Slope Day

Slope Day's origins can be traced to 1890, when the annual Navy Ball began on the Cornell University campus.

The Navy Ball, held in October on the day before a major regatta on Cayuga Lake, was an evening dance with a band for the purpose of raising funds to support the Cornell crew and other athletic programs.

In 1901, the Navy Ball was moved from October to May for the first time, and a committee including John L. Senior, Willard Dickerman Straight, and Henry Schoellkopf arranged the event and entertainment.

The annual Spring Day festivities involved a wide range of activities, from mock bullfights to circuses, typically on the Arts Quad.

[3][4] However, during the 1960s and 1970s, official Spring Day celebrations were considered an anachronism, as Cornell was in the midst of Vietnam-era protests and civil unrest.

At the time, New York State's drinking age was 18, making it easy for the university to sponsor both food and alcohol service for the event.

In December 1985, New York state raised the drinking age to 21, so Cornell officials announced that the 1986 Springfest would be held in a fenced-in area on North Campus instead of the Slope.

All across campus, T-shirts, signs and chalk on sidewalks beckoned students to boycott the official Springfest and "Take Back the Slope."

[citation needed] Starting in the mid-1990s, the university began a more gradual reining in of Slope Day, instead of repeating the failed strategy of regaining control all at once.

Started in 1999 by concerned students of the Slope Day Programming Board, SlopeFest was held on West Campus and hosted carnival-style games, food, and live musical performances.