Student Life Traditions
One thing is certain: where the students go, traditions grow! What we take away from our time at Eastern changes for each Colonel. But for all of us, what sticks throughout the years are the memories we make outside of the classroom. For some alumni, they remember dancing to the beat of the music and their hearts at the Sweetheart Dance. Others can never forget the rush of Rush Week, meeting new friends that will last a lifetime.
Student life changes year to year, and each Colonel experiences Eastern in a way that’s entirely their own. But the theme of many student life experiences is always the same: fun and friendship.
Dances
There was a time when Eastern's students regularly tripped the light fantastic. Homecoming dances, sweetheart dances, and the Sadie Hawkins dance were a staple of student life. While these dances have faded out of student life, they remain in other ways, such as the military ball.
The incorporation of ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) onto Eastern’s campus brought another tradition: the Military Ball. Beginning in 1937, the ball featured live music and the crowning of the Military Ball Queen (with student Nancy Covington being awarded the first annual honor). Students in ROTC donned their uniforms and non-military wore formal wear to the event. The Military Ball tradition is one that Eastern continues today and the ball itself has its own traditions. Each ball includes a receiving line, sabre arch, and ceremonial toasts as well ceremonies that honor fallen soldiers.
Military Ball Program.
ROTC Military Ball entrance procession.
A dance in the Keen Johnson Student Union Building.
Sadie Hawkins Day dance.
Couple dancing at the Sadie Hawkins Day dance.
Couples at the Valentine Dance.
Dance at Martin Hall.
Dance in Walnut Hall in Keen Johnson Building.
A swing dance in the Grille in the Keen Johnson Building.
Hanging of the Greens
In 1930, President Herman Donovan began the long tradition of the Hanging of the Greens. This ceremony aimed to recreate the English custom of decking the halls with evergreen as a symbol of the Nativity. The ritual included Christmas music, scripture readings delivered by a local religious leader, and a short ceremony. The Hanging of the Greens would begin with trumpet players marching down the hall followed by pairs of women. These women would be dressed in white robes, while carrying green boughs and candles to hang. The ceremony began in Burnam Hall, but was moved to Keen Johnson in 1941 after the number of participants began growing. The last EKU Hanging of the Greens ceremony took place in 1997.
Hanging of the Greens Program, 1940.
Freshmen Beanies
Incoming freshmen to EKU today may think they have it rough, but freshmen from the 1920s to the 1970s had far more to contend with. During this time, freshmen were required to wear these beanies, or they would be punished by the Mystic Six, later known as “rat court” for boys, and “cat court” for girls. The trials freshmen faced were bizarre. For instance, freshmen were not only required to wear their beanies, but also mark their foreheads with an “F” in red lipstick. Sometimes, freshmen were required to carry around a rag and shoe polish, to service any upperclassman who wanted a shine!
Mozart, Eastern's Unofficial Mascot
He was a lover of music, a joy to have around, and loved a good belly rub. Mozart, Eastern’s only dog mascot, practically ran the campus for most of his 17 years of life. The beloved mutt was known to sit in on classes, attend concerts at the James E. Van Peursem Music Pavilion in the Ravine, and was an overall permanent fixture on campus. He was cared for by not just one owner, but the student body. Mozart died in 1964, at the age of 17, but his spirit remains in his portrait hanging in Special Collections and Archives, his grave in the Ravine, his collar on display here in this case, and his influence on Eastern’s history.
James E. Van Peursem petting Mozart.
Robert R. Martin and Mozart.
Mozart walking with students in front of the University Building.
Mozart's collar
Daniel Boone
Some people rub a rabbit's foot for good luck. At EKU, we rub Daniel Boone's toe! The Daniel Boone statue's left toe, rubbed to a brassy shine, has been a talisman of good fortune for EKU students and athletes since it was installed in 1967.
There was a time when EKU was seeing double of Daniel Boone. Fess Parker, best known for his portrayal of Boone in the 1960s TV series aptly named "Daniel Boone," visited campus in 1968 to see the statue of the pioneer.
