Taking a look at USU statewide traditions

Utah State University’s Logan campus is well known for its many traditions. Such traditions include The Howl, True Blue Aggie Fridays, and of course, True Aggie night. 

“When I think of Logan traditions, I think of True Aggie Night. It’s such a well-known event that everyone looks forward to and can connect with Aggies in a fun, different way,” Alex Berry, a USU student and member of the Student Alumni Association, said. 

But Students attending the Logan campus are in the dark about what traditions other campuses have and what events they put on. 

“I can’t say that I know anything about the traditions at USU Eastern,” Berry said. 

The USU Eastern campus, home of the Eagles, holds a similar True Aggie Night—but with a twist.  

Instead of kissing over a concrete stand that students call the “Block A,” USU Eastern eagles kiss over a rock named Gibraltar, or Gibby for short.  

“Gibby just sits on our campus and he’s like our bulletin board,” Bralin Wilde, a USU Eastern student and ambassador, said. “Anybody can paint him but he’s usually painted for events. And just like true Aggie, we do true Eagle.”  

The story of Gibby, a 1,500 pound sandstone rock, stems from when USU Eastern was called Carbon College. 

According to an article from the Eastern Eagle, in 1940, six freshman boys were upset that a local high school had claimed the letter C on the mountain. So, in the name of school spirit, those six boys dragged a random boulder from the mountain to Carbon College, where it was painted green.  

Since then, the beloved boulder has been moved from place to place.  

From 1962 to 1968, the USU Eastern president at the time John Tucker, removed Gibby without informing faculty or students and placed the rock in a glass box to be displayed in the library.  

Gibby was later moved into storage. The sandstone rock did not stay in hiding forever though. 

 One student body president eventually moved the boulder in front of the original Reeves Building. However, it wasn’t until later that Gibby found its current home in front of the Student Center. 

Now the Boulder sits ready to be painted for events and True Eagles Nights. 

Along with the tradition of Gibby, Wilde shared another big tradition at USU eastern.   

“Casino Night is huge,” Wilde said. “They have dealers come down, they bring in real casino tables, you get chips and you gamble. It’s all fake money, but then however many chips you end up with, you get to put those in for tickets for prizes.”  

USU Eastern’s Casino Night is an annual tradition that takes place in October and draws hundreds of students to the event.  

Whether students attend the Logan or Price campus, Berry and Wilde both urge students to get involved with their campus traditions.   

“It gives you a connection to your school. Attending events gets you more invested in the school and I believe that makes your school experience more worthwhile,” Berry concluded. 

-Alivia.Hadfield@usu.edu

Featured photo by Heidi Bingham