Many of our campus traditions revolve around our university’s Pro Humanitate spirit, giving students the opportunity to volunteer their time and energy to improve the campus and the surrounding community.

For your inner artist: D.E.S.K.

Every spring, the campus Discovering Education through Student Knowledge (DESK) organization works to give local, impoverished elementary school kids personalized wooden desks. Laying a giant tarp over Poteat field, student groups gather to paint desks according to the kid’s preferences, who often request cartoon characters, flowers or sports.

For your inner athlete: Hit the Bricks

While running in circles may be the definition of insanity, running in ovals is a different story. Both students and faculty members create relay teams to compete in this day-long race around upper quad, taking shifts between classes to run laps with backpacks full of sand. The event raises money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, a cause close to the heart of many Demon Deacons.

For your extra pair of fancy pants: President’s Ball, Wake Frost and Shag on the Mag

President’s Ball gives you a chance to wear that one nice dress/suit your mom swore you might need. Held in LJVM Coliseum every other year, the event offers students and faculty free finger food and danceable music. If you stick around long enough, you may get to witness President Nathan O. Hatch himself busting some moves. In the years between, the university hosts Wake Frost in the spring, a dance which is less formal, but just as much fun.Shag on the Mag happens every spring and is set up on Hearn Plaza with live shag music and, you guessed it, more finger food!

For your inner pyromaniac: Lighting of the Quad

To celebrate the beginning of the holiday season, students gather on upper quad in late fall for warm cider, cookies and a capella performances by a variety of student groups. At the end, everyone lines up around upper quad with candles and passes the light around while welcoming the season through  watching the tree lights turn on.

For your inner kid: Project Pumpkin

Tons of families and kids from the local community come for a fun day of trick-or-treating and carnival games on upper quad every fall around Halloween. Student groups set up booths with candy and prizes and can even sign up to be a costumed escort for the day. On Halloween, the student orchestra performs their popular midnight Halloween concert while in costume, usually fitting a theme based around their instrument section.

For your inner dancer: Wake N’ Shake

Wake N’ Shake is is a 12-hour dance marathon that raises money for Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. This event takes place every spring. Students can sign up for a six hour or 12-hour shift, during which time they dance, listen to speeches from victims of cancer , spend time with friends and wait until, at the finale, they can finally sit and reflect.

For your inner philanthropist: Pro Humanitate Day

Pro Humanitate Day t is hosted by the Pro Humanitate Institute every April. Students can sign up in groups or individually to spend the day volunteering somewhere in the local community, whether it be at a food kitchen, in a diaper bank or elsewhere. It is a great chance to get a cool t-shirt and celebrate the university’s spirit.

For your inner landscaper: Rake Forest

Rake Forest, which takes place one Saturday every fall, gives students the opportunity to go to homes in the surrounding community and spend a few hours creating leaf piles and doing yard-work for  the residents.

For your inner vandalist: Roll the Quad

After one of our sports teams earns a big win, whether it be in basketball, football or track & field, students rush to upper quad, toilet paper rolls in hand and throw them over the limbs of the trees. For days after, the trees on upper quad look like they’ve been snowed on and everyone revels in our recent victory. While some people stretch every opportunity to teepee some trees, you know it’s the right occasion if a) the win was against a big, rival team and b) if you actually attended the game/watched the whole thing.