Did you know that San Diego State University comes with so much history and tradition? The sad part is that not a lot of people know about it. I did some investigating and found out some pretty cool stuff. Although some of this stuff no longer happens, it's nice to see what former Aztecs have done. Here's what I found...
1. San Diego Normal School
SDSU was originally founded as the San Diego Normal School which served as a training facility for elementary school teachers. The school was originally located in temporary quarters over a downtown drug store. In the 1930s, SDSU moved to it's current location.Â
2. Purple and Gold
It wasn't always Red and Black pride that radiated throughout the university. Years ago, SDSU's school colors were purple and gold but got changed. The change was because the local high school had the same colors and much confusion was taking place.Â
3. Montezuma Mesa
The SDSU campus is known as "Montezuma Mesa" because of where it sits. SDSU sits on a Mesa that over sees Mission Valley. I never knew SDSU was referred to as "the Mesa" but now that I think of it, I guess that's where "Maddness on the Mesa" came from.Â
4. Love Library
Why is the library called the "Love Library" if not a lot of people love it? Our library is actually named after our fourth university president, Malcolm A. Love. As a matter of fact, a lot of buildings on campus are named after either former presidents or major donors/alum.Â
5. Hardy Tower
This building was not always a lecture hall for about 150 students. It was formally a water tower for all of San Diego County but is no longer in use today. If it were, it would't be able to sustain our university for a single day. Not only does it show how much we've grown as a county, but also as a university.Â
6. SDSU is HUGE!
Have you ever been to Disneyland? If so, then you know that park is huge and it's a never ending cycle of walking and trying to get around. Well, SDSU is actually about twice as big as Disneyland, covering over 280 acres of land and still growing. SDSU is continuing to expand and grow, with the soon to be South Campus Plaza and other facilities being added on campus, we'll eventually surpass 300 acres, maybe.Â
7. Need Luck?
Ever notice Samuel T. Black right outside the Division of Undergraduate Studies? Did you know that that is actually a life size model of our first university president, who served from 1897 to 1910. A lot of people guess his height and out of the many, only a few guess it right. If you were ever wondering, he stands at 6 feet and if you pay close attention, you can see that his left foot is more tarnished than the right. This is because we like to believe that it's a sign of good luck to rub it. It's not uncommon to see students rubbing his left foot before any given exam, term paper, and even speech.Â
8. "S" Mountain
Ever been to Cowles mountain? Well back in the day, SDSU students would go up to Cowles and light up an "S" right before the first home football game of each season. This tradition eventually died out due to safety reasons and other regulations.Â
9. Hello Walk Way
This tradition is still something we do today. Templo Del Sol is an event that we have to welcome all of our new students onto the Mesa. In the past, however, we had new students line up on both sides of Hello Walkway and wave hello to our current students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We kept the tradition but reversed it. We now have current students, faculty, staff, and alumni line up and wave hello to all our new students as they walk by. It's a great way to welcome our new Aztecs and show them how glad we are that they're a part of the SDSU community.Â
10. Go Toros!
SDSU is FAMOUS! Why? Well maybe it's because of our pure awesomeness or maybe it's because a few TV shows and movies were filmed on campus. The TV show "Veronica Mars" was filmed throughout much of campus. In addition, some seems from the MTV show "The Real World: San Diego" were also filmed on campus. If you've ever watched "Bring It On" (the first of many cheer movies), then you know that Hepner Hall is also home to the Rancho Carne High School Toros, the setting for much of the "Bring It On" film. You can also see parts of Hepner Quad and other campus locations!
