Slope Day
The end of the semester is in sight. The snow has finished melting, trees are flowering, classes are finishing. Similar to Wageningen, there are a few days in between the last day of classes and the exams. But before starting the revisions, Cornell students go wild.
This happens on Slope Day, which can somehow be described as a music festival on the slope. I told you in my previous stories that Cornell is built on a hill. Every single student hates the slope: you have to go up and down every single day. Through snow storms, heavy rain or summer heat. Wherever you want to go, you have to climb the hill first. But on Slope Day, we celebrate both the summer and the hill. A podium is set at the bottom and students can enjoy the music while having a marvellous view. This year we enjoyed concerts of Magic and Chance the Rapper (if you happen to know these guys).
All year long, Cornell is a dry campus. This means that alcohol is absolutely prohibited. But on Slope Day, you can buy beer if you are 21. Most people are under-aged (like me) and enjoy pre-gaming at their own or friends’ place. Because Cornell staff does not want people to get too drunk, they have moved the festival to the early afternoon (from noon to 4pm). But students have been working like machines for the whole year and need to discharge their stress and frustrations by having a good and crazy party. As a result, students meet at 8am to start drinking and be at their peak on the slope. I had never experienced such a type of party and must admit I enjoy beer much more in the evening. However, the good thing about such a system is that you feel fresh like a daisy the next morning: ready to study!