Frank E. Everett Jr. famously wrote, “The university is respected, but Ole Miss is loved. The university gives a diploma and regretfully terminates tenure, but one never graduates from Ole Miss.” The quote has been passed down over the years and repeated often when trying to describe the magic that exists here at Ole Miss, and it continues to strike a chord with students and alumni who are all too aware of the intangible, yet undeniable spirit of the Oxford campus. Ultimately, it’s the many unique traditions that foster this feeling and set Ole Miss apart.
Dorms
Ole Miss was opened as Mississippi’s first public university in 1844. University culture evolved across the nation over the next century as post-secondary education became a more viable option for many.
For many years now, Ole Miss has maintained an on-campus residency requirement for freshmen. Sure, this rule is not exclusive to the university in any way, but stories and practices that have taken place while living on campus are passed from class to class.
Campus is much different from when previous generations may have attended, but some of those practices still exist. Freshmen students still march from their dorms to the Square for a night out.
In many ways, staying on campus is a luxury that was underappreciated for years. We see this now with the housing shortage that has some freshmen housed off of campus. In hindsight, most people can appreciate a morning walk to class, being mere paces away from your closest friends.
Beyond that, the dormitory life creates a sense of shared struggle. I remember thinking to myself in the dorm, “Most people here are also living alone for the first time.” Or, “If the air is freezing in my room, that means everyone else on the floor has this same issue.”
Those mutual experiences create a sense of camaraderie and respect amongst the freshmen student body.
Class
For whatever reason you may cite, Ole Miss isn’t always celebrated for its academics. In the state, however, it’s the cream of the crop. Unequivocally, Ole Miss is the best school in Mississippi. Whether it be resources, location, student life or most importantly, quality of education.
Students have always been able to generally expect a smaller classroom size making for an opportunity to create relationships not only with classmates, but also professors.
No matter how no-nonsense, by-the-book your instructor may be, they often find it hard to not engage in relevant conversation with such small classes.
Oxford
It is the consummate college town. The place to be. Some even say where dreams come true. Oxford is incredibly unique in its history and culture.
In so many words, Oxford is what makes Ole Miss. Many of the traditions listed are only possible in a town like Oxford that has dedicated much of its existence to the university. In fact, the town is named after the prestigious university in England.
Hotty Toddy
Being a member of the Southeastern Conference since its inception, many of our most prominent traditions unsurprisingly revolve around football. What brings us together on game days is more than the final score; they are about building relationships with each other and the university.
There is perhaps no greater symbol of Ole Miss spirit than the Hotty Toddy chant, which gained popularity in the 1920s before it was first published in the 1925 November issue of The Mississippian.
It was originally written as “heighty tighty,” but evolved over the following years into the chant we all know today. Ole Miss Athletics put it well in saying, “If institutions and traditions make up the fabric of Ole Miss, the thread of Hotty Toddy holds them together.”
Hotty Toddy is a fight song in a sense, but it is also a way of greeting fellow fans who you meet out in the world. Something as simple as saying it to someone passing on the street evokes a bond, a shared understanding of what it means to be a part of Ole Miss.
The Grove
The Grove on game days is its own subsection of Ole Miss culture. Frequently rated the number-one tailgating location in all of college football, there is a feeling when you see the sea of red, white and blue tents on Saturdays that can’t be matched anywhere else.
The tradition of tailgating in the Grove began in the 1950s, but evolved into the tent-centric system we know today in the 1990s when cars were banned from entering. Families and alumni have tents that date back decades, and there is always a feeling of coming home as out-of-towners and students join together in the celebration.
Game-Time
As game time approaches, the Walk of Champions takes over the Grove, and people line up to get a glimpse of the team. Coaches and players, all dressed to match the elevated attire associated with Ole Miss tailgating, walk the iconic strip through the Grove, giving high-fives to fans they pass on the way.
Of course, no game day is complete without the opening call of “Are you ready?” to a sea of people ready to respond.
We learned from Everett that there is a distinction between the university and Ole Miss, but it takes experiencing it for yourself to truly understand what sets this campus and community apart from anywhere else.
Liv Briley is a senior integrated marketing communications major from Lemont, Ill.
