Favorite Traditions

Across generations, the W&M community is united by our shared traditions. They bring us together on campus to celebrate the people and places that make William & Mary special. Alumni around the world also host William & Mary events such as Yule Log and One Tribe One Day celebrations in their hometowns or watch the livestream of campus festivities.

Over our 331-year history, our traditions have grown to be more inclusive while staying true to their unique William & Mary character. Commencement includes graduation ceremonies like Donning of the Kente, Ceremonia Raíces and the Lavender Graduation Ceremony. Homecoming & Reunion Weekend now features more than 100 events over four days, drawing thousands back to campus for personal, meaningful experiences with classmates, friends and the W&M community.

To learn more about W&M traditions, visit wm.edu/about/history/traditions.

OPENING CONVOCATION

“I get goosebumps and emotional every year seeing the pure energy and excitement of the returning students welcoming the new students as they walk through the Wren Building with the bell ringing to celebrate the start of classes that’ll be echoed by the graduating students on the last day of classes!”

— KELLY BUCKLEY O’SHAUGHNESSY ’05

“As an anxious teenager, it was so reassuring to know that W&M was home and that there was a community of people literally cheering me on. It’s a beautiful moment to see the community rally together to welcome strangers that will soon become friends and family.”

— KATIE BROWNFIEL ’20

FOOTBALL GAMES

“Football is an exciting fall sport I have loved since childhood because my dad, Floyd Bowles ’46, P ’76, G ’04, who played college football at W&M and Virginia Tech (VPI), shared his love with his family. He left W&M in the middle of his freshman year and enlisted in the Army Air Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Dad, who passed away in 2017, was a bombardier and became a POW when his B17 went down over Italy. After the war, he played football at VPI and graduated with an engineering degree. It was always great attending W&M games with him.”

—KATHY BOWLES COPPEDGE ’76, P ’04

HOMECOMING & REUNION WEEKEND

“I was born and raised a few blocks from the campus. Until high school, I never gave the College much thought except for the Homecoming Parade. Duke of Gloucester Street was closed, and numerous bands and sorority and fraternity floats and other entries paraded. Williamsburg was smaller in the 1940s-1950s. Parades were a big deal.

“W&M’s first major dance of the term was at Homecoming. I was (and still am) enamored with the big bands of the day. One thing, among many, that made Homecoming special to me then and later as a student, was the concert in front of the Wren Building on Saturday morning.

“Homecoming still offers the beauty of William & Mary and an atmosphere of warmth, a gathering of old friends and renewing the good times of the past. The Homecoming atmosphere is special at W&M. I haven’t found anything like it anywhere.

“My wife, Belinda Owens Watkins ’56, P ’83 (whom I met at freshman orientation), and I have returned whenever circumstances permitted. I miss the Homecoming atmosphere that I recall in my heart.”

—ED WATKINS ’56, P ’83

YULE LOG

“I loved the president reading Dr. Seuss, intentionally taking time away from studying for finals, rubbing holly against the Yule Log for good luck, and the magical experience of the Wren Building at night, singing and throwing my worries away.”

—SOMAYAH ALLIBHAI-MAWANI ’15

WREN TEN

“As part of a W&M a cappella group, I especially loved the late-night Wednesdays under the Wren portico. Often groups had concert themes, and the audiences were always interactive and fun! Leaving for the dorms (or a midnight snack at Wawa!), you would often walk through a misty, dark campus, chatting and laughing with friends.”

—MEGHAN ROTH CLAYTON ’08

RINGING THE WREN BELL ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASSES

“It truly felt like an honor hearing the Wren Bell ring out for me when I was a senior. Now as an employee here, I love hearing the bell ringing on the last day of classes and remembering how proud of myself I was (and still am!) for all that I had accomplished. Every staff/faculty convocation, I never miss the chance to ring it again!”

— KATHRYN DOWNING ’17

WALKING OVER THE CRIM DELL BRIDGE DURING GRADUATION

“Like most prospective students, before attending William & Mary, I took a campus tour. One of the stand-out memories of my tour was learning about the myth of the Crim Dell bridge — that whoever walks across the bridge together is destined to stay together forever. Flash forward several years and I found myself walking across that very bridge with my best friends during the march through campus at graduation. Nearly 10 years later, we are still just as close friends as we were on that day. Turns out there’s some truth to the Crim Dell bridge magic!”

— EMILY NYE ’16

COMMENCEMENT

“Graduating from one of the most challenging liberal arts universities in the nation was the end of one journey and the start of another chapter in my life — graduate school and internships that put me on a path to a fulfilling 46-year career in local public government. I attended my Class of 1973 and the Class of 1974 ceremonies as my then-fiancé and very good friends were part of the ’74 class. Both occurred at the Wren Building on hot, sticky days in June. I didn’t wear a cap and gown at my graduation, both to protest emerging W&M administration changes and because of the oppressive heat, but at the insistence of my mother, I borrowed a set from a fellow classmate from New Jersey to keep peace in the family.”

— JAY GSELL ’73