Myth behind the Memorial Union zodiac
Photo: Brian Achenbach/Iowa State Daily
The bronze zodiac in the northern doorway of the Memorial Union was intended to be worn away over time so the images would be level with the floor. Instead, there is a well-known belief around campus that stepping on the zodiac is bad luck and will cause any student who commits the act to fail his or her next exam.
August 2, 2015
As you enter the Memorial Union, you can’t miss the zodiac relief built into the floor. Rumor has it that stepping on the design will cause you to fail your next exam.
A passerby snaps a photo. One man jumps in the center to show his disbelief in the myth. A student talks on his phone, almost steps on the design and at the last second swerves to the left. Another student tells her mother about the myth — her mother responds, “That’s horse s—.”
Architect and designer, William T. Proudfoot, placed the zodiac relief in the Memorial Union’s north entry to accompany the Greek/Roman architecture of the building.
Proudfoot’s intent was for the bronze figures to be worn down by the constant treading of feet on their surface until the relief would be the same level as the floor.
By 1929, it was believed to be a curse if anyone stepped on the design. The only way to reverse the bad luck is to throw a coin into the “Four Seasons” fountain outside the north entry.
It is believed that this myth was created to preserve the heightened effect of the zodiac symbols. Whether you believe in the curse or not, you are sure to see others walking around the zodiac.
