Slope Day

Friday, May 1, 2009

Libe Slope, Ithaca, NY

Slope Day is the giant, Cornell-wide celebration of the last day of classes.  The university books us big name musical groups for an outdoor concert on Libe Slope (my favorite hill ever), and they provide all kinds of food and fun free stuff.  This year's musical groups were Apples in the Stereo (a smaller name, warm-up group), Asher Roth (a fairly well-known rapper, for those who know rap), and The Pussycat Dolls (not so much a musical group as a group of scantily-clad women).

Hillary and I trying to take our hats really seriously

Tahra and Illika with their hats (looking only slightly less silly than me and Hillary).  Melissa decided she was too dignified for such behavior

After some tasty food, free smoothies, and free (ridiculously trashy) airbrushed hats, Tahra, Hillary, Illika, Melissa and I staked out "seats" on the grass in front of the stage.  We were pretty early, so we ended up right up front.  I really enjoyed the first group, which was much 

Apples in the Stereo

more my style of music (if I have a style).  But I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed Asher Roth, seeing as I'm really not a rap fan.  We were really close, and I think seeing the 

We were really close-- this is Asher Roth, taken without zoom

actual performance (plus being surrounded by a crowd that was really into it) made it really fun.

I didn't have so much interest in The Pussycat Dolls, so Hillary and I made our way out of the crowd (easier said than done), and found some fresh air farther up the hill.  You really got a feel 

The crowd went on like this in both directions-- literally almost everyone who goes to Cornell was on the slope

for the size of the crowd from that perspective; the hill was covered in people.  We met up with Tahra and Link, who also escaped the crowd, and after some more delicious snacks, we set out on the other mission for the day: use the secret library tunnel.

Link with the not-so-secret sign proclaiming directions to the secret tunnel

Once a year, for 6 hours during the Slope Day festivities, the tunnel connecting Olin and Uris libraries is opened up.  This is so that they can close all the regular entrances to prevent Slope Day party-ers from coming in to the library and disrupting those who actually need to study.  It was strange standing underneath Ho Plaza, instead of on it.

Just as we left the library, there was a mass-exodus from the slope as a storm opened up over our heads.  We headed back to the dorm and enjoyed a 90's flashback diner of dino nuggets, tater tots, fish sticks, and gushers.  All in all, a nice way to unwind after classes.  Unfortunately, it also means the start of finals.