NAU Traditions

Northern Arizona University Traditions

Building School Spirit

INTRO

Every university has its own unique traditions reflecting the school's culture and students. Here at NAU, there are many traditions that connect students to their school, peers, and NAU's history. The traditions that happen at NAU help the students become closer and have better relationships by bringing many students together at once. When people share good memories with each other it gives them an experience they will never forget. Most of the time, when students are looking into what college to go to they want to know about the activities and traditions rather than the coursework or other academic aspects of college. While both are important, activities, school holidays, and other traditions provide an exciting aspect of student life here at NAU, making people want to come here and form connections with other students. Below you will find information specifically on Homecoming and Freshmen traditions, as well as the club that oversees them.

Below is a pocast providing a short summary of some of the traditions at NAU as well as some student experiences with them.

CHAIN GANG

Traditions at NAU aim to connect students, staff, and NAU’s history in an engaging way. Not only do students learn about their school, but they have the opportunity to meet and bond with other students. As NAU expands, it becomes harder to manage these traditions to make sure they run smoothly. Because of that, the NAU Chain Gang, one of many student organizations here, oversees and coordinates all traditions.

The Chain Gang, founded in 1927, is one of the oldest clubs formed at NAU. The Chain Gang’s original mission was “to promote friendliness, sportsmanship, and improve the environment at NAU,” which they accomplish year after year by encouraging students to participate in the traditions they oversee. Some of these, such as Tequila Sunrise and the Haunted House at Taylor, urge students to have fun with one another in their own way, while others, like the homecoming game and running of the freshmen, encourage sportsmanship and physical ability.

One of the most important duties of the Chain Gang is keeping the NAU Axe safe. The axe is a hefty one, made of copper and laden with "NAU" and other designs. Meant to symbolize the strength and prowess of the NAU sports teams, this axe has been one of the most treasured items on campus since it's creation in 1933.It now resides in the NAU Archives and Special Collections, where it will surely be kept safe.

As NAU grows over the years, the Chain Gang adapts accordingly by adding new events and activities that are relevant to student interests. Additionally, the Gang further boosts school spirit by honoring students and staff every year who have made a difference at NAU. The Homecoming Dedicatee is one such honoree, and is a staff member who’s worked at NAU for over 10 years and has made substantial contributions to NAU.

Surely, the Chain Gang will continue to expand its role at NAU to accommodate the campus's ever-changing needs.

NAU Chain Gang in front of the logging wheels in 1970.

Chain Gang President shaking hand of Homecoming Dedicatee, 1941.

Chain Gang leading the 1993 Homecoming Parade.

Homecoming Parade during the 1950s (exact date and year unknown.)

Homecoming King and Queen on the logging wheels in 1948.

Chain Gang with new bronze axe, 1981.

Below you can find links to the Chain Gang's Facebook and Instagram pages. Although they are not very active, many pictures and posts describing the Chain Gang's activities at NAU can be found.

FRESHMAN: INTRO TO NAU TRADITITIONS 101

NAU offers many opportunities for new students to participate in activities and meet new people. Learning and engaging in the traditions the university has to offer is a great way for freshmen to learn more about the history of the school, make relationships with other students, and to build a strong sense of Lumberjack pride.

The majority of the traditions that freshmen are first introduced to occur during another school tradition, Welcome Week. Welcome Week is filled with fun activities and holds many events to help with the transition of college life. During this time new students are encouraged to participate in a few of the school's traditions which are specifically designed for Freshmen only. These events include The Freshman Letters and the Running of the Freshmen.

Students showing NAU pride by wearing blue and gold.

2001 annual Homecoming Parade in front of Cline library.

Family members participating in NAU's Family Weekend — Family members participating in NAU’s annual Family Weekend.

1957 Freshman Orientation.

NAU Campus Life in 1992: Two students walking with their bikes.

NAU’s Running of the Freshmen Tradition in 2014.

Athletic students celebrating at a sports game in 1946.

2011 to 2017 Freshman Letters.

NAU Dorm Life in 2000: Students in their dormitories playing a game.

1946 A.S.C Homecoming Parade.

True Blue Ambassadors in 2001 who help new students navigate orientation.

NAU students cheering and showing Lumberjack pride at a football game.

There are many fun and unique ways for new students to participate in NAU traditions. Traditions such as Welcome Week, Homecoming Week, and Family Weekend all help students build a sense of community here in Flagstaff. Other NAU customs for Freshman that aid in developing NAU pride are learning the fight song and chanting at sporting events, presenting the LJ symbols proudly and confidently, and even simply just wearing blue and gold every Friday to show school spirit.

HOMECOMING TRADITIONS

HOMECOMING TRADITIONS

1946 Bonfire. Crowd of students attending the bonfire.

2019 Bonfire. Students enjoying the bonefire tradition that occurs every year.

1948 Homecoming king and queen sitting in the logging wheels at the homecoming parade.

2019 chain gang pulling the logging wheels. Homecoming tradition that occurs during the parade.

