the lyrics of the chant represent an appreciation for the struggles endured during throughout the history of the university, which had recently moved to a new location in the oakland section of pittsburgh. this is reflected in the theme of that year's owl, who was dedicated to "the builders of the university." specifically referenced in the third stanza are references to two fires in the university's history: the great fire of 1845 that wiped out 20 square blocks of the most valuable part of pittsburgh and the subsequent fire only four years later in 1849 that destroyed the university and forced a suspension of its operations while it regrouped and rebuilt.