From river parades to formal dances: MSU’s lost traditions

Today’s Spartans know traditions like painting the Rock, gathering for Homecoming and the Midnight Scream. New traditions, including the lighting of Beaumont Tower, continue to shape campus life, while many of Michigan State University’s once-beloved customs have faded into history.

From fierce class rivalries to Indy 500-inspired races, these forgotten traditions reflect the same desire to build community, celebrate achievement and create lasting memories. Each custom serves as a reminder of the many ways students have left their mark on the university.

Class rivalries and Frosh-Soph Daze 

For much of MSU’s early history, competition between freshmen and sophomores was among the university’s most anticipated traditions. What began as loosely organized and sometimes rough encounters evolved into the annual Frosh-Soph Daze, a day of contests designed to channel class pride into organized competition throughout the early 1900s.

Events included tug-of-war matches across the Red Cedar River, wrestling, sack races and capture-the-flag contests.

The rivalry extended beyond the games themselves. Freshmen were required to wear brown caps while on campus, while sophomores often sought opportunities to enforce campus traditions. The school year concluded with “Cap Night,” when freshmen tossed their caps into a bonfire to celebrate becoming sophomores.

Over time, the event transformed into a celebratory barbecue marking the end of the rivalry.

As campus culture changed, the Associated Students of Michigan State University, or ASMSU, formally abolished the Frosh-Soph Council in 1964 according to a State News article, leading the tradition to gradually disappear.

The Junior 500

Established in 1948 by members of Lambda Chi Alpha, the event drew inspiration from the Indianapolis 500 but replaced race cars with student-built push carts.

Teams raced along a 1.1-mile course that circled West Circle Drive, cheered on by spectators lining the route.

Originally featuring teams from men’s residence halls, fraternities and cooperatives, the competition expanded over the years to include a wider variety of university living units. 

The annual race became a campus spectacle, offering students the chance to demonstrate both engineering ingenuity and school spirit.

The Junior 500 continued until 1972, after which the event was sporadic and eventually ended entirely.

Water Carnival 

For decades, the Red Cedar River transformed into a floating stage for one of MSU’s most elaborate traditions. Beginning in the 1920s, the annual Water Carnival brought students together to design and build themed floats that paraded along the river as part of end-of-year festivities. 

Residence halls, sororities, student organizations and class groups spent months preparing their entries, competing for top honors awarded by faculty judges.

The event became a showcase of creativity, craftsmanship and school spirit, with dozens of floats illuminating the river over multiple evenings.

Although the tradition ended in 1969, it briefly returned in 2005 as part of MSU’s 150th anniversary celebration, offering a glimpse of a spectacle that once captivated generations of Spartans. 

Junior Hop 

Long before modern campus concerts and large-scale student events, MSU's social calendar revolved around formal dances.  

The most prestigious among them was the Junior Hop, commonly known as J-Hop, first held in 1888. The tradition of the J-Hop being student-ran began in 1891 when it was hosted by the class of 1892. For more than seven decades, the annual event served as one of the university’s premier social occasions. The event also became the setting for the crowning of Miss MSU, adding to its prestige.

To commemorate events like the J-Hop, attendees would keep dance cards — party favors describing specific details like guests, location and entertainment. University Archives and Historical Collections librarian Jennie Rankin provided more insight into the tradition. 

"Dance cards are wonderful party favors that can tell you so much about that particular dance, from who was on the dance committee, the band that played, and the faculty guests,” Rankin said. “Also, you can see if a girl was interested in a certain boy if his name appeared several times in the dance card."   

The Great Depression, the return of veterans as nontraditional students after World War II and the rising popularity of residence hall parties led to the tradition’s end by 1964. 

Lantern Night 

For generations of MSU women, some of the university’s most meaningful traditions centered on recognition, leadership and service.

Among the most cherished was Lantern Night, where distinguished senior women would march from the Union to the president’s house in their cap and gowns before commencement. The president’s wife would then present each student with a carnation as they passed down lanterns — and symbolically, their responsibilities — to their successors, the junior class.

Lantern Night began in 1926, carrying on throughout the 1950s. The tradition also included naming the upcoming year’s new president of Tower Guard, the honor society for sophomore women that helped support the success of visually impaired students.

Senior Swing Out 

Graduating students once gathered for a tradition that celebrated both accomplishment and farewell. Known as Senior Swing Out, the event began in 1910 when women seniors were pushed on swings outside Morrill Hall as part of a lighthearted sendoff.

The following year, participants added caps and gowns, helping transform the event into a formal graduation-week tradition. Over time, the ceremony evolved from its original format, eventually retaining only a single ceremonial swing as a reminder of its beginnings.

Seniors would gather outside their academic buildings while a band marched through campus, collecting graduates from each college before leading them to Fairchild Theatre. 

The procession represented one final walk together as students, creating a memorable moment of reflection and celebration before commencement ceremonies officially marked the end of their Michigan State journey.

Photos courtesy of University Archives and Historical Collections