Oldest current traditions
Normal: The word, referring to our original name, the Colorado State Normal School, is still on some UNC-licensed clothing and other paraphernalia.
School song: “Ah! Well I Remember,” was created by James De Forest Cline, a prolific composer who led the Music division from 1923 until his retirement in 1949. He claimed the piece, which he composed in 1937, came to him in a dream. The lyrics are:
Ah! Well I Remember, Friends of “Purple and Gold.”
Friends met in September, Pledging their Faith to hold.
Gone, Friends of September, Gone dear friends of old.
Time never shall sever, Friends of “Purple and Gold.”
Time never shall sever, Friends of “Purple and Gold.”
Da Teachers: Until 1925, the official name of athletic teams was the Teachers. Since then, we have been called the Bears, unofficially for the bear carving atop an Alaskan Tlingit Indian totem pole donated to the school in 1914. Nicknamed Totem Teddy, it served as a school symbol until 2003, when it was returned to the Tlingits under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. A bronze-bear sculpture, Northern Vision (left), took its place and resides on the north side of the University Center.
Homecoming: The first Homecoming game on the Greeley campus was in 1923. A parade with floats and marching bands was added in 1926. Gradually, Homecoming evolved into a weeklong celebration with a variety of events.
On stage: In 1934, Little Theatre of the Rockies began as summer stock, under the direction of Helen Langworthy, with the production of “The First Mrs. Frasier.” It’s the state’s oldest theater company.
Convocation: Over the years, these events have been held irregularly, at different times of the year and for different purposes. The 1915 spring commencement program refers to the upcoming event as “The Twenty-Fifth Annual Commencement and Convocation.” The current convocation, an annual fall event to launch the academic year, was revived by President Kay Norton on Sept. 19, 2006, after a 17-year hiatus.
Welcome Week: There have always been organized social and student orientation events designed to welcome new students to campus. In the early 1900s, the “Freshman Dinner” was held the first Saturday after the beginning of fall classes. Later, in the 1920s, when dancing became acceptable social behavior for young people, the “Freshman Dinner” became the “Freshman Frisk.” For several decades, the first week of classes was designated “Hello Week.” According to the 1928–29 Student Handbook, during “Hello Week,” in addition to all the organized activities, “every student says ‘hello’ at all chance meetings wherever they may be.”
Dunking freshmen in the reflecting pond: The pool, which existed on the north side of Carter Hall (former library) between 1911 and 1938, was about 3-feet deep, so the practice could only be considered dangerous during cold weather. The 1927 yearbook reports that George Frasier, who was only 33 when he was appointed president, was once mistaken for a freshman and dunked. When Carter Hall was expanded in 1938, the reflecting pool was filled in and covered. But for several years after, freshmen continued to get dunked in the lake at Glenmere Park or in the irrigation ditch near Jackson Field. 
Dinkie: The freshman beanie, or dinkie, was introduced onto campus in 1923. School rules at the time required that all freshmen wear dinkies on campus and to all athletic events. Violators were subject to consequences handed down by upperclassmen. For example, they could be ordered to sing the school fight song with their index finger on the button of their dinkie. Homecoming marked the traditional ending of the dinkie-wearing period. 