User:PolyP145/Sandbox

History
The Cal Poly “P” has been at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo since at least 1919.

The origin of the “P” has been debated.

One story of its birth is that Cal Poly’s students and administration wanted to present the school to the rest of the community by placing a “P” for Poly on the campus hillside. A lot of thought was put into the idea of whether to use a water tower with a “P” painted on it, or constructing a giant “P”. The idea of the “P” on the hill won because of the expensive costs of purchasing a water tower. It was purposely placed in a spot that could be viewed from three specific locations: the administration building’s porch, the newly constructed Highway 101, and the air, as flying was becoming popular.

Another origin of the “P” is a result of a rivalry between Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo High School. A 1919 issue of the Cal Poly student newspaper, The Polygram, states that one morning Poly students awoke to discover large “H’s” (for high) constructed out of stone on the hills surrounding San Luis Obispo. The Poly students changed each “H” to a “P”, and the high school students battled back, again changing the letters. Poly students began to concentrate their defense on a hillside overlooking the campus where the “P” has graced the hill ever since. The first recorded “P” to adorn the hillside was made simply of whitewashed stones. This was problematic because the wind and rain would wash the stones away. The stones also made it easy for the high school students to change the “P” to an “H”. Under the supervision of the sophomores, the freshmen dorm boys maintained the 24-by-40 foot “P”, tidying up its stone outline and refilling it when needed.

The second “P” was constructed out of old, whitewashed barn doors by the Block “P” club. Again, this “P” was short lived due to high school students who lit it on fire. Until plans were complete to build a concrete “P” on the hill, the letter was reconstructed from wood.

The concrete “P” was also built by the Block “P” club and was overseen by then student body president, Harry Wineroth. The new “P” was 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide, much larger than its predecessors.

It was decided that the maintenance of the “P” would lie in the hands of the freshman and sophomore classes in the form of a contest dubbed “The Freshman Sophomore Brawl”. The contest featured events such as tug-of-war, three-legged races and talent shows. The loser of the two classes would be the ones to maintain the structure. The sophomores usually won, leaving the “P” in the hands of the freshmen.

By 1956 the “P” was in shambles and in desperate need of repair. The social fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi and a group of agricultural engineering students stepped in to help build a long-lasting “P”. On May 3rd, 1957 the two groups finished construction on the new “P” measuring 50 feet longs and 35 feet wide. This is the same “P” that can be seen on the campus hillside today.

As the campus population grew, and “The Brawl” became less realistic, a spirit organization inherited the care of the duties. The Rally Club formed in 1957 to maintain the “P”. On the day before a football game, the club would carry a generator up the trail to the “P” and light it. If Poly won the game, the following night the Rally Club would replace the “P” with a “V” for victory. This tradition continued up until the late 1970s when interest significantly dropped and the club ended.

For about 13 years the “P” sat on the hill with no steady caretakers. Weathering and vandalism began to take its toll on the “P”, causing it to slowly decay. Many claimed that the “P” was a nuisance and an eyesore, and a petition to get rid of the “P” circulated. The petition received more than 1000 signatures, stirring a debate among students and alumni. Hostility against the “P” escalated as the school was unable to deter vandalism.

In 1994 a spirit organization, Running Thunder, was formed to take care of the “P” and to promote school pride. They cleaned, painted, and lit the “P”. The club, now called the Mustang Maniacs, continues to take care of the “P” and paint it about three times every year.

The “P” has been accepted to the National Register of Historic Places, meaning it is legally protected from demolition.

Decorating the “P” and using it to spread messages is a long-standing campus tradition. In 1964, the “P” was transformed into “GOP”. In the 1970s it was changed to “POT”. In the 1980s “SPRINGSTEEN” appeared on the hillside. The “P” has been formed into the Greek letters of the sororities and fraternities on campus. Even marriage proposals have been spelled out using the “P”.

Throughout its history the “P” has been painted numerous times as well. In a response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the campus painted the concrete letter with the stars and stripes of the American flag. For bicentennial, it was painted red, white, and blue. It has been painted with hearts for Valentines Day and red and green for Christmas. The Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals United and Pride Alliance Center have painted it like a rainbow during commUNITY pride week. Zebra stripes have even been painted across its face.

Notes and References
1. http://lib.calpoly.edu/universityarchives/history/poly_p/

2. http://polyland.calpoly.edu/topics/history/studentsites/2004a/polyControversy1.html

3. http://www.calpoly.edu/~rtclub/rthist.html

4. http://calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2002/2002_news_releases/02archives_students/thunder.html

5. http://cla.calpoly.edu/~SMARX/courses/134/webpapers/3/potter.htm