This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest contributions by the state of Arkansas to the American way of life.
In 1959, fraternity brothers at the University of Arkansas were suffering from a shortage of chairs. In protest, they took to “hunkering,” or squatting. It’s a fine example of American ingenuity, of making do with less, or in this case, making do with nothing at all.
Hunkering quickly became a fad that spread to other Southern campuses, warranting coverage in Time magazine, where the Southern squatters showed themselves fine examples of collegiate style.
Click the images to see Ozark Yoga in hi-res.
As in yoga, there were different names depending on what you were doing while hunkering. According to Time, squatting while drinking beer is called Hunkerin’ and Hookin’. Time does not disclose the term for hunkering while eliminating beer.
When studying, it’s called the Horace Hunker:
Cigarette-smoking piano players did the Hoagy Hunker:
On dates, it’s the 35-cent Hamburger Hunker:
Students at the University of Arkansas are known as Razorbacks, or Hogs…
The Hunkerin’ Hogs. — CC
Love the photos. I want to try wearing white athletic socks with my loafers. Haven’t try that in the past, but have seen people wearing that many times.
This post, in case you missed it:
http://www.ivy-style.com/light-in-the-loafers.html
[...] Ivy Style and A Continous Lean dug up some shots of clean-up, All-American (in that 1950s, loaded sort of way) Arkansas college students “hunerkering” down do to a chair shortage. Given all that was right below the surface in 1959, it’s an odd thing to protest. But we’re here to discuss the style. Still hot, or not? [...]
Right on cue:
http://twitter.com/TheTorchSociety/statuses/1612116678
Shout-out from Arkansas:
http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2009/04/hunker_on_down.aspx