Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Taking a page (or a whole book?) from Edmund Burke, traditions are awesome. I mean if we didn’t have traditions, when else would I get to wander the streets begging for free candy from strangers while decked up as a pink power ranger (sadly, this actually happened), hunt for plastic eggs (filled with candy!) that a bunny scattered around our yard, or drink green beer while dressed as a leprechaun in honor of a patron saint? The answer- never.

Wellesley has some pretty bizarre traditions as well. The most well known is hoop rolling. This activity involves a gaggle of girls in their caps ‘n gowns chasing after a wooden hoop with the hopes of being the first one to cross the finish line. The prize? You get some flowers and thrown into Lake Waban (formally a hazmat site)!!!

This morning, at 6am, I was taking part in my first University of Witwatersrand tradition, the Engineering Breakfast. Here’s how it went down: We woke up bright and early, ventured over to a fenced parking lot on the other side of campus and cooked pancakes on a Bunsen burner-sized flame. Oh yeah… and all the guys were wearing suits, ties, argyle socks and silk boxers. While this tradition is just a little older than South African democracy, it has got the two key ingredients of the world’s best traditions: food and crazy costumes. Props for that.



P.S.-- Tomorrow night I’m going to a dinner party with the Swedish Prime Minister (leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party) and some girls from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. Don’t ask how it happened, just give a honk honk to this girl.