Sewanee Angel
According to legend, when Sewanee was created the angels found it to be so beautiful that they opted to live there themselves. Today, everyone who sets foot on campus is given a Sewanee angel for protection. To "grab" your Sewanee angel, simply tap the roof of your car as you leave campus through the University Gates and it will protect and watch over you until you return. Next time you are in town, tap your car's roof again as you pass through the gates to release your angel back into the Domain.
Passing Hello
This is a University tradition that involves saying "hello" to everyone you see on campus. It can be as simple as a nod of acknowledgement or it can be a verbal one. Don't be surprised if everyone says "hey" to you!
Gowns
Members of the University's honor society, the Order of Gownsmen, are given black academic gowns as a symbol of their achievement. This is a tradition that Sewanee borrowed as a form of homage to Oxford and Cambridge, both of which donated our first library after the Civil War. You may see students wearing these gowns as they walk from class to class. The same gowns are worn at commencement and are frequently handed down from generation to generation.
Dress Tradition
Don't be surprised if you see the students dressed up in coat and tie/dresses - this is part of Sewanee's student-enforced dress tradition. The idea is that by dressing up for class and for events, you are showing respect for your professor, classmates, and the academic pursuit.
Yea, Sewanee's Right
Frequently abbreviated as "YSR." This is the last line of a University cheer that was originally used as a slight against Vanderbilt (the "heathens" listed below). Now it is used at all sporting events and anytime there is a gathering of Sewanee alums. You'll hear it at the wedding.
Tigers, Tigers leave 'em in the lurch
Down with the heathens, up with the Church
Yea, Sewanee's Right!
SAVE SEWANEE
While this phrase is not frequently heard on campus anymore, when Ruth and Robbie were students it was ubiquitous. The notion behind it is that Sewanee is such an amazing and secluded location that one should experience it unencumbered by modern technology (i.e. cell phones). As Robbie's father said when he dropped him off for the first time, "You will never live in a place like this again - make sure you enjoy it." "Save Sewanee" was/is used as a phrase of derision - you might shout it at a freshman as they walk through the quad while on their cell phone. As a freshman, it was hard to understand, but as time wore on you began to put down your phone, look around you, and actually experience Sewanee. Both Ruth and Robbie used their cell phones as glorified alarm clocks as students and we encourage you all to do the same while in Sewanee.
Sewanee Dogs
You'll probably see quite a few dogs wandering throughout campus without any human attendants. This is completely normal. Sewanee is a sleepy town and dogs run free. Some will even accompany their professorial masters to class. If reincarnation is a thing, coming back as a Sewanee dog wouldn't be a bad outcome!
The University Seal in All Saints' Chapel
As you enter All Saints' Chapel, you will see the University's seal on the floor of the entranceway. Tradition requires all undergraduates to avoid stepping on the seal, as doing so will curse them and prevent them from graduating. The only way to lift the curse is to "streak" the quad. Once you've graduated, you may step on the seal, though most alums don't - perhaps out of fear that the University will take back their diplomas!
Up the "Down" and Down the "Up"
If you stand at the northwest corner of the quad, you will notice two spiral staircases - one with "Down" on the ground in front of it and the other with "Up." When Sewanee had a military academy, the cadets found that their sabers knocked against the metal railing when they followed the instructions placed on the ground in front of the staircases. To avoid this problem, they started going "up the Down and down the Up," a tradition that is carried on today. Allegedly, there is a ghost of a cadet who will correct you if you are caught using the incorrect staircase.