Tradition imbedded in Georgia Tech’s Linguistic Landscape
Introduction:
Georgia Tech has a rich culture and tradition with various people with different backgrounds
uniting in one campus and we wanted to analyze how its linguistic landscape reflects this. For the focus
of my research on tech’s linguistic landscape I focused on how the signage around mainly east campus
as well as other popular spots affect as well as reflect the long-lasting traditions that make up Georgia
Tech’s history. My research is focused on the last tradition of the stole “t” as well as the importance of
Greek life at Georgia tech. Greek life at Tech started in 1888 only three years after the institution was
founded. A fraternity from a neighboring university, Emory, was invited to establish the first Greek
chapter at tech, Alpha Tau Omega. Georgia Tech’s Greek life since then has grown to represent about
25% of the student community with 30 fraternities and 8 sororities established. The Greek life sector of
Georgia tech spans from the backend of Bobby Dodd stadium to the baseball field. Most Greek
organizations have houses on Georgia Tech's campus, generally on or near Fifth Street, Ferst Avenue,
Fowler Street, or Techwood Drive. This area is a cluster of frat and sorority housing that leads to
important sections of Georgia tech like Klaus, tech square, as well as freshmen housing. It is quite hard
to miss the Greek life sector at Georgia Tech. Throughout this sector I observed various signs
representing the different chapters making the Greek letters a large part of the linguistic landscape at
Georgia Tech. Similarly, to Greek life at Georgia Tech the stolen “T” is a tradition that has been passed
down throughout the years. This tradition began in 1968 when a group of students who claimed
themselves to be the “Magnificent seven” stole the first T of the infamous Tech tower as a gift to Edwin
D. Harrison for his retirement. Since then, the stealing of the T of the tech tower has been prohibited
and many restrictions and guidelines have been set in place in order to prevent this theft and protect
student health. Despite the efforts to stop the tradition of the stole T tech students have taken the
traditions and applied it to the stealing of T’s of the Tech signage around campus. The photographs I
obtained that represented this tradition were taken in the BioQuad, the area on east campus where
various STEM major buildings are located. However, these traditions can be viewed all over the Georgia
Tech campus.
Research/Design:
While gathering research on these specific signs I was able to visit each of them various times. However,
the time where I photographed the signage was when I was able to fully analyze the sign it self. I took
note on how the words on the signs were written as well the visuals that came along with sign and what
made it unique to exposing the tradition of georgia tech. Many of these signs were located in places
where I passed them atleast once everyday and was able to notice the interaction with the people that
passed it as well as how they were used/observed. Much of the data I collected during the times I visited
the signs were visual. My visuals observations composed of how many people stopped to look at it, how
long they looked, their facial expressions, and much more. This visual data allowed me really understand
the impact that sign had with the Georgia Tceh community as well as the importnace of that sign. The
next notes I did take were observatiosn on the oral interaction people made that incorporated the sign
as well as some questions I asked georgia Tceh students over the sign. With multiple of the signs I was
there for short periods of time but I was bale to visit them a numerous amount of times that allowed me
to observe thses sepcific categories of data throughout different times of the day to compare and
contrast student interactions. An extra category I took note was specifc to the greek signs as I observed
how prominent those greek signs were around campus not just on signs but on students’ clothes,
posters, and online posts.
Results:
Through the exploration of these traditions’ infiltration in Georgia Tech’s linguistic landscape I
was able to focus on one sign per tradition that represented the other signage as a whole. Photograph 1
above was the sign I chose to represent the tradition of Greek life at Tech. The sign is located on top of
the main entrance door on the sorority house of alpha chi omega on Brittain Dr NW, near the side of
Bobby Dodd stadium and the left-hand side of freshman hill. The sign contains the three Greek letters
Alpha Chi Omega in a gold metallic color placed right above the main entrance to this sorority house.
The sign is looked to be made from metal and secured on to the top portion of the entrance. The sign is
also large enough to be visible from across the street and further distances. There is little signage
around the sign and around the house in general. The Greek letters as a distinctive and different color
from the other signs around the exterior of the house as well as larger in size. Throughout my time of
being outside of the alpha chi omega house which was about a ten-minute span there were about 80
people that had walked past or into the house encountering the sign. When interviewing students,
specifically members of the sorority, many said it was the first thing they noticed about the house.
Members of the sorority also had stated that the sign had been there for as long as they could
remember and was a big representation for their Greek chapter. Not only did I observe these specific
Greek letters of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority at this specific location, but I also encountered a couple
people wearing the letters around campus on shirts, hats, etc. The second sign I gathered data on was
the Ford environmental building located on the west side of the Bioquad. This sign makes up one of the
many directional signs around campus that is displayed with a grey background and black lettering. This
sign is supposed to display the name of the building, Ford Environmental Science and Technology
Building as well as the schools to which the building belongs to, School of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and ATDC in the lower part. This middle section of the sign
is supposed to contain a total of 5 T’s all of which have been marked off and are not visible from a far
but the marking of where the T’s used to be is still visible from up close. Many of the students who had
walked by the sign said they had noticed the missing T’s, but it was not an unusual thing as they knew
about the stole T tradition. This sign has remained incomplete for the whole semester, and it hasn’t
been corrected. Walking around campus there’s a small amount of these grey and black signs labeling
buildings in Tech campus that still remain intact with their T’s still there.
Analysis:
Overall, the traditions of Georgia Tech have shaped and change the linguistic landscape of
Georgia Tech in various way. Specifically, we see the incorporation of Greek letters around campus
representing the sororities and frats that have been incorporated into the social life of Georgia Tech.
These Greek signs that are mainly found near the houses of these Greek chapters are not only part of
Georgia Tech’s linguistic landscape, but they also hold great importance and value to many. This is not
only shown by the quantity of the Greek life signage but as well as the construction and incorporation of
those signs. Many of the signs that contain the Greek letters are constructed of materials that are meant
to last long like metal, wood, and even stone. These signs are also large in size and placed front and
center where you can’t miss it. Not only are these signs a big way to represent a big group of
organizations on campus but they are also respected and valued. Many Greek life members are proud to
rep their letter on their clothing, bookbags, etc. and say they create a bond with others who also are in
the same sorority or frat. This shows how this part of the linguistic landscape creates a sense of
community and unity throughout the school. The tradition o the stolen T also drastically change the
linguistic landscape as there is a lack of T’s that hold the meaning of a tradition that many Georgia Tech
students are familiar with. The presence of this tradition in signs that are permanent to Georgia tech’s
landscape shows the scale to which this tradition has expanded to since 1968 to now. Many outside of
the Tech community looking to the inside may see this as strange but those at Tech have this knowledge
of the history behind the missing T’s. Not only does this create a unifying force within the Tech
community but also a distinction from other communities. Traditions at Tech are taught from the
second you arrive on campus and allow for students to have a sense of belonging and history to be
proud of as well as apart of. For this reason, we see such a big representation in the linguistic landscape
of Georgia Tech.