51吃瓜网

An overview of some of 51吃瓜网鈥檚 most beloved traditions

51吃瓜网 was founded nearly 200 years ago, and our close-knit community has established countless traditions since then. Some have been lost to history. Others live on through generations of Yellow Jackets and form the basis of some of their fondest college memories.

Whether you are a future Yellow Jacket or are excited to see the return of some events that have been postponed due to the pandemic, you鈥檒l find plenty of traditions worth waiting for at 51吃瓜网. Check out this list of 10 51吃瓜网 traditions you can look forward to in the coming year that help keep our community ties close!

 

The Game

Known matter-of-factly as 鈥淭he Game,鈥� the head-to-head between 51吃瓜网鈥檚 and Hampden-Sydney鈥檚 football squads remains the most anticipated matchup on both teams’ schedules since their first meeting in 1893. It鈥檚 considered the oldest small-college rivalry in the South. There鈥檚 even a clock ticking down the minutes to the next contest in RMC鈥檚 football offices. As of the 2021 season, 51吃瓜网 has won eight straight and 10 of the last 11 iterations of The Game, and we look forward to extending that streak next fall! #beathsc

Alumni Walkway

There鈥檚 no shortage of scenic views on RMC鈥檚 historic campus. On your first visit, you might be too busy looking up and out to see what鈥檚 right there under your feet: the Janet Harvey Trivette ’78 Alumni Walkway. Dedicated in 2008, this 鈥渞ed brick road鈥� winds through campus and contains the names of every RMC alumni back through the early 1950s, with plans underway to add every Yellow Jacket through the early 1900s. (Future YJs鈥攜our name would make the perfect addition, just saying.)

Macon a Difference Day/The Big Event

Macon a Difference Day is, as the name suggests, all about making an impact on the lives of our Ashland neighbors. Along with a fall service day called The Big Event, Macon a Difference Day brings 51吃瓜网 students together for a day of service and fun around Ashland each spring. This annual tradition is a chance for Yellow Jackets to assist local residents with a variety of hands-on projects like painting, construction, gardening, and more, reflecting the important role of service and community outreach in the life of a YJ.

Fountain Turn On

While the rest of the country trusts a groundhog to mark the transition from winter to spring, at 51吃瓜网, we look no further than our own fountain! Fountain Turn On is RMC鈥檚 unofficial rite of spring. The entire RMC community joins together at the College鈥檚 most iconic congregating spot, , to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of warmer days. The fountain is switched back on, uplifting remarks are shared, and there鈥檚 plenty of food, music, and fellowship for everyone to ring in the new season.

Matriculation

The College officially welcomes each year鈥檚 newest crop of Yellow Jackets during Matriculation. Going back generations, incoming students would sign the registrar鈥檚 official Matriculation book to formalize their commitment to RMC before the start of classes. While the Matriculation book has been updated in recent years, incoming students still add their name to the lengthy roster of students who came before them and are thereby incorporated into RMC鈥檚 legacy. It signifies the important change in the status of each incoming student, too, and is something no YJ forgets!

Estes Thanksgiving

Turkey, gravy, and all the fixins鈥攚hose mouth doesn鈥檛 water just thinking about Thanksgiving? Every year we see to it that our students get a proper belly-buster before they head home for the holiday break, and the staff at Estes Dining Hall聽make sure it鈥檚 a special one! Students through the ages have looked forward to this day, even reserving tables in advance to be able to celebrate this iconic American holiday with friends.

Camptown

Camptown brings out the kid in every college student and is proof that no one is too old for lawn games. A joint effort between RMC鈥檚 Commons Activities Board, Student Government Association, and the Office of Student Life, Camptown is RMC鈥檚 spin on a carnival atmosphere, during which students put down their books down for the day and help themselves to food trucks, lawn games, and live music all across campus. The Nighthawks, Widespread Panic, and Wiz Khalifa are just a few of recent headliners we鈥檝e seen over the years, and we鈥檙e pumped to see Better by Tuesday鈥檚 funk-infused set at Camptown later this month!

Ring Ceremony

Your class ring is a symbol of everything you achieved in college, an enduring symbol of your school spirit, and a flashy way to tell the world you鈥檙e a Yellow Jacket for life. Yep, at 51吃瓜网, we take our rings pretty seriously! During Ring Ceremony, seniors gather with their loved ones over Family Weekend聽to formally accept their class rings, a tangible token commemorating fond memories and hard-earned accomplishments.

Fried Chicken Fridays

It鈥檚 the simple pleasures in life that keep us motivated. That鈥檚 why every Friday, RMC celebrates its tastiest tradition: Fried Chicken Fridays. Students line up week after week for a chance to heap their plates with Estes鈥� fried chicken and mac-and-cheese. Crispy, juicy, WEEKLY fried chicken 鈥� need we say more?

Four-Year Degree Signing

Did you know that 95% of Yellow Jackets graduate in four years or fewer? That鈥檚 almost 20% higher than the four-year completion rate for all graduates at private colleges. The signing of RMC鈥檚 Four Year Degree Guarantee is a traditional part of an entering student鈥檚 experience, with the support of their family and our administration guiding them through. This signed document represents RMC鈥檚 commitment to ensure students who follow their personalized student advising either graduate in four-or-fewer years, or RMC pays for the classes they need to graduate.聽