The Day, circa Spring 2005.It was reported by many of my friends still at Syracuse University that today was The Day. If you went to Syracuse you know exactly what I am talking about. If not, allow me to explain.
The Day, as it has become known to Syracuse and SUNY ESF students, is the first day of really nice weather in Syracuse, New York, at which point a vast majority of the student body does not attend class, but rather spends most of the day on the Quad laying out, chilling, playing catch, throwing a Frisbee, or generally loafs around enjoying the nice weather. Magical things happen on the day.
There are a few absolute truths about the day. It seems that no matter what your class schedule is, and no matter who you see, everyone on campus knows it is The Day. On The Day everyone, including the nerdiest nerd you know, can be convinced to take a day off. It is quite possible to have only six or eight people in a lecture that should have 50. For some reason at least one person you know has a Frisbee with them, or if a touch of prior planning has occurred, a few mitts and a baseball. Everyone possesses blankets that are laid out in a well choreographed dance of lounging and non-interference. While it will not necessarily be the hottest day you will see before you leave for the summer, you will remember it as being the sunniest. The Day is magical where you feel like anything is possible and any girl, now wearing tube and halter tops for the first time all year, is reachable. This is clearly not true, but the scenery on the quad is the nicest you will see all academic year. The day is when “spring fever” hits and you try to close the deal on that one last hook up before the year ends, or maybe you try to squeeze all the action you can out of a dying relationship that you know will end once summer rolls around.
The day is a release of all the pent up yearning for the weather to change, as well as a yearning for a break from the final push between Spring Break and finals time. It is a celebration of everything great about college life (Editor’s Note: While I am not advocating this, alcoholic beverages are allowed on campus in any open space as it is private property. However, alcoholic beverages are not permitted in any academic building, nor are open containers permitted on any sidewalk or in any street in Syracuse. Moral of the story, wait until you are on private property to crack open a cold one.). The Day is something to be cherished and celebrated. It is unexpected and spontaneous. The Day is a rite of passage in Syracuse. It is glorious, wonderful, and everything you could ever want during college. The Day still have a very special place in my heart, and merely saying The Day to a Syracuse alumni will be understood completely for what it is. I have many personal stories, four as a matter of fact, about the day, but the point is not to tell you about my Day. Rather, the point is to enjoy The Day yourself and create your own memories and stories. That is what The Day is about.
So, if you are a student reading this blog, I hope you enjoyed The Day. Your Day. Know that any alumni that once had The Day and no longer do are very jealous of you. There is no The Day when you work in an office, or in my case go to Law School. The Day has nothing to do with athletics, but as a fan of Syracuse, and possibly not an alumni of the school, I feel you should feel included as much as possible into the world of Syracuse University, even beyond athletics. Because really, even talking about The Day should put a smile on your face, even if you have never seen one.
The Day, as it has become known to Syracuse and SUNY ESF students, is the first day of really nice weather in Syracuse, New York, at which point a vast majority of the student body does not attend class, but rather spends most of the day on the Quad laying out, chilling, playing catch, throwing a Frisbee, or generally loafs around enjoying the nice weather. Magical things happen on the day.
There are a few absolute truths about the day. It seems that no matter what your class schedule is, and no matter who you see, everyone on campus knows it is The Day. On The Day everyone, including the nerdiest nerd you know, can be convinced to take a day off. It is quite possible to have only six or eight people in a lecture that should have 50. For some reason at least one person you know has a Frisbee with them, or if a touch of prior planning has occurred, a few mitts and a baseball. Everyone possesses blankets that are laid out in a well choreographed dance of lounging and non-interference. While it will not necessarily be the hottest day you will see before you leave for the summer, you will remember it as being the sunniest. The Day is magical where you feel like anything is possible and any girl, now wearing tube and halter tops for the first time all year, is reachable. This is clearly not true, but the scenery on the quad is the nicest you will see all academic year. The day is when “spring fever” hits and you try to close the deal on that one last hook up before the year ends, or maybe you try to squeeze all the action you can out of a dying relationship that you know will end once summer rolls around.
The day is a release of all the pent up yearning for the weather to change, as well as a yearning for a break from the final push between Spring Break and finals time. It is a celebration of everything great about college life (Editor’s Note: While I am not advocating this, alcoholic beverages are allowed on campus in any open space as it is private property. However, alcoholic beverages are not permitted in any academic building, nor are open containers permitted on any sidewalk or in any street in Syracuse. Moral of the story, wait until you are on private property to crack open a cold one.). The Day is something to be cherished and celebrated. It is unexpected and spontaneous. The Day is a rite of passage in Syracuse. It is glorious, wonderful, and everything you could ever want during college. The Day still have a very special place in my heart, and merely saying The Day to a Syracuse alumni will be understood completely for what it is. I have many personal stories, four as a matter of fact, about the day, but the point is not to tell you about my Day. Rather, the point is to enjoy The Day yourself and create your own memories and stories. That is what The Day is about.
So, if you are a student reading this blog, I hope you enjoyed The Day. Your Day. Know that any alumni that once had The Day and no longer do are very jealous of you. There is no The Day when you work in an office, or in my case go to Law School. The Day has nothing to do with athletics, but as a fan of Syracuse, and possibly not an alumni of the school, I feel you should feel included as much as possible into the world of Syracuse University, even beyond athletics. Because really, even talking about The Day should put a smile on your face, even if you have never seen one.
Just a reminder that I will be appearing "On The Block" with Brent Axe, The Axeman tomorrow at around 3:30pm. You can listen online here at ESPN1260 by clicking "Listen Live". I will also link to the podcast of my appearance on the show when it becomes available.
Labels: Syracuse University
I dunno who told you that it was the day, but I disagree. It hasn't broken 70 degrees yet, and I didn't see one bikini on the quad. It's getting close, but we're not there yet.