1951 Homecoming parade. Chain gang carrying the NAU axe.

2019 homecoming parade. Students and staff participating in the parade.

1946 Navajo Indians riding on the rides at the NAU carnival.

2019 homecoming carnival. Friends spending time together and having fun.

2017 tree cookie. Photo of the forestry club cutting a tree cookie.

2019 tree cookie. Student holding a tree cookie at a NAU football game.

Northern Arizona University is more than just a college. It is a place where people come together and share memories and create experiences. They do this by learning the traditions. It is something that has been going on for decades where students and alumni participate in events hosted by NAU. Everyone goes to these events and have so much fun and laugh and joke around with their friends. There are seven different traditions that occur during the week of homecoming. Some of these are more serious ones and some are more of a fun way to bring people together. All of these traditions are extremely important to Northern Arizona University's students and their families.

The first tradition of homecoming week is the NAU homecoming parade. The parade is on Saturday morning before the football game. NAU students make floats and then take their floats to the parade and get to be in it. Many children and families come out to watch the parade and see Louie the lumberjack. This is a great way to bring your family together because it is entertaining for everyone not just the children. Another important tradition is the logging wheels. This is a huge set of wheels that is featured in NAUs homecoming parade. Sometimes they are just wheeled by themselves and other times people sit in them during the parade. The next tradition is the Mr. Lumberjack pageant. This is when the male students of NAU compete in a mock beauty pageant and show off their school pride. The winner of this contest gets to ride in the parade with the Kayettes. The next tradition is the homecoming carnival. The carnival has recently been occuring the night before the homecoming game and parade. In the past they have had the carnival be on other days, not that specific day. The school pays for a lot of carnival games and rides to come to NAU and all you need is your student ID and everything is free. The next tradition is tequila sunrise. This tradition is for students over the age of 21. They wake up on the day of the homecoming football game and the bars open at 6 am. They go and drink and hangout with their friends. The last tradition is the tree cookies. This happens at every athletic event including the homecoming football game. The forestry club saws out a tree cookie every time NAU scores.

The blue Key honor society is a very big and important part of NAUs community. This is a national honor society where people in it have leadership, and service. This group of students does many things to help not only NAU but the community around NAU. They are very important in the homecoming events, they coordinate the whole homecoming parade. In the past these students would do many events that would help the community, and now they still continue to do those events yet also help incoming freshmen feel comfortable and welcome to this school. This is called true blue, they create a friendly environment to welcome the new students to Northern Arizona University.

NAU is a place where students can be themselves and meet new people. The traditions that go on in Flagstaff are very important. This is where new students and their families can come to make some of the best memories, and where alumi and their families can come to show their support for NAU and get to relive their favorite memories. The traditions at NAU makes people feel at home in a place that is not necessarily their home. NAU is a place where students come together, and the traditions that they have here are just another way to do that.

The facebook link below is to an NAU homecoming and tequila sunrise page. This keeps students updated on where and when the homecoming events happen. The twitter link is to the NAU twitter account, which provides information on all NAU events, including the traditions mentioned above.

BIOGRAPHY

Samantha Burns- Sophomore attending NAU, majoring in communication.
I completed the homecoming traditions portion of our website. This included finding images from the NAU archives then finding the more current photo on the NAU Facebook page. I also did research on every homecoming tradition so I could give an accurate explanation of each tradition. I also made the podcast which is featured at the top of the website. This provides a short overview of what traditions NAU has, and it also includes interviews of NAU students sharing their favorite tradition at NAU.

Kait Moran- Sophomore at NAU, majoring in Elementary Education. I created the NAU Chain Gang section by researching the club's many roles here at NAU. I discovered this topic via our group's initial research on NAU traditions. Surprisingly, I learned that the Chain Gang supports almost every tradition we researched, as well as other events and activities on campus. Additionally, I found many pictures of the Chain Gang through the NAU Archives digital collection, which supplements my research.

Emily Guerrero- Freshman attending NAU, majoring in Sociology.
My contribution to the web page was the Intro to NAU traditions for freshman. I recollected some of the traditions I participated in when I first came to NAU and asked other upper classmen the different activities they took part in in their first year. I also looked at the Northern Arizona University web page and took a look at the traditions listed for students and family to read. Once I had an idea of the different events and activities held annually I began to do some more research. I looked through the NAU archives on the Cline Library website and found photos, yearbooks, and newspaper articles filled with valuable information.

WORKS CITED

Walkup, J. Lawrence. Voices of the Campus: A Supplement to the History of Northern Arizona University, 1946-1979. Flagstaff, Ariz,: Northern Arizona U], 1984. Print.
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Northern Arizona University. Associated Students, The lumberjack campus capsules, September 30, 1981. Northern Arizona University Archives. Northern Arizona University Cline Library.
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Hughes, Eugene M., et al. A Commitment to Excellence 90, 1899-1989, Northern Arizona University. Northern Arizona University, 1989.