Traditions are held in high regard at Randolph College and with the earliest traditions dating back to the early 1900’s. Our most popular traditions are kept alive by both our current and past students with the Even and Odd Rivalry being the most popular!
The Even and Odd Rivalry
Rivalry between classes that graduate in even-numbered years (Evens) and those that graduate in odd-numbered years (Odds) keeps class spirit running high.
The Class of 1903 unwittingly instituted the Odd-Even tradition by adopting the Class of 1905 as “little sisters.”
Evens
Even Class spirit was truly born when the founder of the College, William Waugh Smith, was advisor to the Class of 1912. Symbols of Even classes are Bones, Buttons, and the Even Post. Mr. Bones, President Smith’s dog, was adopted as the even mascot. Mr. Buttons, his horse, was tied to the hitching post (now known as the Even Post) in front of Main every day of classes. Trophies of the Even Classes are the horse’s tail and ears, the dog, and a flag that depicts Bones and Buttons. Even colors are green, white, and tan. The Eta spirit group, founded in 1922, keeps even spirit alive.
Odds
Odds reached full spirit when the Class of 1913 was sophomores. First-year Evens decided to bury Odd’s spirit and ordered a coffin delivered to campus for this purpose. Odds heard of the plan and intercepted the coffin. They hid it in the woods until they could safely hide it under a professor’s bed and burn it the next day. Once a live tree stood next to the Crush Path as the Odd spirit, but the Evens viciously burned it down, or so the story goes. Today, the Odd Tree is a cement tree trunk replica that stands on the spot of the original tree. The Gamma 13 spirit group, founded in 1911, promotes Odd Class spirit. Symbols of the Odd Classes are the witch and the devil, and Odd’s trophies are silver coffin handles and ashes supposedly salvaged from the burning of the coffin. Odd colors are red, gray, and blue.
Evens use the steps to the left in the Main Hall Lobby, and Odds use those to the right.
Other Popular Traditions
The coordinator of student engagement directly oversees the traditions listed below. If you have questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the coordinator or any members of the class boards.
- Pumpkin Parade (September)
- Ring Week (January)
- Founders’ Day (March)
- Odd and Even Day (April)
- Senior Dinner Dance (April)
- Daisy Chain (May)
Commuters are welcome and able to join the festivities at any time. If you are a commuter and want to learn about the possibilities, contact the coordinator of student engagement.
Full list of Traditions
The Honor Code: No tradition stands taller than the Honor Code, which requires students to abide by the highest standards of honesty and integrity. The system is so strong that the College grants Randolph students the privilege of scheduling their own non-proctored final exams.
Buttons: Throughout a student’s career at the College, buttons are collected to eventually display on senior robes. Buttons are produced to commemorate or promote various events, clubs, or programs and are handed out to participants. Every collection is unique and represents that student’s personal journey.
Class Banners: Every class at Randolph has an official banner which, as part of the Even/Odd class rivalry tradition, is colored according to class year – black for Evens (2018 and 2020), yellow for Odds (2019 and 2021). Displayed at various events throughout the year, banners are “retired” when the class graduates and are put on permanent display in Main Hall.
Daisy Chain: It has been a colorful graduation event since the early 1900s. During Saturday of Commencement Weekend, sophomores carry the long daisy chain, which they made earlier in the day, across front campus on their shoulders to the steps of Martin, where they transfer the daisy chain from their shoulders to those of the seniors, their sister class. More recently, this tradition has been moved to the Friday of Commencement Weekend.
Engagement Tower: Located at the south end of Mary’s Garden, this is a tradition as old as the structure itself. Legend says anyone who steps into the tower before she or he is engaged will never marry.
Even Day or Odd Day: Is one of the oldest traditions at Randolph College. Students awake to find that the First-Year Class has decorated the campus in a theme the class has selected. The highlight of this annual spring event is the Odd-Even water balloon fight in Bell Quad.
Founders’ Day: Is a day set aside in March to honor the founder and first president, William Waugh Smith. The celebration includes a late-afternoon ceremony on the front campus, a special Founders’ Day dinner, and displays about R-MWC history.
