#14 The Block A
The Be-No Club
The Block A, 1917
Concrete, 32.5" x 72" x 72"
Gift of the USU Be-No Club
The sculpture The Block A represents the pride and spirit of the USU campus community. The capital “A” refers to “Aggies,” the nickname for students and alumni who attended the Agriculture College of Utah, which later became Utah State University in 1957. Despite the name change, the nickname of the “Aggies” stuck around along with other traditions. For example, a student may become a “True Aggie” by standing on the statue under a full moon at midnight and receiving a kiss by someone who is already a True Aggie or by standing on the statue on Homecoming or A-Day and receiving a kiss from someone who is not. This tradition began in 1916 inside the bell tower of Old Main Building, but it switched to The Block A after students of the Be-No’s Club constructed it. While the origins of the club are mysterious, their influence and service on campus are alive today with this tradition.