used to mark the end of a shift in the shops; now it is used both to mark the end of classes and as a fifteen-minute warning to the beginning of the next classes. It is also blown when Georgia Tech's football team scores a touchdown or wins a game, and at each spring's "When the Whistle Blows" remembrance ceremony. Although not as popular as "stealing the T", the whistle has been stolen several times. The first ever Tech whistle installed in

3233-533: The virtual elimination of the tradition, although the use of RAT caps is still actively maintained by the marching band. The RAT rules enforced by upperclassmen and in particular the Ramblin' Reck Club are presented in the July 17, 1964, edition of the Technique . The rules are listed below: Junior's Grill was a restaurant located in East Campus next to Tech Tower . The restaurant was first opened in 1948 under

3294-723: Was killed in action in Iraq on September 14, 2004. The trail was completed in December 2004 and was dedicated in his honor in April 2005. Stealing the T Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 254776288 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:38:54 GMT Ramblin%27 Reck Too Many Requests If you report this error to

3355-404: Was a bee costume donned by Judi McNair of Reck Club. She sported her bee costume to home basketball games and pep rallies. In 1973, a spandex -clad hero named T-Man and his faithful sidekick T patrolled campus in search of opposing mascots and fans. T-Man would perform spirit skits at pep rallies and home basketball games. Often seen riding in the Ramblin' Wreck, T-Man was an anonymous member of

3416-513: Was also stolen in 1969 and 1997. Both times the whistle was returned almost immediately after its theft. In 1969, the whistle was given to the student body president as a graduation gift a month after its theft and the 1997 theft was solved when President Clough found the whistle on his lawn a day after its theft. The current steam whistle, located near Tech Tower , was built by the GTRI Machine Shop and installed in 2004. Prior to

3477-449: Was an honor society created in 1910 originally as a social branch of Tech's Koseme Society. The Bull Dogs first major role was facilitating the first cross country races that eventually evolved into the Freshman Cake Race. The Bull Dogs only admitted rising juniors and seniors into their ranks in order to maintain prestige and honor in the club. The Bull Dogs rise to Institute prominence also led to their eventual demise. The Bull Dogs put

3538-465: Was founded in 1930 as the Yellow Jacket Club to help bolster school spirit. Coach William Alexander found campus spirit to be particularly low during the Great Depression . His successful football program and the other athletic teams had very few student fans attending the games. In 1930, Alexander approached Professor Fred Wenn about organizing and founding such a club, who agreed to take up

3599-564: Was limited to two individuals per fraternity or military ROTC program. A group known as the T-Club was charged with upholding the RAT rules with incoming freshmen. Four years after Tech became coed, Reck Club became the first non- faith-based organization on campus to admit a female member. Paula Stevenson was the club's first female member in 1956. Under Reck Club, the strict RAT rules slowly faded away. Anti-hazing laws severely diminished Reck Club's ability to punish Tech freshmen for disobeying

3660-568: Was owned and operated by Tommy Klemis, an electrical engineering graduate of Georgia Tech. The restaurant housed pieces of Tech history, including aerial photographs of campus from various years, assorted Georgia Tech memorabilia, portraits of prominent individuals in Tech's history, and a section of the goalpost from Tech's 1990 National Championship game in the Citrus Bowl . Junior's Grill closed permanently in April 2011, citing slow business as

3721-490: Was the first time since 1999 that it had been successfully stolen. The term Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech refers to either current students or alumni, the school mascot (also referred to as the Ramblin' Reck), or the various sports teams. Georgia Tech alumni, working on the construction of the Panama Canal , were called Ramblin' Wrecks for the ingenious machines that they devised to transport themselves in and out of

SECTION 60

#1732790334133
#132867