Go ahead students, laugh it up. N.C. State has silently repaid Chapel Hill for many years of blue Expression Tunnels.
No matter the outcome of tomorrow’s game against long time rival UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State students will have the last laugh. Though the Free Expression Tunnel was covered in Carolina blue this week, it will be painted over and forgotten. Chapel Hill students, however, cannot ignore the garden of red and white flowers that bloom next to historic Old Well every year.
Wolfpack Garden
It has been called the most successful inside joke that no one understands. Every spring, UNC students see a burst of color surround their beloved Old Well. The watermelon-colored azaleas are in full bloom around the end of April, just in time for exams and graduation. And what better color for them to shine than wolfpack red. The ‘Wolfpack Garden’ surrounds the Old Well, which is the heart of UNC’s campus. Many students and staff refuse to recognize the irony of big, blooming flowers bearing the color of their rival decorating the central icon of their university. The area was re-landscaped back in the 80s, which is when the azaleas were planted, and has been blooming red every since. The project,however, is suspected to be an inside job, with an N.C. State grad planning the annual appearance of red in UNC’s most popular location. It is impossible, however, to validate such a claim since the garden was planted more than 20 years ago. Though the colorful meaning of the flowers today may not have been the intention at the time, it has grown into a prank that is celebrated by N.C. State-ers who know the difference. A lot of the N.C. State alums on staff at UNC silently enjoy the inside joke every springtime, while those pledged to UNC refuse to believe N.C. State had any influence in the colorful red garden. Most students may claim that the flowers are shades of pink rather than red, it’s obvious, at least, that they are not Carolina blue. Most of those who walk the UNC campus remain oblivious to the mark of N.C. State on their most popular landmark. Some say, however, that any true Tar Heel will know the difference.
source: UNC Printing Services
The Old Well
The Old Well has been a long standing landmark and tradition for Chapel Hill students. The well served as the sole water supply for Old East and Old West dormitories for many of the university’s earlier years, and was given the present decorative form in 1897. The design was constructed under the direction of President Erwin A. Alderman who derived the design from the Temple of Love in the Garden of Versailles. Brick walks, benches and plants were added in 1954 and some students drink from the well on the first day of classes for luck. The Old Well has become the most publicized icon of UNC-CH as it is printed in every pamphlet and brochure, and it the most photographed place on campus.
source: www.unc.edu
The Old Well loves red
The Wolfpack Garden, however, may not be the first time that the historic symbol of Chapel Hill has worn the proud red color of N.C. State. According to UNC-CH’s Web Site, several postcards have been found depicting the Old Well with a red top, occurring sometime in the early twentieth century.
source:www.lib.unc.edu/blogs
