Why Should I Be an SUU Tradition Keeper
Posted: June 11, 2025 | Author: Abbie Cochrane | Read Time: 4 minutes
Hey there, T-Birds! My name is Abbie Cochrane, and I’m a recognized SUU Tradition Keeper! While the Tradition Keeper checklist has been a part of SUU history for over a decade, the initiative became a more widely encouraged effort in March of 2021. Thousands of Southern Utah University students have been presented with a Tradition Keeper checklist upon their initiation into the Thunderbird Flock. Complete with fifty traditions ranging from on-campus activities to hiking around beautiful Cedar City, Utah, students who fulfill their Tradition Keeper checklist receive several prizes, including a Tradition Keeper sticker, T-shirt, collector’s coin, and even a stole to wear at graduation.
Checking off every item on the list can seem daunting, and it can be easy to put it off until your senior year, but there are opportunities to complete Tradition Keeper items happening all the time!
Like you, I also got my Tradition Keeper checklist during Thunder U in my first semester, and I was determined to check off every item by the time I graduated. At first, it was easy–I had a lot of motivation and I wanted to explore Cedar City and Southern Utah as much as I could. I found opportunities to eat around Cedar City with my family when they were in town, and attend events like Forever RED or Casino Night with my friends, making it easy to frequently submit photos to the website so the Alumni Center could verify the tradition as complete.
As the years moved by and life got busier, it got more difficult to work in time to complete the traditions, and by the time I got to my senior year, I still had at least half of them left. By the time graduation rolled around, I had one tradition that I hadn’t done–Meet the President. As it just so happened, I was the 2025 Commencement Student Speaker and was able to meet President Benson the day of commencement and finish my Tradition Keeper checklist just in time. While I wouldn’t recommend waiting until the absolute last day possible to get your Tradition Keeper checklist done, the Alumni Center is always available to help you tick items off the University bucket list.
“The Tradition Keeper program is designed to help students experience every corner of campus,” said Kenten Pope, Executive Events Manager at SUU. “From cheering on the T-Birds at athletic events to enjoying the arts at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, from learning at guest lectures in the Great Hall and exploring our historic campus and community until it feels like home. It encourages students to make lasting memories, connect with SUU, and discover the traditions that make their college experience unlike any other.”
While some traditions are easier to complete than others, the checklist offers tons of opportunities to experience something new! Over the last four years, the Tradition Keeper checklist has pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and try things that I normally wouldn’t have. For example, I’m not a very outdoorsy person, but since a lot of Tradition Keeper items involve you getting out into the world’s best backyard, I found a new appreciation for the beautiful landscape that surrounds SUU’s campus.
As far as favorite traditions go, my top three favorites were The Scream because I absolutely love Halloween, going to support my classmates in performances with the College of Performing and Visual Arts, and going under the bell tower to start and finish my time at SUU. I think those two respective days are something I will never forget. First, beginning my freshman year by walking under the bell tower and feeling a part of something bigger than myself, and once more for graduation, when I recalled all the memories and recognized not only how I had made my mark at SUU, but how SUU had such a positive impact on my life. I was not the same person walking under the bell tower for the second time; I was who SUU helped me to be. More capable, more confident, and more sure of my direction than ever before and prepared enough to chase after my goals.
Having a Tradition Keeper checklist is one of the things that makes SUU so special–not only is it a chance to celebrate the history of the institution, but it also serves as a blueprint for making memories on campus and celebrating the history that you get to be a part of during your time at SUU. I’m so grateful I was able to make the most of my SUU experience through the Tradition Keeper program, and I would encourage all my fellow TBirds–new and returning–to work towards completing their Tradition Keeper checklist as well!
To learn more about what the fifty traditions are, visit the SUU Tradition Keeper website or the Alumni Center and find out what traditions you can complete today! What’s your SUU Tradition?
Tags: Campus Tradition and History Student Outdoors CurStu Future T-Bird Prospective Students Student Life
