- Guns Up
Guns up is the slogan and hand signal of
Texas Tech University . It is used by students and alumni as a greeting. It is also used as a victory sign during athletic events.The gesture
The
gesture is made from a closed hand by extending theindex finger forward and thethumb up. It is meant to resemble the shape of a gun, like those carried by the university's mascots,The Masked Rider andRaider Red . The idea is that the Red Raiders will figuratively shoot down their opponents. [http://www.ttu.edu/traditions/gunsup.php Texas Tech University :: Campus Information :: History & Traditions :: Guns Up] ]History
Hand signals were an important part of the traditions of the schools in the
Southwest Conference . Creation of "guns up" is attributed to 1961 Texas Tech alumnus, L. Glenn Dippel. Living in Austin with his wife Roxie, Dippel came up "guns up" as a way to counter the "Hook 'em Horns " handsign he saw each day from University of Texas fans.citation |last=Burka|first=Paul|newspaper=Texas Monthly |title=Football Hand Signals|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/ranch/readme/handsign.php|accessdate=2008-01-27]Dippel experimented some before looking to the Raider Red mascot for inspriation. In 1971, he and some other Tech fans made decals with the phrase "Gun 'em Down". Shortly thereafter, Dippel shared the idea with the
Saddle Tramps spirit organization who began using the hand signal immediately. [citation |last=Pressley|first=Gretchen|newspaper=Texas Tech Today|title=Get Your Guns Up!|url=http://www.depts.ttu.edu/communications/news/stories/08/01-guns-up.php|accessdate=2008-02-15]References
External links
* [http://texastech.cstv.com/ Texas Tech Athletics]
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