Ignite your spirit!
Celebrating the shared experiences of Yellowjackets across generations, Rochester Traditions encompasses the events and programs that embody what makes the University ever better. Organized by the Office of Alumni Relations and Wilson Commons and Student Activities, with support from the Class Councils, Student Programming Board, Student Alumni Ambassadors, and Senior Giving Committee, Rochester Traditions include:
Activities Fair
Explore opportunities to connect and engage at the beginning of each semester! Take in live demonstrations and informational displays from over 200 student organizations to learn more about how you can get involved and pursue your passions.
Boar’s Head Dinner
Cue the trumpets as we announce the arrival of one of the University’s oldest and most beloved traditions! Recall the spirit of medieval dinners, beginning with a procession of royalty featuring student leaders and select administrators clad in the finest regalia. Enjoy performances from student organizations, a bountiful feast, a unique reading of the “Tale of the Boar,” and a joyous sing-along.
Candlelight Ceremony
Mark the beginning of your lifelong relationship with the University as you join fellow members of the incoming class on the Eastman Quad. Beneath the stars and surrounded by candlelight, this first-night tradition is unique, beautiful, and full of rich history.
Celebrate Diversity
Celebrate the University’s global community with an evening of song, dance, poetry, and music from around the world! Bringing together first-year students from the College and Eastman School of Music, this event is a vibrant introduction to campus life beyond the classroom.
Commencement Weekend
Commencement marks the culmination of our students’ efforts—and the start of their new journey as graduates and alumni. Gather at Fauver Stadium for a University-wide ceremony full of pomp and circumstance that is distinctly Rochester.
Convocation + Class Roll Signing
Welcome to Rochester! Immediately following the Convocation ceremony, sign the class roll to symbolically join the University community. Class rolls are preserved in Rush Rhees Library and displayed at Commencement and class reunions.
Forever Rochester Week
Explore interactive exhibits and fun events while learning how to remain involved with the University beyond your time in Rochester. Honor and celebrate the impact of alumni on your journey to becoming one yourself!
I Heart UR Day
Show your pride during Spirit Week and tell the world why you love the University of Rochester while saying thank you to those who have helped make it the vibrant community that it is.
Meliora Weekend
Meliora Weekend is an annual University and community-wide celebration that offers something for everyone! Show your family and friends around campus, enjoy world-class entertainment from celebrity guests, meet alumni, join in special celebrations, and so much more.
Meliora Weekend is also the only place you can pick up your limited-edition Rochester Traditions memorabilia!
- First-Year Students: Mascot Heritage Banner
- Sophomores: Baseball Hat
- Juniors: Knit Soccer Scarf
- Seniors: Vintage “R” Sweatshirt
Senior Giving Campaign
What part of the University has been most meaningful to you? Begin making your impact by supporting the people, places, or programs that have shaped your Rochester experience – your favorite student organization, academic department, traditions, food pantry, research, scholarships, and more. Every gift of any amount makes a difference!
Senior Week
Mark your accomplishments during a week-long celebration filled with events around Rochester! Kayak on the Genesee, taste local concoctions, picnic on the Wilson Quad, and so much more. Plus, join in a champagne toast to YOU as you and your classmates join the alumni family!
Spirit Week
Go, you Yellowjackets! Show UR pride with a week full of activities, athletic events, food, and giveaways.
Springfest Weekend + Dandelion Day
Celebrate the arrival of warmer weather with limited edition giveaways, musical performances, student shows, themed food, carnival games, and more.
UR Home
Connect with alumni by extending an invitation to return to their “beloved college home” for celebrations during Meliora Weekend. Take a moment to note your love for Rochester and thank those who support the University.
Wilson Day and George Eastman Day of Service
Get to know the Rochester community through meaningful, personal interactions while building connections! Discover the value of community service as part of your undergraduate experience with a day dedicated towards projects that give back – including painting, gardening, delivering meals, and more.
Winterfest Weekend
Embrace winter in Rochester and combat the winter blues with giveaways, performances, fire pits and s’mores, crafts, and more.
Yellowjacket Weekend
Kick-off the academic year full of school spirit! Festivities start at the famed Activities Fair and continue into a weekend full of giveaways, competitions, carnival games, a luau dinner, live music, and more.
Other Traditions
The Boulders
When construction crews excavated for a major expansion of Rush Rhees Library in 1967, they found a 10-ton rock that had been formed more than 400 million years ago. With the discovery of a second boulder during another excavation 40 years later, the two were placed in front of the residence halls and are often painted by students to reflect and promote current events.
Clock Tower Superstition
Walk at your own risk! Legend has it that if you walk under the clock tower in Dandelion Square, something dreadful will happen (such as prospective students not being admitted and current students not graduating on time). The only way to reverse the curse? You’ll need an acorn, a statue, and good aim: Throw an acorn at the statue of George Eastman on the quad and have it land in the brim of his hat.
Garbage Plates
Originally served and trademarked at Nick Tahou Hots (also known as Nick Tahou’s), the Garbage Plate is Rochester’s signature dish. With a variety of ingredient combinations and “knock-off” plates available throughout the city, this tasty treat deserves a spot on any pre-graduation bucket list.
Painting the Tunnels
Tunnel travel has been a way of life at the River Campus since the early 1930s. While their main purpose is to protect students from Rochester’s winter weather, many have left their mark with custom creations over the years. Today, painting the tunnel walls is often a group activity for Greek organizations, class councils, and groups hosting special events or raising awareness.
Traying
For many years, sliding down the Susan B. Anthony hill on a dining hall tray was a Rochester pastime. Following the first real snowfall, students would borrow trays from the dining hall and use them for sledding. Other traying spots included the hill by Danforth Dining Hall or near Anderson Tower. Though the River Campus has been “trayless” since 2010 in an effort to increase sustainability, students who wish to sleigh down the campus hills are still welcome to do so with their own equipment.