Many recent graduates left NC State in May with not only a degree in their hands, but a clay keepsake as well.
Some students take part in the unofficial tradition of taking a brick from the grounds of the university as a token to remember their years at NC State. Some students do not even wait until their senior year to get a brick; instead, they steal multiple bricks from the places that mean the most to them.
The pathways of campus are maintained and bricked as necessary by Grounds Management and Fleet Services. According to Sarah Ketchem, director of grounds management, replacing bricks is an ongoing process to make sure pathways are repaired almost instantaneously.
“Just prior to graduation is when we would most likely replace the bricks,” Ketchem said. “The Brickyard is definitely a popular place, but we find them missing all throughout campus.”
Erin Ives, planner and scheduler of grounds management, gave an estimate of how much the problem costs the university.
“The time after graduation, the workers spend about 3 weeks just replacing the bricks alone,” Ives said. “That comes out to just under $9,000 which is about 300 bricks. During the regular school days, it’s harder to tell how much money or bricks are taken because there’s not a specific time or large amount that needs to be replaced. It’s just a part of regular maintenance.”
Many graduates, like Aurelia McAlister, who graduated in animal science this past May, said a brick at NC State means more than just a brick.
“I spent a lot of my time in North and East Campus, so getting several bricks there was special to me,” McAlister said. “For me personally, the bricks that I have gotten the last few days I was at State were at Riddick, Current Drive and at Tompkins. We students stay at NC State for years, and taking a brick is like taking a piece of home with us.”
Some students who have heard about the tradition decide not to participate. Kate Cullen, a rising senior at NC State studying accounting, decided that this tradition was something that she wouldn’t mind skipping.
“I am not all that interested in taking a brick really,” Cullen said. “I feel like it is a lot of work, and if they are loose, I would not want to take it either because I have too much junk in my room and do not need more.”
The missing bricks can present a safety hazard to students and especially visitors who may not be used to seeing missing bricks on the ground.
Despite the amount of students taking bricks and the cost of replacing and repairing, the university has not sought action against brick thieves. According to Paul Cousins, the director of the Office of Student Conduct, the theft of bricks has not been a disciplinary issue in the past.
“It has not been reported to the school as a problem historically, but if it were and we knew who were involved in that, that would constitute a form of theft, and there would be some disciplinary action taken,” Cousins said. “In a situation where someone has graduated already, it might mean that we would hold their formal diploma or something like that until the brick was replaced or they paid restitution for that brick.”
Bricks may come and bricks may go, but it seems like this tradition is here to stay.
