The Tower!

[CyFallsMom]

I went up to Austin yesterday and was witness to a sight that I, personally, have waited for 36 years to see. The UT tower was lit up in a beautiful orange glow and the #1 was on all four sides. I took the kids to see it - they didn't have the same feelings that I did but it was still a wonderful experience. I went to the Co-op to get some shirts and the line was, and those of you who went there will know, from the front door of the Co-op to the Cadeau. You had to wait in line just to get to the shirts. There were hundreds, if not thousands of Longhorn fans there - all decked in burnt orange and happy as pigs in slop...everyone was smiling and cars were playing the Eyes of Texas. Then, the sun went down and we all walked to the commons on the Original 40 and everyone was taking pictures of the tower, of family, of the whole scene. Wonderful experience indeed.

[cougardude]

How cool that the tower is lit up orange for the second time in less than a year as it was lit up for the Horns baseball team's college world series win in June! HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!

[CyFallsMom]

The baseball teams rocks too!! I wasn't able to make it up to see it when they won because I was on vacation. I drove 2 1/2 hours to see it yesterday but at least one guy I heard say had flown in from somewhere to see it.

Texas athletics is going very strong right now. I was looking through the recruiting list on the Top 100 in the Chronicle - Texas is everywhere!! Good to know we have some good QB prospects too because it sounds like Vince is going pro. The Texans need to get a good trade on Carr for a couple of offensive linemen and possibly future pick and take Vince - forget Bush. It will take a couple of years to get up to speed anyway for the Texans but it's a start. I think the Longhorns will be fine - they still have a very good base and Jamaal Charles is ready for take off as well.

[Texasfrog]

The baseball teams rocks too!! I wasn't able to make it up to see it when they won because I was on vacation. I drove 2 1/2 hours to see it yesterday but at least one guy I heard say had flown in from somewhere to see it.

Texas athletics is going very strong right now. I was looking through the recruiting list on the Top 100 in the Chronicle - Texas is everywhere!! Good to know we have some good QB prospects too because it sounds like Vince is going pro. The Texans need to get a good trade on Carr for a couple of offensive linemen and possibly future pick and take Vince - forget Bush. It will take a couple of years to get up to speed anyway for the Texans but it's a start. I think the Longhorns will be fine - they still have a very good base and Jamaal Charles is ready for take off as well.

We're going to keep those "orange light" warm now. Something tells me that it aint going to be 35 years for the football orange lights to be flipped back on.

Also... I ready for the baseball team to get going again. I think they'll be right back in the heat of the College World series again this season. The pitchers and fielders are back and I believe Texas will have more hitting power this season !!

[cougardude]

I think I saw that the Horns are the preseason No. 1 in one poll for baseball already!

[slorch]

hey Red Raiders have lots of towers! We call 'em grain elevators!!!

the lit up tower is pretty cool, too

[Sacred Ground]

I've never been to Austin, and since the UT Tower has come up, but not to blemish your celebration, I am curious to know if there is a memorial in place for the tragedy of 1966? When I was in Jr. High, I did a book report on Charles Whitman, and to this day, I cannot look at pictures of the UT Tower without thinking of that murderous tragedy.

[Texasfrog]

I've never been to Austin, and since the UT Tower has come up, but not to blemish your celebration, I am curious to know if there is a memorial in place for the tragedy of 1966? When I was in Jr. High, I did a book report on Charles Whitman, and to this day, I cannot look at pictures of the UT Tower without thinking of that murderous tragedy.

I've been by the tower 100's of times and I dont think there is anything. I could be wrong however.

My dad went to school with that idiots wife.

[rancher52]

Can someone answer a history question about the Tower? For some reason I was under the impression that UT had placed little or no emphasis on the tower until a few short years ago (I am thinking 7-8 years) due to the negative connotations related to the Whitman shootings. Maybe I did not catch the meaning of the telecast but I seem to recall a TV News spot back in the mid-90's or so when there was a restoration and a reopening of the observation deck. Some of the comments & posts on different message boards indicate there is a long history of spotlighting the Tower and that conflicted with what I recalled. Any insight is appreciated.

[CyFallsMom]

I've never been to Austin, and since the UT Tower has come up, but not to blemish your celebration, I am curious to know if there is a memorial in place for the tragedy of 1966? When I was in Jr. High, I did a book report on Charles Whitman, and to this day, I cannot look at pictures of the UT Tower without thinking of that murderous tragedy.

