Making the transition to college can stir up an array of emotions. Graduating from high school is a major milestone for most teenagers, but taking that next step toward independence can be daunting. For those who decide to leave home to attend university far from the familiarity of family and friends, the promise of their next adventure may become overshadowed by the prospect of the unknown and the looming college tuition. However, there are many ways to get accustomed to the new environment and reduce the stress related to Education Loan Finance.
Over the years, students on college campuses across the country have kicked off various events and activities to encapsulate school spirit, which eventually evolves into traditions as they withstand the test of time. Many universities created different practices that have become part of their culture, which is passed down to each class. These traditions play an important role in helping students adjust to the pressure of school and just enjoy the overall university experience.
Battle in the Arts Quad
In mid-March at Cornell University, before the students leave for spring break, a century-old tradition involves a dragon created by the first-year architecture students paraded across campus to the Arts Quad. They are met by a giant phoenix built by the engineering students, as all the participants wear colorful costumes. The sale of t-shirts typically helps fund construction costs each year. Over the past decade, the physics and performing arts students have joined in, creating a unicorn and a black knight.
Old Wives’ Tale
There’s a statue on the Yale University campus of the former president Theodore Dwight Woolsey. It’s said that anyone who rubs the foot of the statue will have good luck, whether one is taking a test or even trying to get into Yale. The rumor stems from his tenure as president, when the Yale crew team
supposedly won every race that he attended when he pushed off the boats with his toe. Although the foot of the statue is certainly worn compared to the rest of the body, the story is more for the benefit of potential new students touring the campus, while the practice of rubbing the statue has been abandoned a long time ago.
Day Old Bread
After the third quarter of home football games of the University of Pennsylvania, there’s a tradition of tossing pieces of toast onto the track surrounding the field. Since alcohol is banned from the stadium, this is how the students have devised a workaround to “toast” the team. After singing the last line of the song “Drink a Highball,” the fans throw all kinds of baked goods onto the field. 20,000 to 30,000 pieces have been recorded to be tossed each game, which are then cleaned up by the Toast Zamboni.
Surprise Party
At Clark University, Spree Day is a tradition that started in 1903. Today, a random day is chosen by administrators to cancel classes every spring, and let students celebrate by participating in various activities on campus. Supposedly a secret, all students are eventually given the heads up for Spree Day except the freshmen, so that the seniors can wake them up by banging pots and pans.
Year after year, students have put their mark on these traditions which help them to endure, while giving them a sense of belonging. These customs aren’t immune to the political and economic influences that arise outside the walls of the university. Some traditions are even put on hold by administrators or transformed to capture the mood of the student body that preserves the rituals. Ultimately, the spirit of the traditions should be to unite the students in fun and fulfilling college journey.
