We all have it in us to do some truly insane stuff. And everyone will agree that college is the ideal opportunity for such insanity. However, most students aren’t exactly grown-up to the point where they can just leap into their idea without being shoved out of the airplane. Fortunately, there’s always that one ballsy kid that convinces their university to say ‘yes’ to their outlandish scheme. And when the university nudges that idea into motion, the participants fall in like dominoes. Consequentially, a ton of people makes for an awesome event. Here are the Top 7 University Sanctioned Events in college history.
1. The Undie Run : A major yearly event at Arizona State, San Diego State, and several other crazy fun universities. The annual “Undie Run” is just what its name implies: a bunch of people (thousands actually) going for a mass jog in their undergarments. Boxers, bras, tighty whities, thongs, it all goes. Some universities have put up a fight regarding the safety of the event; however, the only thing that I can see being a ’safety’ issue is the concentrated mass quantity of hotness absolutely frying one’s brain.
2. Spring Fling (University of Pennsylvania) : Started in 1973, UPenn’s Spring Fling is legitimately the largest college bash on the East Coast. Ten to fifteen-thousand students descend upon this party like a hurricane. Spread out across Wynn Commons, College Green, and The Quadrangle (The Quad), Spring Fling is basically one massive mess of a day. There is alcohol, food, a carnival, stages for performing arts, and live concerts which have featured artists such as Wyclef Jean, Ben Folds, and Lucacris.
3. Marathon Monday (Boston University) : This event takes place during the annual Boston Marathon, which is a 26.2 mile race from Hopkinton to Boston that consists of men, women, wheel-chair bound racers, and even unregistered participants. A ton of competitors. Every year, BU students have a day off during Marathon Monday to spectate at the event. During the marathon, students relax on the sidelines by chowing down, sipping on a drink, and cheering on the runners.
4. The Harvard vs. Yale Football Game : Known to be more important than each team’s entire season record, the Harvard/Yale football game is an annual crowd pleaser because a) the rivalry is rooted in one of the first football games ever played between U.S. Colleges, and b) people get to witness a bunch of Einsteins drowning the brain cells that earned them the most prestigious education in the United States. Hey, if the students kill enough brain matter at this game, maybe they’ll end up being a bunch of dumbasses like the rest of us.
5. The Mifflin Street Block Party (University of Wisconsin) : Originating in 1969 as a dancing street protest against the Vietnam War, the Mifflin Street Block Party is an annual bash held on the first Saturday of May in Madison, Wisconsin. Up to 20,000 people show up to eat, watch live music, and throw a few back. The streets are suffocated with thousands of partiers, plenty of which will be migrating to the newly featured ’beer garden’ which comes equipped with its own DJ stage.
6. Spring Weekend (University of Connecticut) : Another ridiculous spring day, Spring Weekend takes places annually during April. Aside from the usual debauchery, the popularity of this event is earned by its consistent featuring of major music acts. Performers have included Outkast, 50 Cent, OAR, Dashboard Confessional, and Method man. The festivities typically take place at X-lot (a massive parking lot) as well as at the off-campus Celeron and Carriage House Apartments.
7. The Rivalry (Lehigh University and Lafayette University) : The annual Lehigh vs. Lafayette game hosts a rivalry that dates back to 1884. Consequentially, Lehigh and Lafayette are the subjects of the most played football rivalry in the United States. The wrinkles on this rivalry’s ass are so old that the original games between the two universities pre-date the existence of trophies. Additionally, ‘The Rivalry’ extends to all sports games played between the two universities. Having a kickass time at this game is a 126 year-old tradition, who would you be to break it?