I want to give you my own personal background of what I think about the tower. On August 1, 1966, we were on a family vacation through Texas and we stopped that morning in Austin. We went to the campus for a visit and my grandfather didn't feel too well so we left pretty quick. I was very upset that I didn't get to go to the top of the tower - like any 6 year old would be. Later that day, we heard about the tragedy and my mom dropped to her knees and thanked the good lord above that we didn't go up there.

I have always looked at the tower in such a different way than most because of that. My room at Jester faced the tower and I would sit in the window and just reflect on everything. Kids would joke about their grades and say they were "going to jump off the tower" and it really bothered me. I went to the library one day (the UGL next to the tower) and pulled out all of these articles on the tragedy and sat there for several hours reading about it and looking at it...just couldn't believe that we could have been one of those people. It really makes one appreciate life - like my sister in law who was three blocks from the World Trade Center on 9/11/01.

After the shootings, they had problems with some students jumping off of it so the observation tower was closed for many many years. It recently reopened and I am trying to bring myself to go to the top someday. I've been to the top of the Empire State bldg and it didn't scare me as much as the tower does but it's purely mental. However, I think the tower is a beautiful architectural building and a very revered sign of the University of Texas and it still holds a special place in my heart along with Bevo, Big Bertha, the Drag and Freddie Steinmark!!

I was showing my kids a bullet hole yesterday (they are all over the place if you know where to look) and they have seen them before but they always ask me to show them. They don't understand it at all but who does. The man was insane and had a brain tumor the size of a baseball to boot. It was a sad tragedy all around and, if there isn't a memorial, there should be one - it's been 40 years now since it happened.

[Sacred Ground]

I find, what you have said, to be very interesting, CyFallsMom. The Good Lord was watching over you and your family. I agree that if there is no memorial, there should be. After all, most of those who were murdered were students, weren't they?

[rancher52]

I find, what you have said, to be very interesting, CyFallsMom. The Good Lord was watching over you and your family. I agree that if there is no memorial, there should be. After all, most of those who were murdered were students, weren't they?
Your question on the number of students puzzled me so I looked it up. There were 16 deaths attributed to Whitman (including his mother, wife and Himself). Of the other 13, 3 were UT students. There were 3 high school students who happened to be on campus in the total. Aside from that, the others were a policeman, city and UT workers & professors, and people who were just visiting the area.

[Sacred Ground]

Your question on the number of students puzzled me so I looked it up. There were 16 deaths attributed to Whitman (including his mother, wife and Himself). Of the other 13, 3 were UT students. There were 3 high school students who happened to be on campus in the total. Aside from that, the others were a policeman, city and UT workers & professors, and people who were just visiting the area.
Interesting facts, rancher52. Even though 3 UT students died, they should still put something up to remember those who died. Even if its a small plaque listing their names. It could be placed in the towers lobby, or even on the observation deck, if it is open to the public.

[Big Daddy Cool]

I just so happened to make the trip up there yesterday myself. And the site was exactly the way CyFallsMom described it. There were people everywhere taking piuctures with their high dollar camera as well as hundreds snapping away with their camera phones.

[stevefoxsc]

I went up to Austin yesterday and was witness to a sight that I, personally, have waited for 36 years to see. The UT tower was lit up in a beautiful orange glow and the #1 was on all four sides. I took the kids to see it - they didn't have the same feelings that I did but it was still a wonderful experience. I went to the Co-op to get some shirts and the line was, and those of you who went there will know, from the front door of the Co-op to the Cadeau. You had to wait in line just to get to the shirts. There were hundreds, if not thousands of Longhorn fans there - all decked in burnt orange and happy as pigs in slop...everyone was smiling and cars were playing the Eyes of Texas. Then, the sun went down and we all walked to the commons on the Original 40 and everyone was taking pictures of the tower, of family, of the whole scene. Wonderful experience indeed.

how did you find parking! bah none the less my friend worked at einstein's arcade so i got a ride with him but i did manage to get 1 shirt alot of people liked the shirt i have, only one problem with it....

it was lalbed 2006 rose bowl champion's, now i know what your thinking what's wrong with that? I got the shirt in christmas of 2005 :eek: but good to see nike had a good prediction :D

[CyFallsMom]

I parked one block from the Drag (behind the church and the Goo Woo) and I was one block from the Co-Op - perfect parking!! Mine says 2005 National Champs which is accurate -they are the champs for the 2005 season. And, of course, I bought the one that says "In 2005, Austin was In-Vince-Ible" and on the back "Undisputed, Undefeated 2005 National Champions - don't mess with Austin, Texas". Couldn't resist!