THE DECADES-OLD TRADITION has always been tied to Welcome Week — a time for freshmen to get to know their new home and grow accustomed to college life . In 1979 , Scott Berndes , then-director of UC San Diego Sports and Recreation , thought some friendly competition would be a good way to foster school spirit , as well as show students there was fun to be had on a campus known for world-class academics .
The first UnOlympics began with your standard outdoor festivities : lawn games like an egg toss , tug-of-war , water balloon relay and sack races , as well as classic carnival fare in the form of a pie-eating contest . They were the kind of games that required no practice , no stress and only the promise of a good time — the exact opposite of actual Olympic events . This wasn ’ t the only reason for the “ Un ,” however ; it was allegedly inspired by a popular television commercial of the time , one known to those who might remember 7-Up as the “ UnCola .”
“ The UnOlympics evolved quite a bit ,” says Liora Kian-Gutierrez ’ 84 , who has spent her entire career involved with UC San Diego students in one way or another . She recalls how UnOlympic hijinks escalated as each college tried to one-up the others every year — especially in their entrances to the games . Students made use of everything they could , as what started with decorated golf carts gave way to a parade of zoo animals , even military skydivers once accompanying Muir College ’ s entrance in 1988 .
“ We drew the line at pyrotechnics — that idea was shut down fast ,” says Kian- Gutierrez . “ And even outrageous things like the skydivers — that didn ’ t do very well with the judges anyway , because what does a stunt like that really say about the college , or school spirit ? That ’ s what the event is all about .”
These grand entrances evolved into well-defined themes , many of which corresponded with the pop culture of the day , reflecting hit movies like Top Gun and Ghostbusters , or timeless references like The Wizard of Oz and Pirates of the Caribbean . Over the decades the themes morphed into what has now become the event ’ s climax and closing attraction : well-rehearsed , large-scale performances . Scores of students from each college put together a choreographed dance , with skits , lipsync and who-knows-what else — this is where the school spirit truly shines . “ When they ’ re developing their performance , we make a point to tell
Total Wins College Last Win 8 Revelle 2005 7 Muir 2014 7 Warren 2013 6 Sixth 2018 6 Roosevelt 2008 4 Marshall 2016
38 TRITON | FALL 2019