Sept. 15 - Tailgating’s surprising roots; Hispanic Heritage Month
Section 1
Anteater Time Machine: Youngsters help with moving in day at Mesa Court, Sept. 26, 1965. Scroll down to #UCIconnected for more archive photos.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
The First Battle of Bull Run, in 1861, was also known as the “picnic battle” because spectators gathered on the sidelines and ate snacks during the fight.
Professor traces origins of tailgating to Civil War
The history of tailgating parties “didn’t necessarily start with sports,” says Tonya Williams Bradford, a pregame festivities scholar and associate professor of marketing at UCI. The concept dates back at least to the Civil War. “When people knew where skirmishes would be, they’d pack up food and sit on the sidelines and watch,” she notes. Although there are earlier examples of spectators bringing food to events, such as gladiator fights in ancient Rome, the Civil War took the idea to the fields of America and gave root to traditions that appeared a few years later as college football began, Bradford explains in Popular Mechanics.
UCI won federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution five years ago. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
Hispanic Heritage Month begins today
The annual observance celebrates the contributions of Americans with ancestry from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. This year is also UCI’s fifth anniversary as a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.
UCI marks second-biggest fundraising year: $223M
Donations totaling $223 million during the fiscal year that ended this summer gave a significant boost to UCI’s Brilliant Future campaign, which was publicly launched three years ago. To date, more than 86,000 supporters have given over $1.3 billion to the campaign – nearly two-thirds of its $2 billion goal. Last year’s tally was second only to 2017’s $329 million, which included a $200 million gift from Henry and Susan Samueli to name the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
End of COVID now ‘in sight,’ WHO says
The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that the number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide last week was the lowest since March 2020, marking what could be a turning point in the pandemic. “Now is the time to run harder and make sure we cross the line and reap all the rewards of our hard work,” he said.
EVENTS
Hindustani Music with Rakesh Chaurasia, Rahul Sharma & Pt. Abhijit Banerjee
Saturday, 8 p.m. (sponsored by Irvine Barclay Theatre)
Welcome Week
Sunday through Sept. 24
Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.
UCI IN THE NEWS
Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
Why it is awesome that your brain can experience awe
The Washington Post, Sept. 15
Cited: Paul Piff, associate professor of psychological science
Monkeypox Cases in the US Are Falling. No One Knows Why
Wired, Sept. 15
Cited: Andrew Noymer, associate professor of public health
California Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Amazon
The New York Times, Sept. 14
Cited: Christopher R. Leslie, Chancellor’s Professor of antitrust law
#UCICONNECTED
Judging from the box on the cart, an Easy-Bake Oven (!) was part of this 1965 move-in at Mesa Court.
An information table at Mesa Court moving in day, Sept. 26, 1965.
#UCIconnected spotlights student, alumni, faculty and staff photos, essays, shoutouts, hobbies, artwork, unusual office decorations, activities and more. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.