Dooley
Dooley, Lord of Misrule, first appeared on the Emory scene in an essay in the school's literary journal The Emory Phoenix. He began his tenure as Emory's resident skeleton hanging in a biology classroom, giving him plenty of time to observe the strange and foolish ways of Emory students that he discussed in his essay "Reflections of the Skeleton." But this was all a ruse, as a 1909 issue of Phoenix featured "Dooley's Letter–By Way of Introduction," which contended that the author of "Reflections" was an imposter and that the author of the "Letter" was the genuine Lord Dooley. For the next 30 years, Dooley contributed to campus publications, but it was in 1941 that he made his first appearance on campus at the school's first dance. Since then, Dooley has remained to wreck a little playful havoc, most notably during Dooley's Week, when the mischievous Lord patrols campus with his guard and releases classes. Dooley reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously. – Rhett Henry, Editorials Editor
Swoop
Powerful, playful and at times a little sassy, Swoop is the much-beloved face of the Emory Eagles. But this was not always the case. Once upon a time, Emory's athletic teams had no nickname. In the distant past, our sports teams had been unofficially called, at one time or another, the Hillbillies, the Gentlemen and even the Teasippers, but by 1960, we were just Emory. The Wheel's Sports Editor at the time, an intrepid young man named David Kross, decided that this situation just would not do and on Oct. 27, 1960, he unilaterally declared from the bully pulpit of the Sports section that Emory's sports teams would henceforth and forever more (unless people disagreed) be called the Eagles. The name stuck.
July 4, 1986 was not only the 210th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – it was also Swoop's birthday. Ever since then, he has been representing Emory both on and off the court/field. In addition to leading the cheering section at Emory sporting events, Swoop is also active in the Atlanta community, helping charities raise money for a plethora of good causes. In his spare time, Swoop enjoys listening to the music of the Eagles and watching old basketball games on ESPN Classic, especially those involving Larry Bird. - Bennett Ostdiek, Editor-at-Large.
Dooley's Week
Dooley's Week is the biggest spirit week on campus. There's free food, free concerts, free shirts - plus, there's that whole thing where Dooley walks around Emory and lets students out of class if their professors can't answer an obscure question about Emory's history. There also have been some great acts brought
onto Emory's campus. Last year, Chance The Rapper was the performer and, two years ago, it was Kendrick Lamar. There's also Dooley's Ball, which is more of an electronic, glow-stick scene but equally exciting and well-attended. If you're not one for big crowds and loud noises, there are other (calmer) events like trivia for students. This week is one of your few weeks that have concentrated celebrations of Emory pride, so take advantage of it – and
make sure you fight tooth-and-nail for a free Dooley's Week shirt.
Homecoming Week
Most schools base their Homecoming Week around a football game, but Emory and SPC (Student Programming Council) have made sure "Swoop's Week" will be an oasis from students' studies and alums' day-to-day lives at gridiron-less Emory.
Homecoming promises something for everyone, from those looking to reunite with old friends, to former student athletes, to scholars, to music buffs. Students will begin celebrating when they take a break from class with their weekly walk through Wonderful Wednesday on Sept. 17. The next day, the Candler School of Theology will host a lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, journalist and historian Dr. Garry Wills on the "Life and Teachings of Jesus and Their Impact on Culture." The Laney Graduate School will offer a "Conversation with the Deans" on hot topics. Oxford College will also hold its Alumni Awards Banquet. On Friday, award ceremonies and class reunions will take place, along with the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing's "The Journey to Leadership" Class. Saturday will be Spirit Day, beginning with a Residence Hall Reunion and fraternity and sorority open houses. At 1 p.m., the Women's Soccer team, which made the Division III Tournament last season, will take on Berry College at the WoodPEC. The Homecoming Parade will take place at 12:30 p.m., ending at 2:00 for the Homecoming Ball on McDonough Field, featuring performances by Cash Cash and Sugar Ray. - Zak Hudak, Sports Editor
Other Campus Traditions
Emory's best-known tradition is our unofficial mascot, Dooley, Lord of Misrule, and the week of spring semester that we dedicate to his antics and fun-loving spirit. His face (or, rather, his cranium) appears on all manner of Emory swag and there will, undoubtedly, be a number of students lucky enough to have him dismiss their classes. But Emory is a university that loves its traditions - these are a few more that make the rest of the school year more exciting:
Wonderful Wednesday: There was a time, early in Emory's history, when Wednesdays were dedicated to rest and relaxation, not class and consternation. Although we have to go to class, Emory strives to maintain this spirit of fun by putting on a street fair in Asbury Circle every Wednesday afternoon.
Sophomore Pinning: Among other reasons, Emory is unique because students are considered alumni after two consecutive semesters. Why? Back in the day - before you needed a college degree to run a company - Robert Woodruff left Emory after just two semesters to run the Coca-Cola Company. The Student Alumni Association (SAA) remembers this quirk by bestowing alumni pins on rising sophomores in a lovely pinning ceremony.
Coke Toast: In another nod to Emory's long history with the Coca-Cola Company, every first-year student and every graduating senior participates in a "coke toast" to commemorate the commencement and conclusion of their Emory careers. Drink up! - Nick Bradley, Associate Editor
Emory Sports
In such a college-sports crazed state, it's easy to overlook Emory Athletics for the lack of any Division I teams (or any sort of football team) to speak of. What the University lacks in big-name sports and tailgate scenes, however, it makes up for by essentially being the best athletic school in Division III. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but not a big one – just last year, the Eagles won five conference titles and finished in the top 15 nationally in nine sports, including a pair of national titles in women's swimming and diving and women's tennis. Emory clocked in at sixth in the Director's Cup standings, which measure athletic success across the board, and Emory Athletics Director Tim Downes was named the Division III Athletic Director of the Year.
A bit of background: each of Emory's 18 varsity sports play in the University Athletic Association (UAA for short), an eight-team league consisting of other D-III academic and athletic powerhouses like Washington University in St. Louis and New York University. They've won a combined 17 national titles, a staggering number that will likely increase once the 2014-15 seasons are in the books. - Ryan Smith, Associate Editor
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