I opened up the windows tonight since I noticed a good crisp in the air when I got home from work. Something about the air and the crickets chirping made me think of my Alma Mater, the ol' B.C. I'm headed back there the first weekend in October for Mountain Day. What, praytell, is Mountain Day you ask? I'm glad you did.
Mountain Day is our college homecoming and it takes place, well, on the mountain that is part of the 26,000-acre campus. It's been going on for the better part of a century, celebrating the founder's birthday. In a tradition known as The Grand March, students line up according to year. Underclassmen girls wear pink, boys blue. Senior girls wear blue, boys white. And they march down the mountain single file and throw pennies (one for each year of their age) into a basket. Then they come down two by two - and where girls outnumber boys 2 to 1, you're lucky if you get a boy before your junior year. And then there's four by four and so on until you march 16-abreast down the mountain with arms raised and sing the alma mater. Sound bizarre? It is. But hey, we didn't have a football team. Initially they celebrated with barrels of lemonade and cakes. I prefer a bucket o' chicken from the KFC.
I've been going to this shindig since I was in the sixth grade since my sister was a freshman. And did I mention B.C. is where my dad went to high school? So it's a bit of a family tradition. Every year since I've graduated, I waffle about whether or not to go. But then I think of the leaves turning on the mountain and I realize that autumn doesn't really start until Mountain Day. Any of my fellow alumni planning on attending? If so, I'll see you there. But, P.S., this blog does not exist to my parents or siblings, so shhhhhh. By the way, the title of the post comes from the first line of the Alma Mater. And, yeah, I'm a total dork. I know it by heart.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Way Up in the Hills of Georgia
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8 cat calls:
Count me in!! I'll see you at your tree. As Ms. Vesta would say, "Girls! It's Mountain Day! It's Mountain Day!"
Hooray! I'm so glad you're coming, Jenny Ray! I'm hoping to get by to see Ms. Vesta since she told me to come see her real soon. God, I love that woman.
P.S. For some reason, my cell phone DID NOT tell me you called on Sunday until today. Hmmph. Will call you soon!
Greg, Dellaina & I will be there. Hollie Jo is coming with us, too. Will the proud parents-to-be be joining your family as well? And two points of contention: I thought it was 28,000 acres and "Far up in the hills?"
Andi - you shame me! I checked and you are right on both points. I stand corrected!! Are they going to take away my diploma??
Yes, Justin & Eva and Sprout will be there (or they were planning to last I heard). And my bevy of four-legged nephews, Jake & the puppies, may be there as well.
i think that is COMPLETELY RAD. and i'm seriously jealous.
(thanks for the e shoutout by the way ;) let no good blogger die!
this tradition sounds fantastic. i went back to nc state, once, 6 months after graduating, only to have one of my most recent and important professors give me a vague look and ask me if we'd met before.
it was almost, but not totally, like that time i went to a pig pickin' after writing school only to have a recent/jackass former professor carry on half a conversation with me, thinking i was someone else.
but i digress. have a fabulous time coming home.
Sorry, girl! I just gave too many campus tours not to remember the acreage (it's the same as Disney World or something) and with KCAB, we were expected to know the Alma Mater as well and had to sing it at several events. I still find it amusing to tell the story of Mtn. Day and loved the post.
I wish I could come! I definitely need to head back for Mountain Day sometime soon. I've only been back once since I graduated. I need to move closer to Georgia!
And you are not a dork for remembering the alma mater. I can hear it now, "Far up in the hills of Georgia stands old Berry tried and true. . . "
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