Carlson tables tell stories of former UT students

Ancient or aged engravings and drawings are sources studied by historians and researchers alike in an attempt to discover the past.

This form of capturing history is not generally applicable to the average student.

David Hale, a junior studying history, is one of the exceptions.

While studying on the fifth floor of Carlson Library, Hale discovered and took interest in 18 long, wooden tables covered in marks and etchings. These tables, along with Hale's interest in folklore, will be the subject of his upcoming independent study project.

Folkloric intrigue began for Hale in the fall, when he studied the subject in a folklore class taught by Associate Professor of English Daniel Compora. There, he analyzed epitaphs and grave markers, both of which are considered forms of oral folklore.

In this same way, the inscriptions on the old tables are also categorized as oral folklore due to their anonymity, as opposed to material or customary, both other forms of folklore.

Hale will be analyzing, cataloging, documenting and cross-referencing the carvings on the tables this spring with the help of Compora and Carlson Library archive specialist, Barbara Floyd.

As for the wooden subjects themselves, there is much to be studied and examined.

The tables have been on campus since the 1930s when the library was still located on the fifth floor of University Hall. When Carlson Library opened in the 1970s, the tables were refinished and moved to their current home.

Many of the etchings found on the tables still remain from the initial refinishing in the 1970s.

"There is so much on these tables I could spend an entire semester just working on one," Hale said.

The engravings and graffiti range from profanity to names of possible athletes adorned by their respective numbers, and a variety of other drawings.

Of course, the tables also sport the legacy of lovebirds, their names etched inside carvings of hearts. When scrawled in hearts, Hale has already observed that men's names tended to be listed above women's.

While Hale said that there is "more crudeness than I'd like to say" etched into the wood, he still believes it is "interesting to see what has happened throughout the years" in terms of pop culture.

As is to be expected, a number of fraternities and sororities are represented on the tables, oftentimes becoming involved in arguments over superiority – documented in table etchings.

"It's funny to see the [Greek societies] battle," Hale said.

For Hale, the etchings represent more than an archive of petty squabbles and other vapid remarks. To him the tables are preserved history.

"It's interesting what people choose to etch in history," he said.

The tables in Carlson are a simple reminder of how student life has changed and remained the same over the past 30 years.

This form of history isn't necessarily common, but its intrigue and usefulness are evident nonetheless.

"Students should take more time to explore the university and the history and folk that surround it. You can really get a sense of spirit from that," Hale said.