Holiday Dinners: Held the week before fall semester exams, with students donning winter finery and enjoying a scrumptious dinner. The evening concludes with a visit from the Clauses and everyone standing on their chairs to sing carols.
Holiday on Main: To celebrate the last day of classes of the fall semester, the college administrative staff decorates their offices and invites everyone in for tasty treats, fun games, and giveaways.
Mary’s Garden: Is the small formal garden located between Moore Hall and Lipscomb Library and was planted in 1950 as a tribute to Mary Stokes ‘22. Any student who crosses the garden, rather than walk on its brick path, chances to prove rumors true that the violator will not graduate from the College, will never marry, and will see Mary’s ghost…
Poetry Tree: A spring tradition that can be recognized as soon as setting foot on the front campus, the Tree stands at the bottom of the West Curlies, adorned with poetry written by students.
Pumpkin Parade: Once known as the Halloween Lantern Parade, this is one of the most favored traditions on campus. Halloween dinner was once a party, seniors attended in their robes, other students came in sheets, and Jack-O-Lanterns lit the darkened dining hall. In the early 1900s, seniors started the tradition of Pumpkin Parade when they seized the candle-lit pumpkins and paraded into the night. Today, sophomores carve pumpkins and present them to seniors. Dressed in their graduation robes, the seniors proceed across the front campus to the steps of Moore Hall, luminarias marking the location of the original Crush Path. The sophomores, dressed in white and holding candles, wait to serenade the seniors when they arrive on the steps of Moore. Today, this tradition also includes a gift exchange between sister classes and sophomores decorating their seniors’ door (or door of the senior’s choice).
Ring Week: A highly anticipated tradition. Historically, several days before Ring Night, Conway Bell rings to honor the juniors and mark the start of Ring Week. During Ring Week, first-year students leave small presents for their juniors, and juniors carefully count the number of tolls of Conway each night. For when the bell rings exactly as many times as the year they will graduate, Ring Night begins. Highlights of Ring Night include a special Junior Dinner, scavenger hunts creatively designed for juniors by their first-years, and a Ring Reveal. Today, this tradition also includes a gift exchange between sister classes and first-years decorating their junior’s door (or door of the junior’s choice).
Senior Dinner Dance: A highlight of the final year for many Randolph College students, better known as SDD. This weekend takes place in the spring semester and includes a casino night, candlelight dinner and formal dance, and a cookout in the Dell.
Senior Reception: Held in the first week of the spring semester, this event offers an opportunity for seniors and the faculty to celebrate “the beginning of the end.”
Serenades: Occasions when sister classes serenade each other with class songs. There are serenades after Convocation and Founders’ Day, and serenades are the heart of the Pumpkin Parade and Daisy Chain.
Skeller Sings: Held several times each year, as the Eta and Gamma spirit groups make the Student Center a battleground for the Odd-Even rivalry as they lead Odds and Evens in a lively exchange of class songs.
Stomps: A tradition carried on by the Eta and Gamma spirit groups. The first-year class traditionally begins Even Day or Odd Day with a rousing early-morning stomp.
Senior Regalia: Seniors attend certain formal events, such as opening convocation and pumpkin parade, wearing funny hats and black graduation robes which are personally decorated with buttons, patches, pockets, etc. Hats range from the simple and relevant to the big and outrageous as students try to outdo their classmates. Randolph seniors receive their graduation robes on the first day of classes in the fall of their senior year and immediately begin to personalize their regalia. Seniors wear their embellished regalia with pride for various processions, including Opening Convocation, Pumpkin Parade, Founders’ Day, and Daisy Chain. In the residence halls, seniors have historically displayed their robes, buttons, and hats on hooks outside their doors so that all passersby are aware of their senior status.
The Greek Play: Founded in 1909, the biennial performance of a traditional Greek drama in the College’s outdoor amphitheater is a much-anticipated event. No other college in the country does this.
The Sunflower: The sunflower has been the cherished college flower for more than 100 years. In 1901, when R-MWC students dubbed their yearbook Helianthus, they did so because the sunflower “…is an emblem of what is good and noble; this flower rears itself in majesty and dignity, (and) reflects the sunshine, strength, and independence of our student body.” Today, both the College and students still reflect that same goodness, strength, and independence.