Orange Jackets Honor Female Campus Leaders With Tea Party

By Jordan Schraeder in 40 Acres, Special on April 27, 2012 at 11:08 am | No Comments

We like to think that here at The Alcalde we keep our readers informed and up-to-date on any and all University news, but it definitely takes the cake when one of our stories inspires a new campus tradition.

The Texas Orange Jackets threw their first-ever Texas Tea Party on Wednesday to honor and celebrate female leadership on campus.

Their inspiration: an Alcalde article on an event that began in the 1920s called Swing-Out, where senior women passed a long bluebonnet chain onto the shoulders of the juniors to signify the passage of responsibility on the Forty Acres.

The Orange Jackets, UT’s largest and oldest female service organization, paid tribute to the campus’ female leaders with tea and cookies at the Tower Garden, right next to the Turtle Pond.

In homage to the Swing-Out bluebonnet chain, the group handed out packets of bluebonnet seeds to attendees, with a note that read: “Growing Future Leaders.”

“The idea for a tea party came from history,” says incoming Orange Jackets president Maggie Gunn. “Historically, hosting tea parties was a way for women to connect around campus. We organized this event to celebrate and enjoy each other as the semester transitions.”

In the spirit of creating new traditions, the Orange Jackets also arranged for a group photo in front of the Tower. Gunn says she hopes that future campus leaders will continue taking the photograph for years to come.

Photo courtesy the Orange Jackets.

Tags: Bluebonnet, Maggie Gunn, Orange Jackets, Swing-Out, tradition, Turtle Pond