Hello Walk, image courtesy of Google Maps
“The Hello Walk”
As late as World War II, the “Hello Walk” encouraged a friendly greeting among students in the MU Quad. Originally along the diagonal between Kidder Hall and the Dairy Building (today called Fairbanks and Gilkey Halls), anyone walking along the path was expected to offer friendly greetings in any encounters, whether friend or stranger. The Barometer even reported that President Kerr particularly liked to start his mornings along the walk as a way to interact with students and faculty. In 1943, with a few veterans beginning to appear on campus, the tradition started to wane as co-eds worried that their greetings might be too forward and improper.
During the 20th century, spirit at Oregon State went through a lot of change as many traditions have come and gone. Some of the traditions have involved athletics, while others have simply embraced our alma mater. Enjoy your daily sampling of some of guest blogger Ben Forgard’s favorites!