Tech Traditions

R.A.T. Caps

The RAT cap tradition was established in 1915 by the ANAK organization (a secret honors society at Tech comprised of upperclassmen). “RAT” stands for “Recruit At Tech” or “Recently Acquired Techie”; all freshmen were required to wear the RAT cap with proper inscription. Freshman caught without their RAT cap would have their head shaved in the shape of a “T”; women caught without it were forced to wear hundreds of white and gold ribbons on their head. Freshman would wear these caps until the Thanksgiving weekend game against u[sic]ga (if Tech won) or until the end of the year (if u[sic]ga won). If Tech did not play u[sic]ga, then the outcome of the homecoming game determined when the caps could come off. This tradition continued until the 1960s, when anti-hazing laws virtually eliminated the tradition. Today, students are given the RAT cap to incoming freshmen at Convocation to remind them of the history and tradition of Tech; however only the marching band still regularly wear the RAT caps at football games.

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate may be the nickname given to the well-known rivalry between the Georgia Institute of Technology and the university (sic) of georgia, but as this picture illustrates, it may not always be the cleanest. This rivalry began the first time u[sic]ga and GT first faced off in 1893. Georgia Tech’s use of old gold in their uniform as a “proverbial slap in the face” to u[sic]ga, who also used gold as one of their official colors, angered their opponents. The hate between the two schools only escalated in 1919 when georgia held a parade mocking Tech's continuation of football during times of war. Georgia Tech retaliated with a ban on playing georgia until 1925 and the rivalry returned with a win for Georgia Tech. While the rivalry is not as extreme today, feelings of hate for the other team are still strong on both sides. This rivalry is nearly as old as Georgia Tech and is something that is still an important tradition of Georgia Tech. The tensions reach a climax at the annual rivalry game; school spirit and opponent hate is always at a high during these times.

Crib Sheet for General Chemistry

The Crib sheet for Chemistry 1310 is a well-known gift that the Gods of
Georgia Tech have given unto their beloved freshman. No two crib sheets
are alike, which can be a reflection on the diversity of each student at Tech.
While some sheets are filled to the brim with equations and formulas written
in the smallest font possible, others have barely anything on them. But,
determining which one is the sign of a well-prepared student is the most
curious observation you could make. Did the person with the jam-packed
sheet do a very thorough job studying, or did they simply write everything
down in hopes that something on there would be relevant? Did the student
with the spacious crib sheet know the material well enough without needing
a reminder or did they not know where to look for all of the information
needed? Why don’t you decide?

Sideways the Dog

From the name alone, you might be lead to believe that this dog had a crooked
demeanor. But in actuality, Sideways the dog was a kind, black and white
female terrier who was, unfortunately, thrown from a car near the Georgia
Tech campus. Her injuries threw her body out of alignment, which caused
her to walk with an off-center gait, leading to her nickname. She was a
favorite of the students, and often slept in a different dorm room every night,
being fed through the generosity of the student body and Brittain Dining
Hall. She would often wander into classes and sleep during boring lectures.
Unfortunately, Sideways died soon after accidentally ingesting rat poison. She
is now buried next to the tech towers and students bring pennies to her as in
the hopes of passing their exams.