Matthew Kistner, fourth-year CS and former Technique sports editor, was driving students in the School of Mathematics around campus in the Ramblin’ Reck when its odometer hit 22,022 miles. Unbeknownst to his passengers, this number was a huge milestone for Kistner. It meant that as of Monday, Nov. 4, he had traveled 3,000 miles in the Ramblin’ Reck as this year’s driver, breaking a record distance that had not been recorded since the mascot’s introduction in 1961.
As the Ramblin’ Reck Club’s driver, Kistner is behind the driver’s seat at every single appearance of the Reck, both on and off campus. He is responsible for its appearance at every single football game (except for the Jackets’ home opener in Ireland) and took it to ten states throughout the Eastern U.S. The Technique sat down with Kistner in the Reck Garage, his de facto “home base,” where he stores and maintains the 1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupe. He gave insight into the work and dedication necessary to uphold the Ramblin’ Reck’s image on campus.
“So we didn’t know the exact number of the record in mileage,” said Kistner. “We just knew that nobody had ever crossed the 3,000-mile mark. … It was something really cool and neat to get to celebrate on Monday because it was a goal of mine to [surpass] the record as much as possible. I was not really thinking about the specific record or anything like that; I just wanted to do the most I could, you know, getting the Reck out as much as possible, driving it as much as possible and making it as accessible as possible. This really cool achievement just came with that at the same time.”
The record break came at an auspicious time in the fall football season: Homecoming. Instead of resting and celebrating his achievement, Kistener got right back to work, continuing to make the Ramblin’ Reck known on campus.
“A main goal of mine was to capitalize on the opportunity for the Reck to be as visible as possible to students, alumni and really anybody coming around campus this week because the Reck has, in years past, not been the most visible. It’s been a busy week, and the game was actually the end of it all for me. For a lot of people, the game is the beginning [of their Homecoming experience], but for me, it was the end. Getting to engage with so many alumni and students on campus throughout the week was really cool,” Kistner said.
During Homecoming week, Kistner brought the mascot to every homecoming event he was able to attend during the weekdays and played an important role in the traditional events like the Mini 500, Freshman Cake Race and the Wreck Parade. As a graduating senior and a member of the Reck Club since freshman year, he is the steward of homecoming traditions and events, which was especially gratifying for him.
“Getting to be a part of those events was really neat, and getting to experience that from the driver’s seat of the Reck was so insane. The Freshman Cake Race was really full circle for me this year because I had been a runner, I had been a member that helped with setup, I had planned it the year before, and now I was setting the pace driving the Reck in it this year. That was something that was really sentimental for me during a homecoming week,” Kistner said.
Kistner has taken the Ramblin’ Reck to every away game, but for every trip over seven miles, he has to tow the coupe to its destination on a trailer. So, he drove most of that 3,000-mile record here on campus, interacting with students. In order to drive as many students as possible, Kistner spearheaded a new campaign called “Ride Days,” in which RSOs can schedule four-hour blocks to ride with him anywhere on campus.
“They are hosted out of our Reck Garage if that organization doesn’t have a hub on campus, and [what we do] is completely up to the discretion of the organization. Usually, I send them a spreadsheet where members can sign up for a 30-minute time slot to ride in the Reck. People might think that 30 minutes is a lot, but it goes by really fast. We did six of those this past week, and that put us over 15 total Ride Days this semester. It’s a lot of driving, a lot of time behind the wheel,” Kistner said.
The abundance of miles driven on campus is a marker of Kistner’s dedication to the student body and the betterment of the Institute overall. Spending hours driving, maintaining and repairing the Ramblin’ Reck on top of his 12-credit-hour schedule requires a unique level of commitment and motivation, which Kistner seems to have plenty of.
“I always knew I wanted to be a driver since I arrived in 2021. It was something I strived towards, and a large part of what keeps me going is a motivation and a passion and spirit for Tech, as cheesy as that is. There are days, as much as I hate to admit, when I would like to just be a student that goes to class and then goes home and goes to bed. But then I think about the fact of how rare and unique an opportunity I have every single day is. … I think about the fact that I only get 366 days to do this job, and I don’t want to leave any regrets behind.”
This year is breaking records for more than just the Ramblin’ Reck. With admissions reaching record highs and GT Athletics experiencing unprecedented growth in support (Kistner even mentioned that he had to hide the Ramblin’ Reck from rowdy fans that stormed the field last weekend), Kistner and Ramblin’ Reck Club as a whole are leveraging the refreshingly vibrant energy on campus to enrich the student experience.
“Our president, Simran Patel, [fourth-year ECON], works really hard, and she makes my job way easier. A lot of people get confused and think that I am also the president, which is very much not the case. … My job is the car, not the Club, whereas her job is the Club. Nothing that I have achieved would be possible without her stepping up to the plate and doing everything she’s done this year. It’s not just me setting records this year, it’s also her behind the scenes,” said Kistner.
With the win against the University of Miami, the Jackets have clinched bowl eligibility, extending Kistner’s term as driver through December, making him the first alumnus to drive the Ramblin’ Reck through the tunnel at a football game. Now a history-maker on campus, Kistner’s love for the Institute was obvious as he expressed his excitement about the Jacket’s growing school spirit.
“There’s a whole new vibe on campus this year,” he said, “and the only thing that we can do as student leaders on campus is keep raising the bar.”