As a college with a long and storied history, Rhodes is home to a wide range of traditions. Some date back for a century, such as the Honor Code signing for first-year students and Commencement in the beautiful Hubert F. Fisher Memorial Garden. For more than half a century, the massive bronze bell in Halliburton Tower has tolled the hour and half hour for students rushing to class.
Other traditions, however, are of a more recent, and definitely less serious, origin.
Pumpkin Drop
For Rhodes students, spooky season is not official until the annual Pumpkin Drop! An annual fair hosted by the Society of Physics Students, the Pumpkin Drop features multiple interactive demonstrations and experiments that allow students to play around with gravity, create “comets,” hold fire in their hands, or watch the notes they press on a keyboard appear in the air as bolts of electricity. The event is also true to its name, as when the biggest part of the night comes, all eyes are on one thing: SPS members dropping pumpkins—frozen in liquid nitrogen—off the roof of Rhodes Tower. The goal is to measure the triboluminescence which, theoretically, should spark when they shatter. The elusive spark has yet to be seen, but the search continues.
Late-Night Pancake Breakfast
At the end of each semester, when finals week comes around, the air seems to hang. Students have their heads held low and bags under their eyes after pulling all-nighters, and the vending machines on campus are running dangerously low on energy drinks. But one thing every Rhodes student can look forward to is the Late-Night Pancake Breakfast! On the Sunday night before finals, the Refectory serves breakfast items from 9:30 pm - 11:30 pm. Led by volunteers from faculty and staff, this event is about community, good music, dancing, and most importantly, free candy!
Riding the Lynx
Among the many rituals a Rhodes student must partake in to graduate—yes, this is in the fine print*—is riding the lynx statue! You will find students trying to climb onto the lynx statue throughout the year, but those in the know advise against doing this in the winter; it gets cold. *(Note: We may have made this up.)
Diehl Statue
The impressive bronze statue in Diehl Court honors the visionary president who moved the college to Memphis 100 years ago, and marks the spot where every Convocation the Bonner Scholars gather to toss their red high-top sneakers into the air. But the statue is a little less formal on occasion, when you might find it dressed up in a grass skirt to welcome back students from spring recess, holding red and black balloons during Homecoming, or covered in Grit ’n Grind rally towels to cheer on the Memphis Grizzlies.
Orgill Cup
Rooted in history, the annual football game between Rhodes and Sewanee marks a 126-year ongoing rivalry between the two colleges. In 1954, the Orgill Cup—named after Edmund Orgill (1899–1983)—who served as chairman of the Board of Regents at both Southwestern and Sewanee, and later as mayor of Memphis—was introduced. Students look forward to attending the game every Homecoming and finding out who takes the Orgill Cup.
PJ’s Birthday Party
PJ is the latest cat that has adopted Rhodes as home. Named by the students, PJ arrived at Rhodes campus in 2017 and has since become a vital part of the community. Well-fed and cared for, she has claimed her turf outside Southwestern Hall, and spends most of her time there sunbathing, stretching in the grass, or leaving students who are already late to class with no choice but to stop and pet her. She is the star of the Center for Career and Professional Development’s calendar, where she helps to dispense advice and information, and is repaid with a birthday party each year. (Note: Any resemblance between PJ and the college’s Lynx mascot is purely coincidental.)
Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring started out as an independent student initiative to bring bands to campus and has since evolved to become an annual concert series with up-and-coming artists and national celebrities alike. A favorite aspect is that students compete in a Battle of the Bands to open for the headliner. Highly anticipated, Rites of Spring is the biggest single event the students put on each year.
Finals Fairies
Students get another break from finals with visits from the Finals Fairies! Arranged by Student Life and with volunteers from faculty and staff, the Finals Fairies make surprise visits to students in popular study areas across campus. Not only are students happy to see their wagon of free snacks, but also their favorite faculty and staff members dressed up as elves, the Grinch, or other characters.
Last Day of Class (LDOC)
LDOC is a celebration of the last day of classes each semester. Students get out of their last class and celebrate with a series of activities, ranging from small DIY crafts to dunk tanks and bounce houses.
The Rhodes College Seal
The Seal of Rhodes College is on the floor of the Cloister of Southwestern Hall, and tradition holds that if a student steps on the seal, they will not graduate on time—if at all. Students give the seal a wide berth, but the senior class finally gets a chance to cross the seal during the graduation march at Commencement.
These are just some of the traditions that enrich student life as the college celebrates 100 years in Memphis. New traditions will surely be added with each new class—here’s to the next 100 years!
By Simran Kumar '26