Last Friday, students awoke to the cacophonous clanging of the Thompson Chapel bells and members of the Williams Outing Club (WOC) board banging pots and pans, yelling, “It’s Mountain Day!” As timeless as these traditions may seem, the College’s favorite Friday in fall has evolved greatly since its inception. The Record took a deep dive into the archives to unearth stories from Mountain Days past.
October 1935: Mountain Day is abolished
One afternoon in May 1935, the Committee on Administration voted to abolish Mountain Day, a staple of campus life since the 1890s. “Primary objection to the keeping of the holiday was that it had become an ‘anachronism,’ no longer serving its original intent,” the Record reported. “Also, and equally important, was the stand that it interfered with classes, breaking into the teaching regime, at times throwing some sections far behind others in work.”
Why the sudden change of heart on one of the College’s favorite traditions? According to the Record, Mountain Day was less a day of outdoor discovery and more a day of tourism. “In recent years it has been noticed by those interested that mountain climbing has lessened while excursions to Smith, Vassar, or other points have gained favor,” the Record reported. Since students at the College spent the day hightailing it to nearby women’s colleges, the article continued, “It is felt that the holiday no longer serves the purpose for which it was set aside.”
October 2000: A tradition of spontaneity is reestablished
Mountain Day was reinstated by WOC in 1981, but only as a scheduled Sunday in October when guides would lead hikes to Stony Ledge or Mount Greylock. “Attendance at these weekend events varied in relation to the weather,” the Record reported.
In October 2000, students celebrated the return of a spontaneous day of canceled classes, a decision made by then-President of the College Morton Schapiro. “As we return to this spontaneous format, good weather is virtually guaranteed, and attendance is expected to skyrocket,” the article continued.
Campus was rife with opportunities for outdoor discovery. “Hiking and biking trips for all levels of experience will leave from Chapin steps,” the Record reported. “In addition to these off-campus hikes and rides…a rock climb will be set up on Chapin, canoes will be available on Eph Pond [a small lake by Cole Field], and short hikes will go up Stone Hill and Pine Cobble.”
October 2009: A “Siberian” Mountain Day
It was the third week of October 2009, and Mountain Day had yet to arrive. Plus, the weather report for that Friday included extreme weather forecasts with temperatures below freezing. In last-minute meetings, WOC Director Scott Lewis and Interim President of the College Bill Wagner revised the day’s usual activities to include events more suited to the weather. “The Siberian theme of the day’s programming, which stemmed from Wagner’s academic specialty of Russian history, included a Russian film marathon, a ‘Da’ (as opposed to ‘Wah’) tournament, and a hike up and gathering on top of Stone Hill, behind the Clark, at which hundreds of students listened to a cappella performances and consumed hot cider and donuts,” the Record reported.
This compromise came thanks to members of the College Council, who intervened when Lewis and Wagner nearly canceled Mountain Day. “Lizzy Brickley ’10 and Mike Tcheyan ’10, College Council co-presidents, met with Wagner to discuss alternatives to outright cancellation,” the Record reported. “‘We were quite distressed by the thought of a year without a Mountain Day,’ Brickley said.”
The “Siberian” Mountain Day, for all the drama, ended up being a sunny day with temperatures in the 50s, according to the Record. Yet, it began the beloved tradition of donuts, cider, and singing on Stone Hill.
