As you conduct college research, you’ll no doubt look through academics and extracurriculars. You’ll consider which classes might help you reach your career goals or which student organizations align with your deepest interests. During this research process, taking notes helps you remember what stood out to you, which then in turns provides talking points for your supplemental essays and interviews. A factor students might overlook in this process is campus traditions, which are unique to most colleges.
Alongside extensive academic offerings through its eight undergraduate colleges and schools, Cornell University is also laden with rich history. In fact, the term “Cornelliana” was coined to mean anything—traditions, lore, and legends—related to this university located in Ithaca, NY.
Dragon Day
Dragon Day takes place annually on the Friday before spring break. At the heart of Dragon Day is the procession of an enormous dragon (which looks different every year) created by first-year architecture students at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning who wear outrageous costumes. It began in 1901 when an architecture student believed there should be a “College Architecture Day” and marched with fellow students in the program while carrying a model dragon around. The event, which is planned over at least six weeks, is fully-funded by selling commemorative shirts. The day also often comes with pranks.
Slope Day
Slope Day is a tradition occurring on the day after the last day of undergraduate classes, though it historically used to take place on the actual last day. Organized by the Slope Day Programming Board, this event has gone through many iterations since its start in 1901. Earlier versions included a wide range of activities, from mock bullfights to circuses. Currently, Slope Day features live musical performances with a carnival called SlopeFest accompanying the celebrations. SlopeFest includes various raffles, an airbrush tattoo artist and inflatable games.
Songs
Cornell University, like other schools, is known for its many signature songs. These songs are associated with either the Cornell Glee Club or the Cornell Big Red Marching Band, which is the only corps style marching band (as opposed to a scatter band) in the Ivy League. They perform songs such as Cornell’s alma mater “Far Above Cayuga Waters,” and fight song “Give My Regards to Davy” at sporting events, especially ice hockey. A song titled “We Didn’t Go to Harvard” used to be performed by a now-defunct all-male a capella group called Cayuga’s Walters to the tune of “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” It’s still a popular song and features a rotating cast of verses that document the contemporary Cornell student experience.
Athletic Traditions
The Sy Katz ’31 Parade is a biennial march in New York City, which takes place on dates when the Cornell football team travels to Columbia in New York City. Dating back to 1932, the march is led by the Big Red Marching Band and cheerleading squad, who guide Cornell alumni, family, and friends down Fifth Avenue, ending with a concert in front of the Cornell Club of New York.
Cornell’s most popular sport on campus is men’s hockey. Their fans, the Lynah Faithful lead the campus in many traditions. The Cornell Big Red Pep Band leads the Faithful through a rendition of the Alma Mater at every hockey game. The Cornell-Harvard game is a big rivalry matchup and traditions around the game involves fish being thrown at Harvard hockey players when they take to the ice at Lynah Rink, and Cornell fans turning Harvard’s arena into “Lynah East” once a year and the team saluting the Faithful at the end of the home game before leaving the ice, regardless of the result.
Other athletic traditions revolve around football, with freshmen storming the field at Schoellkopf Field at the first home game of the year and an annual concert by the Marching Band inside the undergraduate Uris Library on the morning of the last home game of the year.
Other Traditions
Cornell’s academic year is packed with several days of celebration and commemoration. Weeks of Welcome (WOW) features events, meetings, workshops, and social activities happening across campus, the WOW calendar brings it all to one place. Homecoming Spirit Week is the week leading up Homecoming Weekend in September with daily events and giveaways. Senior Days is a week of events for the graduating class involving sunset lake cruises, canoeing on Beebe Lake, clocktower climbs, comedy shows, and more. Student Convocation, which celebrates seniors, features a student speaker, performances, remarks from university leadership, and a special keynote guest.
The Chimes are the bells that ring through campus. They are used to mark the hours and the students who play the Chimes even host chiming daily concerts. They ring out from high up in McGraw Tower.
If you find yourself on campus, whether as a prospective student or a member of the student body in the future, you will have the opportunity to participate in multiple Cornell traditions. In the meantime, take some time to learn more about Dragon Day and the College of AAP’s history at large.
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