Traditions of the Georgia Institute of Technology
Stealing the T, a steam whistle, and a fictional student.
Georgia Tech, which opened in 1888 as a trade school and later grew into a large research university, has accumulated numerous traditions and legends over its history. Many of these customs, such as the daily steam whistle that marks class changes, reflect the school's early industrial heritage. The institution is also known for its long-standing rivalry with the University of Georgia, called Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, which dates back to 1891.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 1888
- Steam whistle introduced
- early years of the school
- Largest football victory margin
- 222-0 (1916 vs. Cumberland University)
Facts from the source article.
Traditions
Tech Tower, the historic primary administrative building, has the letters TECH on each of its four sides. In later successful thefts, the T was typically returned at the halftime of the homecoming football game or left on the lawn of the president's mansion. Tradition holds that the first T stolen should be the one facing east, as it is most visible from the Downtown Connector. Although the administration once turned a blind eye, the practice is now officially discouraged due to risk of fatal falls and building damage, and is treated as criminal trespassing and theft. Perpetrators today face a hefty fine for repairs and a minimum semester-long suspension, or possible expulsion. Security features including cameras, pressure-sensitive roof tiling, and fiber optic cabling in the letters have been added. The T was successfully stolen again on June 3, 1999, by a group of six or seven people, and its location remains unknown. In 2001, two Beta Theta Pi fraternity members were caught and suspended during an attempt. In October 2005, a replica T was stolen from the Student Services Building and returned two days later, though the theft was criticized. The most recent successful theft occurred during spring break on March 18, 2014, the first since 1999.
Legends
The term Yellow Jacket has referred to Georgia Tech students and sports teams since the 1890s, when fans wore yellow jackets to games and early football teams used yellow jerseys due to a lack of gold fabric. In October 1905, coach John Heisman told the Atlanta Constitution he wanted his teams called the Yellow Jackets. A November 1906 Atlanta Journal cartoon showed a University of Georgia player attacked by a yellowjacket with the caption 'Somebody's going to get stung,' the first known use of the nickname for Tech teams. Buzz Bee, an anthropomorphized Yellow Jacket, began as an impromptu student volunteer in 1979 and is now an official cheerleader requiring an intense tryout process. Buzz served as the model for a new Georgia Tech emblem designed in 1985 by Mike Lester. The fictional student George P. Burdell was created in 1927 when a student filled out two application forms, enrolling as both himself and Burdell. Burdell earned a B.S. in 1930, a master's degree, attended Harvard, and joined the Army Air Forces during World War II. Since the 1960s, students have re-enrolled Burdell in the institute's computers; when online registration began, he took every course offered. The institute initially searched for the hackers but has since accepted Burdell's presence in every year's class. He is commonly paged over the stadium public address system at away sporting events.
Jargon
Georgia Tech is sometimes called the 'North Avenue Trade School,' a humorous name reflecting its location on North Avenue and its early operation as a trade school where students worked part of the day in a machine shop. The campus bookstore sells shirts bearing this name. The school is traditionally called 'the Institute,' and the use of 'the university' or 'the college' is discouraged. Its academic divisions, once called schools, are now called colleges. During the 2006 homecoming football game against the University of Miami, students wore gold T-shirts reading 'Screw the U, Fear the I!' in reference to Miami's nickname. Georgia Tech is one of only five Division I Bowl Subdivision football programs without 'University' in its name, the others being Boston College and the three service academies. 'Getting shafted' refers to being harmed by an instructor through unfair academic procedures; the physical manifestation is the Kessler Campanile, a shaft-like structure near the Student Center whose phallic shape invites the designation. 'The Ratio' (always capitalized) refers to the traditionally high male-to-female student ratio. Many students replace the lyric 'to cheer on the brave and bold' with 'to raise The Ratio' when singing 'Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech.' Some students use the term 'tech bitch syndrome' or 'TBS' to describe women they perceive as stuck up due to attention from the male majority. Women against the term claim it is often applied without warrant, and an analysis by Georgia Tech's Sexual Violence and Prevention Initiative found the term represents male hostility and disrespect toward women.
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