Best Flicks: Guarding USC’s Icons
By: Joy Ofodu ‘18
One of our most mysterious rivalry traditions of our annual Troy Week is the ritualistic guarding of USC’s most prominent statues and icons on campus, namely Tommy Trojan, Traveler, George Tirebiter, and Hecuba (the newest addition to the USC Village and icon family).
Though Traveler is our only official mascot, all of these icons are worthy of a 24-hour vigilant shift, performed by the Trojan Knights (Tommy) and the Helenes (Hecuba).
The University ensures that all of these icons are protected by duct tape and other constructions. In addition, the Knights and Helenes set up a camp around them, staying occupied with food deliveries from Pizza Hut, Howlin’ Rays, Lucy’s and Niki Nikias (she serves up a mean baklava) or having conversations with fellow Pledges and Rosebuds.
The Trojan Knights have been tasked with upholding the university’s traditions since 1921. They are an all-male service organization, comprised of leaders, athletes, scholars and USC’s biggest sports fans.
The Helenes are the all-female arm; as the ‘official hostesses of USC,’ they strengthen the Trojan Family through acts of volunteerism, hospitality and service. The Hygiene Drive for LA’s homeless at their Hecuba campsite was a perfect example of this!
You’d think that staying up all day and night (in shifts, of course) would cause these Trojan reps to be exhausted beyond measure, but it was all smiles from the Saturday before Troy Week up until Gameday!
Spending a few minutes with either the brotherhood or sisterhood will show you why these traditions are so important: It’s less about physically protecting these statues from UCLA-colored spray paint and more about building community and taking a moment to reflect on the songs, chants, scores and service acts that make our “Troy” the amazing place that it is.
Fight On!
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