By Summer McCann
A student at Utah State becomes a “true Aggie” when they kiss a fellow classmate in a specific spot on campus under the light of a full moon.
At the University of Utah, opposing fraternities steal each other”s mascots during two “rush weeks” of every year.
All colleges have certain legacies and traditions students have carried on over time.
And BYU is no different.
From tunnel singing, to bishop”s bash ice cream, BYU is a school full of unique habits and time-honored rituals.
“My favorite tradition is when you have to buy all your roommates ice cream after you kiss a certain guy for the first time,” said Amber Jones, 21, a senior from San Francisco, Calif., majoring in psychology. “I learned that tradition in the dorms, and I”ve been doing it ever since.”
Bob Jackson, 21, a sophomore from Sacramento, Calif., said all the guys on his floor at Helaman Halls had to kiss a girl during the first snowfall of every year.
But not all cougar traditions involve members of the opposite sex.
Hiking Y Mountain has been a routine practice since the symbolic white letter first appeared on the hillside nearly 100 years ago.
“Hiking to the Y is something you have to do at BYU, said Stacey Raymond, 22, from Seattle, Wash., majoring in elementary education. “I went for my first time during freshman orientation, and I”ve done it at least once a year since then.”
Another long-time tradition at BYU is weekly family home evenings.
Every Monday night, students participate in activities ranging from service projects to sports.
Susan Callister, a BYU alumna, said one of her favorite memories as a student is singing the school fight song at football games.
Singing the chorus to the BYU school song every time the team scores a touchdown is a tradition to be witnessed at every home game.
Kelli Wilkinson, 21, a senior from Salt Lake City, majoring in business marketing, says she thinks Provo students carry on a tradition of cheap dating.
“One of the cheapest dates I ever went on, the guy wanted to push me down a hill inside of a garbage can,” Wilkinson said.
