2009, meet 2012: Serenading takes Vassar by storm

In a tradition that dates back to the early 20th century, Vassar seniors gave their official welcome to the incoming freshman class during the ritual of Serenading on Sept. 5. Of course, the tradition now somewhat differs from the original, more peaceful festivities of Vassar's past—Friday's event began with a giant food fight in front of each residence house between the seniors and the freshmen, who were aided in battle by their house teams.

The seniors began their campaign at Cushing House and finished wreaking their gooey, gelatinous havoc in front of Main Building, after which students proceeded to Ballantine Field for the song competition.

Each house sang a song to the senior class on Ballantine Field and vied for first place, decided by a committee of seniors and administrators; tactics varied in this competition, as did tact. Some houses appealed to the seniors for their favor—Main knelt before the audience of upperclassmen—while others chose songs that were purposefully insulting to seniors.

Noyes House let the seniors know that they were not, in the words of Beyoncé, "Irreplaceable." Jewett House came out on top, winning a new Nintendo Wii for their common room, with their customized rendition of Rihanna's "Please Don't Stop the Music." Strong and Lathrop Houses came in second and third, respectively. Serenading ended at about 5 p.m., when participants dispersed and took showers.

The day went fairly smoothly compared to last year, when the revelry hit a sour note after a student and custodial worked entered into a heated exchange and brawl. To ensure the safety of the crowds, the Serenading Committee created "throw" and "do not throw" lists distributed to each student.

The tradition of Serenading began more than a century ago, when upperclassmen welcomed the freshmen to Vassar by singing their class songs. Freshmen from each house followed with original compositions, and the winner was chosen by a committee from the administration. While the song competition still remains, the event has certainly become much messier over the years, and in August the blog collegeOTR.com even named Serenading the "number one craziest college tradition" in the country.