Being part of the MPA has many amazing benefits; one of the greatest is being a part of the larger UT community. The University of Texas at Austin is a place of tradition. Our traditions date back the university’s founding in 1883. I feel it is to every student’s benefit to know all the wonderful traditions our university has. Getting caught up in the spirit of the school is one of the best parts of the experience at UT.
The Tower
The first thing any prospective UT student needs to know about is the tower. The tower is campus’ best known landmark and symbol. It can be seen from almost anywhere in Austin, and as cheesy as this sounds, I get a swell of happiness in my stomach every time I see it. It is usually lit up in white at night, except on special occasions. We light it up in orange for academic and athletic achievements and it even has a special configuration of lights for when UT wins a national championship.
The tower also has a clock on all four sides and chimes every fifteen minutes. At 12:50 three times a week, Tom Anderson (the university’s carilloneur) plays songs using the bells. He has even taken requests before. One time I heard him play Katy Perry’s teenage dream and just this week he was playing “Deck the Halls”.
If you are interested in touring the tower, the university offers tower tours through the Texas Union.
Hook ‘em Horns sign
It is essential for every longhorn to know the hook ‘em hands sign. It was created in 1955 by head cheerleader Harley Clark Jr. At every sporting event, fans show their support by flashing this iconic hand sign. To be completely honest, I remember my fingers would get sore after my first few home football games from making this sign for long periods of time. But you know what they say, practice makes perfect!
Bevo
Seeing as we are the Texas Longhorns, it only makes sense to have a Texas Longhorn as our mascot! Bevo has been cheering our boys on the football field from the sidelines since 1966. Currently, Bevo XIV is carrying on the tradition of one of college’s heaviest and most popular mascots. (He weighs close to a ton!)
School Songs
Here at UT, we have two main school songs: “Texas Fight!” and “The Eyes of Texas.” Both of these songs can be heard frequently at football games. To start practicing, click on the links to hear the songs with the lyrics so you can impress your friends and fellow fans!