From the kissing rock to street painting, celebrated traditions are a part of Drake University student life. To commemorate historical campus customs and inspire new classes to experience annual events, the Drake Office of Alumni Relations is launching The Bulldog Book this fall.
The book challenges students to get involved and participate in traditions by highlighting activities that start as soon as they arrive on campus.
The Student Alumni Association (SAA) helped launch the traditions book by organizing a committee of student leaders to create a draft of traditions.
Senior education major Amelia Mieth and junior journalism major Ryan Price contributed to the vision and creation of the book, which will serve as a guidebook to a fulfilling Drake experience.
Students are encouraged to take pictures of themselves completing the traditions throughout the years and paste the photos in the book. Each time a student completes 10 traditions, he or she will be awarded a prize.
“It’s supposed to be something students will carry with them all four years,” Mieth says. “We want it to be like an interactive scrapbook.”
The full-color book highlights 51 traditions, including 45 current campus activities and six classic traditions. The Bulldog Book also features a timeline of significant University events since its founding in 1881 and everything from the history of the Drake mascot to information about campus life.
“The Bulldog Book helps define the ‘authentic’ traditions in which every student and future alumnus should take part,” says Blake Campbell, director of Alumni Relations. “The Office of Alumni Relations is dedicated to ensuring that our alumni have shared experiences that define our institution, its history and tradition. Our office is dedicated to being the keepers of that history and tradition.”
— Nicole Mittlebrun, Class of 2013