The
Looming Signs of Tradition
Signs of
tradition are present on every university's campus around the globe;
these signs, however, are not universal and convey many different
messages to the individuals who observe them. For a small college
such as Montevallo, students are subtly influenced by inconspicuous
signifiers. The bricks that form our roads, for example, form a
subtle but complex image of cohesiveness and functional tradition.
This small town atmosphere is directly contrasted with larger
universities such as the University of Alabama. On a campus such as
UA's, the signs become far less subtle and much larger in size. Most
of UA's tradition lies in its prestigious football program; when one
thinks of football traditions, one imagines loud, boisterous events
that overwhelm the senses with as much pride as possible. Similarly,
UA's signs of tradition are large and practically shout their meaning
at passersby. Two iconic images of tradition on the campus are
Bryant-Denny Stadium and Denny Chimes. These two signs encompass the
mindset of tradition on the football-enthused campus.
Bryant-Denny Stadium, the multi-tiered home of Alabama football,
dominates the Tuscaloosa skyline. One cannot walk on UA's campus
without seeing the stadium peeking over the academic buildings. The
arena serves as a constant reminder of the sports driven tradition
revered by the residents of Tuscaloosa. The stadium serves several
symbolic purposes. First, it enforces football's dominance over all
other sports at the University of Alabama. Though the other sports
are important, the university has not built a basketball arena or
soccer field to match the grandeur of the football stadium. The sheer
size of the arena overshadows the other sporting locations, both
literally and figuratively. Secondly, the size of the stadium
enforces the importance of the football tradition as a whole. When
one looks upon the stadium, its purpose as a football arena comes to
mind immediately. Thus, an individual's first thought is of football
and the often cited winning tradition of the Alabama football
program. The interpretation of this dominant icon varies from person
to person, but, to those who enjoy the sport, the stadium serves as a
beacon of tradition among the smaller, less impressive buildings. To
an individual who disapproves of the football program, the looming
stadium is an icon of oppression and favoritism. To many dissenters,
the football program promotes preferential treatment of athletes and
a drastic underfunding of essential education programs. For those
opposing the football program, the largeness of the stadium becomes a
sign of unbalanced priorities and an unnecessary division of the
university's assets. Though the stadium is often polarizing in
interpretation, it remains a prominent sign for the university.
One of
the most prominent structures on UA's campus is Denny Chimes, the
115-foot tall bell tower that sounds every hour. The bell tower
stands as a lonely monolith on the university's main quad. The
primary thoroughfare of foot traffic passes right beside the tower,
which prevents individuals on campus from ignoring the building. The
tower's namesake, George H. Denny, was a bastion of growth for the
university; under his presidency from 1912 to 1936, UA saw a drastic
increase in student enrollment and a similarly drastic increase in
the size of campus. Denny Chimes represents the dedication to growth
that is inherent to the university. The size of campus and the amount
of facilities available to students is ever growing, and this trend
began under the tenure of George H. Denny; it's only fitting that his
name adorns a dominating structure at the center of campus. The
academically driven sign is not immune to the influence of the
football program, however. The concrete slabs at the base of the bell
tower are covered in hand and footprints from previous football team
captains. Each year, the team captains imprint their hands, feet, and
signatures in the concrete; this tradition has existed since 1947.
This area of history, named “The Walk of Champions,” is getting
larger with each passing year. The football tradition encroaches
closer and closer to the academic buildings surrounding the quad. For
the supporters of Alabama football, this sign has a positive
connotation. The tradition of football is moving towards the strong
academic tradition, closing the ever present gap between academics
and sports. For the naysayer, however, the steady extension of these
slabs is just another siege upon the academic tradition of the
university. The athletes are appropriating the walkways and threaten
to overtake the paths of knowledge by clogging the gap between
athletics and academics with a wall of athletic superiority. The
history of Denny Chimes allows for a positive, academically oriented
interpretation of the looming monolith, but the overwhelming athletic
tradition surrounding the tower provides a source of contention
between viewers.
The
signs of tradition at the University of Alabama represent a dichotomy
of thought on the campus. The academic and athletic traditions are
strong at the university, but the extreme dedication to athletics
drives a division between the population of Tuscaloosa. The signs of
these traditions are larger than life, and, because of their enormous
sizes, cause viewers to actively participate in the traditions they
represent. The stadium and the bell tower loom over campus, casting
their shadows over all of campus; students actively walk through the
shadows of tradition any time they walk near these constructs.
Tradition is ever-present on campus; whether an individual agrees or
disagrees with the inherent meaning of the sign, there is nothing one
can do to avoid the images themselves. Each sign has a plethora of
meanings, but the root of each meaning lies with tradition.
