Treasured Objects
Treasured Objects
Description:
In the basement of Bill Battle Coliseum reclines a statue of the BSC mascot. Its pinkish hue contrasts with its bronze sister who greets fans at the upstairs entrance.
The Panthers
Brief Commentary:
Most campuses have statues that have entered the realm of folklore because of legends associated with them. Usually, these stories involve the statue reacting to the presence of a virgin, such as “Silent Sam” on the UNC campus, who fires his rifle if a virgin walks by. Statues also become an active part of student customary behaviors.
At Northeastern University, for example, a bronze statue of the school's mascot, a husky, stands guard in the entrance to the student center. The statue is usually covered with yellow post-it® notes—the campuses unofficial message board. Other schools have statues whose body parts are worn down because students continually rub them for good luck.
Questions:
- How long have these statues been in place?
- Are there any legends associated with them?
- Have students customarily interacted with the statues in any way?
- Are there other statues or sculptures on campus that are focal points for legends or behaviors?
Your Toughts??
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Bibliography
- "All About Testudo." University of Maryland home page.<http://www/umd.edu/testudo.html>.
- Bronner, Simon J. Piled Higher and Deeper. Little Rock: August House, 1990. 178-85.
- "Brown Traditions." Admissions home page. Brown University<http://brown.edu/Administration/Admission/gettoknowus/browntraditions.html.>
- Dorson, Richard. American Folklore. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1959. 254-55.
- Hodges, David. "Top 10 Lies They Tell Freshmen." Carolina Review Vol. XIII, No. 8 (Summer 2006): 10-11.