UGA's G Book

Something I did not know about being a student at the University of Georgia: as a freshman each student is given a copy of the “ G Book” which tells of new and old traditions. Students are encouraged to take part in as many traditions as possible. The book has places for the student to paste photos of the of the student taking part in each tradition. After you keep so many traditions you get a prize.

Traditions Kept / Prize

10: Future Tradition Keeper button

20: tradition keeper lapel pin

30: G Book T shirt

40: Tradition keeper plaque

So far Will has at least 25 photos. When the students first arrived on campus in August Will took some of the guys on his hall around campus, and together they snapped several of them then. There are at least 32 traditions that should be easy for Will to get, marked: (W) below.

LOST TRADITIONS

1. Rat Caps

2. Rat Court

3. The Goat Mascot

4. Shirttail Parade

5. Senior Parade

6. Little Commencement

7. The Toombs Oak

8. Tradition of saying “hello”

9. Mandatory Chapel

10. Sitting on the railroad tracks for a game.

TRADITIONS OF ALL TIME

1. The Arch (W)

2. Founders Week (W)

3. Literary Societies

4. The Tree that owns itself (W)

5. The Red & Black (W)

6. Attend an event in the chapel

7. Student organizations (W)

8. Class ring

9. Participate in homecoming events (W)

10. The Chapel Bell (W)

11. Participate in a Greek Event

12. Attend an athletic event (W)

13. The Creamery (W)

TRADITIONS OF OUR TIME

14. The Student Alumni Association

15. Picture with UGA or Hairy Dog (W)

16. Watch a game between the hedges (W)

17. Take a picture on the arch logo tile (W)

18. Tailgate on gameday (W)

19. The Dawg Walk (W)

20. Center for Leadership and Service

21. Georgia-Florida Game

22. Sit with Bernard Ramsey ’37

23. Late Night Snelling (W)

24. Athens Music Scene (W)

25. Dawgs After Dark (W)

26. Intramural Sports (W)

27. Performing Arts Center

28. Street painting (W)

29. Attend an intercultural event

30. The Tate Plaza (W)

31. Herty Field Activities

32. The Abraham Baldwin Statue (W)

33. Richard B Russell Building Special Collection Library

34. State Botanical Garden of Georgia (W)

35. See a movie at the Tate Student Center (W)

36. Ghost Tour

37. Georgia Museum of Art (W)

38. Education Abroad

39. 100 days until graduation (W)

40. State of the University Address

41. Freshman Welcome (W)

42. Senior Signature (W)

43. Picture with your school or college (W)

44. The Great Southland Stampede Rodeo

45. Athens Cultural Scene (W)

46. Enjoy the great outdoors (W)

47. G Day and tailgate (W)

48. Make your own tradition (W)

Since some of the “traditions of our time” seem obviously manufactured to increase participation in a particular organization or event, and since certain student populations are represented like the Greeks, internationals, and student government, it’s a shame a new religious tradition could not be manufactured to replace the Mandatory Chapel tradition, which was lost when the student population grew too large to fit in any one building.

Too bad Georgia Tech didn’t have something like that. Don Lott and I would’ve been all over it.