Cobber Frosh Accessory
The Concordia beanie represents an unusual accessory that serves as a rite of passage for first year students attending Concordia College. Concordia has practiced this freshman tradition of wearing beanies since 1922. Most recently the beanies are purchased from Harris Marketing Company in quantities of 3,000 at the cost of four dollars per hat.[1]These beanies were first referred to as “green caps,” which were green felt hats with a maroon ribbon on them.[2] In 1942, the German-produced green dye that was used to make the beanies could not be obtained anymore. Therefore, in 1955 maroon and gold caps were introduced. The gold hats are for incoming freshmen to Concordia and the maroon hats are for transfer students. Some may think beanies are just a symbol that represents the status of first year students; this is true but along with this status comes hazing. Beanies are an accessory that targets freshmen to be bullied; the freshmen were taped to trees for not wearing the beanie or thrown into Prexy’s Pond. In 1965, hazing was banished along with the beanies. [3] The freshmen also had rules and regulations that came along with wearing the beanie. In 1991, freshmen were required to wear their beanies from August 25th to the first touchdown of the Concordia vs. Minnesota State University Moorhead football game on September 7th. Other rules relating to beanies are they were not to be worn off campus or after dark, they were only able to take the beanies off while in residence halls, and sophomores could enforce these rules.[4]
Some may think that Concordia is the only college to have beanies or to have such a unique tradition and a symbol of status. This, however, is not the case. At Penn State in the 1950s they made it mandatory for freshmen to wear beanies, bowties, and name tags.[5] Also the sophomores, like freshmen, were required to wear hats too and referred to as “hatmen” who wore fuller softer hats; the seniors wore stiff hats. This occurred not only at Penn State but it also was a part of the Arkansas State and Berkley tradition. Arkansas State seniors wore high silk or straw hats and at Berkley they wore sombreros.[6] Other popular accessories were only worn and used by upperclassmen which were decorated canes, pipes, and corduroy pants.
Beanies always have been and will continue to be a tradition and accessory for incoming freshmen to receive from Concordia College. This tradition shows a lot about the unity of each class and allows the upperclassmen to know who the younger students are at the school in case they need help. Although this tradition is not unique, it will always be an important part of the freshmen experience at Concordia College.
[1] Gretchen Ahrens, "Seniors Save Their Beanies," Concordian, Sept 5, 1997, 16.
[2] Amy Dairymple, "Tradition:'It Brings Together All of Those New Frosh,'" Fargo Forum, Sept 9, 2007, A1.
[3] Gretchen Ahrens, "Seniors Save Their Beanies," Concordian, Sept 5, 1997, 16.
[4] University of South Carolina, Columbia, "The Beanie Tradition Lives On," Freshman Experience Newsletter 4, no.2 (Fall 1991):8.
[5] Simon J. Bronner, Piled Higher and Deeper (Little Rock: August House Publishers, 1990), 83.
[6] Simon J. Bronner, Piled Higher and Deeper (Little Rock: August House Publishers, 1990), 83.