Hoya Saxa

Lore & Background

The phrase was first used at Georgetown University sometime before 1893, when it was noted in publications about Georgetown's football games against Swarthmore College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. By 1894, chanting the phrase was considered a well-established tradition. The exact origin or original use of the cheer is unknown. Probable theories suggest it either refers to the stalwart defense of the football team or to one of the baseball teams, which was named the "Stonewalls". It might also refer to the actual stone wall that surrounds the campus, for which the baseball team was named.

Reader's Guide

The phrase has been painted in large letters on an abandoned trolley trestle by the university's Canal Road entrance since the early 1990s, though it is now obscured by shrubs. The sign is an occasional target of vandalism. Word plays and rhymes using the phrase are common, including "Hoya Snaxa", the student-run snack shop. The school also hosts a "Hoya Saxa Weekend" each spring to attract minority applicants.

Did You Know?

• Hoya is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'hoia', meaning 'what' or 'such'.
• Saxa is Latin for 'rocks'.
• The phrase was historically rendered as 'Hoya, Hoya, Saxa!' and appears in 'The Hoya Song' from 1930.