The Spoonholder: a Cherished Tradition
Cherished traditions on college campuses across the world bring a sense of comradery to a student body as well as offer a special connection to those who have previously walked the hallowed halls of their university.
“Traditions are so important to a fun and enjoyable college experience. Every campus has their own unique traditions,” said Amy Beaudoin, graduate of the University of Oklahoma.
Little did Beaudoin know just how impactful such traditions would be in her life.
As a sophomore at OU, Beaudoin took part in Homecoming on behalf of her sorority, through which she met a one Christopher Beaudoin. Chris was a member of the fraternity paired with Amy’s sorority to compete against other campus organizations for the coveted award of first place. Chris initially caught Amy’s attention with his stellar moves in a dance competition, and she’s been smitten ever since!
The myth of the Spoonholder, one of the oldest monuments on OU’s campus, was no secret to Amy and Chris, so they decided to give it a try on their one-year anniversary. The couple dated for three years, finally leading up to a romantic proposal on Amy’s 25th birthday.
“My understanding was that if a couple kissed while sitting in the Spoonholder during a full moon, they were destined to get engaged and marry,” said Beaudoin.
The Spoonholder is a circular, concrete bench, particularly accommodating to “spooners”, and somewhat resembles an antique silver spoonholder. The bench takes on a uniquely curved shape, perfect for couples to take part in the popular dating trend of “spooning”, when an arm is lovingly wrapped around another.
When Chris finally decided to pop the question, he lead Amy on a scavenger hunt across the OU campus, including sentimental locations to their relationship. Amy’s final destination was that of the Spoonholder, where she found her husband-to-be down on one knee asking for her hand in marriage.
Flash back nearly a century ago and the Spoonholder took on a much different appearance. The structure was originally built by members of the class of 1910 as a circular, two-tiered concrete bench standing three feet tall in front of Evans Hall. The class of 1910 worked frivolously to mold the seating area entirely by hand, and even employed a watchman to ensure their masterpiece remained intact through the dark hours of the night. Unfortunately for the class of 1910, their trusted watchman fell asleep, only to be tied up by the rival junior class who then proceeded to paint the Spoonholder and ungodly bright yellow. Ever since, it became somewhat of an eyesore.
Eventually, the university’s administration couldn’t take the sight of it any longer, and, in conjunction with a redesign plan of Parrington Oval, the Spoonholder was removed in 1983.
“As a lover of campus traditions, I was honored to be a part of returning a campus tradition to our beloved Norman campus. For me, helping with the reconstruction offered me a chance to ‘jump back in time’ and restore a treasured spot on campus,” said Kate Stanton, chair of the 1999 Senior Class Gift to restore the Spoonholder.
Although graduating fifty years apart, the OU classes of 1949 and 1999 came together in the name of tradition to reconstruct the beloved Spoonholder that had been stripped from the community years ago. The Alumni Association and the President’s Office were instrumental in connecting the dots between the two classes. A core area of the Alumni Association, Reunion Programs worked closely with the Class Gift Committee to raise funds from both the classes of 1949 and 1999 to rebuild the Spoonholder and offer such treasured memories to future Sooners.
“I remember a few ice cream events, served with spoons of course, to raise awareness and money,” said Stanton.
Stanton’s incentive to bring back the Spoonholder stemmed from a desire to make her mark on campus. It’s not every day that students are given the opportunity to participate in one of those famous black and white campus photos taken so long before their story even began with the university.
Today, the new and improved Spoonholder sits proudly on the North Oval thanks to members of the classes of 1949 and 1999. It even includes pieces of the original structure molded into the bench.
Stanton remembers the evening before her May 1999 Commencement fondly. Her group of friends spent the night in the Spoonholder, and to this day that night remains as one of her favorite college memories.
“Knowing I, a girl from Texas, was part of an OU tradition dating back to 1910 was a ‘wow’ for me and still is. Plus, it was fun, as a 22-year-old, to take the term “spooning” back to its playful roots as a campus tradition,” said Stanton.
Campus traditions such as the Spoonholder give a college unique character as well as the opportunity to create timeless memories from generation to generation.
“Every time I pass by it, I see couples sitting in it, sometimes even taking engagement pictures. These fun traditions at OU maintain and develop a bond between students and alumni of the university and really tie the whole educational experience together,” said Jewel Porter, a junior at OU.
The concept of the “Sooner Family” at OU takes on an entirely new and different meaning with traditions such as the Spoonholder. These customs are what link past generations to the present, and present to the future. It creates an undeniable bond that separates the University of Oklahoma from other colleges by forming a strong community.
“Sooner traditions created a sense of belonging for me long before I truly belonged and found my way at OU. It gave me the ‘inside’ knowledge of a special community that only the Sooners would know,” said Beaudoin.
The Spoonholder gave Amy and Chris a precious memory that will always hold a special place in their hearts. Although they will never be able to relive that particular time in their lives again, revisiting the place that their love first began is a close second.
“Every time we return to campus, we do our best to sneak a kiss in the Spoonholder and relive that time again. If it weren’t for the tradition of the Spoonholder, I am not sure how our engagement would have played out, or if our engagement would have had this incredible link to the place we met and fell in love,” said Beaudoin.
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