Best Bizarre College Traditions
Many colleges in our country have been around for hundreds of years (the oldest is Harvard University, which has been around since 1636!) Given that some of these schools have been in operation for longer than the United States has actually been a country, it makes sense that they’d have plenty of traditions that they take very seriously. As silly as some of the traditions are, the annual rituals help students feel like they are part of a community and part of a legacy. Teen Vogue talked to students all around the country to round up some interesting, fun, and downright weird traditions that go on at college campuses. Here are some of the most interesting ones!
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/txst1/9The Graduation Swim at Texas State
“At Texas State University, we have this tradition of jumping into the San Marcos River after graduation. Every graduate jumps in with their graduation robe still on. The purpose is to symbolize that the seniors finally made it to the end of their college journey.” – Abby, Texas State University (San Marcos, TX)
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/meredeithcollege2/9Cornhuskin’ at Meredith College
“I'm a sophomore at Meredith College, which is an all-women's college and we take our traditions very seriously. It is a huge part of our college experience. Our biggest tradition is called Cornhuskin'. We usually tell people, ‘You just have to experience it!’ but to summarize, we have corn-shucking and hog-calling competitions. The big event is when each class competes against each other in a themed dance or skit about 10 minutes long. Our theme last year was based on the movie Inside Out and we wore different color tutus representing each of the emotions! We start planning months in advance and our campus is decorated in all things corn related.” – Caitlin, Meredith College (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/nexttieredu3/9Primal Scream and Orgo Night at Columbia University
“I go to Columbia and every semester before the first week of exams we have something called Primal Scream. Everyone goes outside (usually in front of the library) and just screams from 12:00am to 12:05. It's a great stress reliever! We also have Orgo Night, which is when the marching band comes into the library and distracts everyone from studying for the organic chemistry final. ” – Camille, Columbia University (New York City)
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/washingtoncoll4/9May Day at Washington College
“I went to Washington College, which is a tiny college on the eastern shore of Maryland. Every year on the first of May, everyone celebrates the end of the semester by having a big, two-night-long party on what is called "the green." In the past, students would celebrate naked throughout the day and night. Now, people usually wait until nightfall before stripping. The campus tells us that they don’t encourage nude May Day celebrations, but they always let us do it with public safety to make sure everyone is safe.” – Rachela, Washington College (Chestertown, Maryland)
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/murraystateuniv5/9The Shoe Tree at Murray State
“Our school has a shoe tree. It’s exactly what it sounds like. The tradition goes that one person in each couple nails a shoe to the tree and if they do it, they will have a happy relationship. Sometimes people come back after they graduated and also put baby shoes on the tree. It’s basically a really good Insta photo op.” – Jason, Murray State University (Murray, Kentucky)
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/bostonu6/9The Pumpkin Drop at Boston University
“At BU we have an annual event where we drop pumpkins off the roof of the Science Center. The physics professor leads it, because, science! There’s also costume contests and prizes given out for correctly guessing the weight of the pumpkins. It’s a fun way to celebrate autumn and Halloween. Other schools do it too, but I think we do it best.” – Emily, Boston University (Boston, Massachusetts)
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/georgetownuniversity7/9The Healy Howl at Georgetown University
“I go to Georgetown. We do this thing called the Healy Howl, where we gather at the cemetery and howl at the moon. We also watch a screening of The Exorcist, which was filmed on campus. The howling is done to banish ghosts and spirits from campus. If you believe in that sort of thing, that is.” – Nick, Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/rollinscollege8/9Fox Day at Rollins College
“Fox Day is on a random day each year, but always in the spring. No one knows when it’s coming in advance, you just have to wait for the fox statue to appear on campus. When you see the fox, it means that classes are cancelled and we just all get the day off. The school says it’s because it’s too pretty outside to have classes. It’s pretty much the greatest day ever.” – Olivia, Rollins College (Winterpark, Florida)
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