Every beloved school needs its beloved traditions and since 1851, Florida State University has slowly but surely accumulated a wide range of traditions. As a senior, I’m still learning about some of them. Here are 4 FSU traditions every student should know about.
getting thrown in Westcott Fountain on your 21st birthday
One of the most known traditions (and a favorite of many) is getting thrown in the iconic Westcott Fountain on your 21st birthday when the clock strikes midnight. Once thrown in by their friends, students walk a lap in the fountain and pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Recently, this tradition was put in danger when the fountain was consistently turned off due to repairs. In order to save this tradition and protect the historic fountain, FSU partnered with Madison Social and Township to create the Save the Fountain campaign. This campaign encourages students to still be thrown in but to practice safety while in the fountain. Examples include not climbing to the top and using a champagne koozie to prevent breakage and scattered glass shards. This is such a well-loved celebration on campus; I know getting thrown into the fountain is one of my most cherished memories from my time here!
FSU Ring Ceremony
While I personally did not learn of this tradition until my senior year, FSU’s ring ceremony is another cherished tradition here that also involves the beloved Westcott Fountain. For graduating students who order a class ring, there is a special ceremony where said ring is presented to you. Students go to the Ruby Diamond Auditorium to have the ceremony. There, they will all walk outside to Westcott to dip their rings into the fountain’s water at 6:51 pm. While 6:51 may seem oddly specific, it is because in military time 6:51 is read as 18:51, which is also the year that the university was founded.
FSU Sod Cemetery
The beloved FSU Football team (and 2023 ACC Champions!) holds many of its own traditions. The FSU Sod Cemetery is one. Starting in 1962, at any away game (that meets one of the designated criteria) that FSU football wins, the players will bring back a piece of the away field’s sod.
The criteria for these games are as follows: FSU is the underdog team; it is a UF away game; a championship game (expect that Charlotte sod to be there soon); a bowl game (fingers crossed for Orange Bowl 2023); or if the coach designates it as a Sod Cemetery-worthy game. The Sod Cemetery currently holds sod from more than 100 momentous games and hopefully will continue to expand each year.
The War Chant
If you have ever watched an FSU game of any sort, whether it was football or soccer, you have definitely heard the War Chant and seen the famous FSU Tomahawk Chop. There is no better feeling than celebrating your team by listening to the band play the War Chant while every FSU fan chops along with it. It’s a sight like no other and students love it.
While it may be beloved by FSU fans, the teams we play don’t always share the love. No one said it better than Patrick Dunnington, the Director of Bands at Florida State University: “Yes, we know it annoys you. That’s part of the reason we do it. Duh.” It’s never a dull moment when the War Chant plays, and you can bet it’s a sound of joy for many FSU students.
These are just a few of the many traditions at FSU, and I’m sure there will be many more in the making as the years go on.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!