The beanie, adorned by first-year students during orientation week, is one of Concordia College’s most well-known trademarks. The first beanies, adopted in 1922, were termed “Green Caps” because they were made from green felt with a maroon ribbon band. In 1927, the Sophomore Green Cap Committee (a committee of the student body) developed “Green Cap Rules.” These regulations stipulated when and how long the Green Caps were to be worn. In 1942, Green Caps were abandoned as the German-produced green dye was unobtainable. First-year orientation clubs were introduced in 1954, and, in 1955, incoming students first received the gold and maroon beanies common today. This beanie tradition continued until 1965 when incoming and upper-class students refused to participate in the tradition. After a one-year hiatus, the beanie tradition returned and has continued to this day. The class of 1969 who did not receive beanies their freshman year, were given the traditional yellow and maroon headgear for their 20-year reunion. How long beanies were required to be worn has changed over the years. When the gold and maroon beanies were adopted, students were expected to wear them until the first Cobber touchdown each fall. This regulation was then changed so that beanies were to be worn until the pep rally immediately prior to the Crystal Bowl game between Moorhead State and Concordia each fall (later called the Power Bowl game). In the fall of 1996, today’s tradition of the Beanie Toss began in which students gather on Olin Hill following opening convocation, toss their beanies into the air, and signal the end of orientation. |