Every year, high school students around the nation choose their respective colleges based on a number of factors and one of these factors is tradition. This variable doesn’t seem to be a make or break reason for students to attend the University of Tampa, but the fact is that UT seriously lacks in this category. This is not to say that things have to stay this way. In fact, traditions can begin any day we choose. It is high time for the governing powers of our great institution to take a break from the expansion of the University and focus their energy on making the students we already have feel united as one proud student body. This can most easily be accomplished through the creation of traditions.
The University has a wide array of sports teams, none of which ever draw a respectable crowd. It is primarily due to the lack of student body interest and cohesion, which is caused by a myriad of factors. However, it is undeniable that school spirit and pride directly correlates to tradition; it is hard to have one without the other.
Founded in 1933, UT does indeed have a vibrant history most notably revolving around the former Tampa Bay Hotel, now known as Plant Hall. This beautiful structure is known for its extensive list of celebrity occupants such as Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, the Prince of Wales and the Queen of England. Unfortunately for today’s student body, a vibrant history does not always coincide with having meaningful traditions, but it can serve as a strong base where traditions can be formed.
Junior and sports management major Russell Wagner urges the governing body of the school to “pool more money and resources into making my time at UT something I can be proud of for years to come. Traditions are something we just don’t have; it’s also something we need desperately.” Wagner, also a member of the Spartan ROTC program, went on to state that within the ROTC program, traditions fuel motivation and pride amongst its members, and he believes this is something that can easily be implemented on a campus wide level with minimal funding.
The general idea behind a solid college tradition is simplicity; we don’t need overcomplicated gimmicky expensive activities that were designed by someone who doesn’t understand the dynamic of the student body. For example, Rollins College, a school within our division has a wonderful tradition known as Fox Day. It was established during the spring of 1956. Fox Day occurs each spring when the President of the college randomly cancels class for the day, giving the student body a day of relaxation so that they are able to go to the local beaches and towns to explore. It was given the name Fox Day because a statue of a fox is placed in the school’s main courtyard alerting the students about the day off. It is extremely popular in prompting students to set up video cameras on the field in order to know exactly when the fox is placed on the field. In 2012, they went one step further with an IPhone app released for Fox Day alerts. Not only is this a beloved tradition, it is also practically free to maintain for the college.
It’s never too late to implement a tradition that will last until the end of time here at UT. We just need the support of those who hold the power, coupled with the support of the student body. The latter shouldn’t be too difficult since the students here are hungry for tradition. The rebuttal to all of this is, “ we have the annual concert,” but this is not a unique tradition. Nearly every school across the nation has a similar spring concert. The student body is desperate for something more, something we can call our own. There are a plethora of incredible historic items on campus that can be used in order to create a great tradition: the gravity rock by the science wing of Plant Hall (one of only a few in the world) and the oak tree where Hernando de Soto is rumored to have met the chief of the local native tribes in Plant Park, are among the many historically unique fixtures. Any one of these could be used to make an awesome, simple and cost effective tradition that is capable of creating a fun and lasting tradition for present and future UT students.
Richard J. Whitaker can be reached at richard.whitaker@theminaretonline.com