College of William & Mary

Students gatherd in the Wren Courtyard during fall semester exam period for the long-standing tradition. Among other things, the President read How the Grinch Stole Christmas dressed in a Santa suit, and the Vice President for Student Affairs recited “‘Twas the Night Before Finals.” Students threw sprigs of holly into a fireplace in the Wren Building to symbolize the shedding of troubles from the passing year. Then everyone enjoyed hot cider and cookies.

There are a zillion (or at least eleven) a cappella groups on campus. Some groups are coed, some are single-sex, and they offer a range of repertoires, from pop music to classical to Christian songs. They usually come around and perform for freshman dormitories, as well as at Homecoming. All the groups showcase their talent during the annual William & Mary Sings. You might not like it when you first arrive, but all the groups will do their best to make you love it before you leave.

A formal dance held outside every spring in the Sunken Gardens if the weather permits. It features a live band, a tipsy college president, and students from every class getting down with their bad selves in formal attire.

During Opening Convocation each year, the freshman class walks through the Wren Building from the campus side onto the Williamsburg side, where upperclassmen and faculty greet them. On graduation day, the class returns from the Williamsburg side to the campus side.

The freshman girls living in Barrett hall come out onto the veranda of their building and scream together during exam times to alleviate stress.

Students must streak the Sunken Gardens, swim in the Crim Dell, and jump the Governor's Palace Wall, all in one night.

The last day of classes, especially spring semester, culminates in a humongous, campus-wide alcohol fest. Students go to class drunk, go to parties drunk, and go to sleep drunk. In the spring, seniors go to their freshman dorms for a toast and then head to the Wren Building to ring the bell. For those who don't wish to partake, watching inebriated friends and classmates is usually amusing. There are also schoolsponsored carnival-type events. It's the last chance to have fun before finals begin.