LeMoyne College seniors found out Monday evening, from the newly-named “Dolphy Day king,” through an email, that the big day would be Tuesday.

Some people found out that everything started Tuesday morning through a “blanket warning” at 10 p.m. Monday – a blanket warning that went out because some people were already outside trying to, well, prematurely initiate the fun.

Others people found out Monday, through an email, that they needed to promptly get their Dolphy Day wristbands – which prove you’re a Le Moyne student – for the festivities.

And some student-athletes found out a day before through their coaches, who said basically: Be smart.

Regardless of how students found out, Dolphy Day came for the 51st year to the Le Moyne campus on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 – including the final group of seniors who can remember losing a Dolphy Day to the pandemic, three years ago.

Everyone, it turns out, observes Dolphy Day differently. For many student-athletes, it’s no holiday at all. The same goes for people involved with Visual Performing Arts, as well as nursing students doing clinical rotations, or dormitory RA’s who sat at tables in four-hour shifts.

But for the vast majority of students, it was a day off classes to spend outside and hang out with their friends.

Here are just a few tales from Dolphy Day:

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“We all went to bed excited, knowing that Dolphy Day would be tomorrow,” said Jonathan Gearinger, a sophomore at Le Moyne. “It was a great day of having fun in the sun during a busy time as a student,” he said, speaking about his Dolphy Day experience.

This year’s edition included a mechanical bull, multiple bouncy houses, a food truck, a DJ, and many outdoor games. Everyone was called up to the stage at noon so the king of Dolphy Day could be announced, who ended up being Nick Rohrbacher. The DJ, Terin Thomson, a Le Moyne student, played from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When asked about his favorite part of the day, Andrew Franklin, a sophomore, struggled to pick out just one moment. He decided on, “When my suitemates and I were playing volleyball for hours and meeting new people.” Volleyball was a hit, with the winner staying on rule, teams were lining up to get their shot on the court.

All Le Moyne students were entitled to receive some free food from a local food truck. The cafeteria was also available, serving walking tacos during the day. A water truck was available throughout the day so students could stay hydrated.

By Aidan Clark

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From a freshman’s first day at Le Moyne College onward, everyone knows of Dolphy Day. For many students, the day has become synonymous with partying and drinking. But what happens with those in the student body who choose not to drink?

Waking up the morning of Dolphy Day, Muhammad “Mo” Lee – one such student who doesn’t “drink, smoke, or vape” – wasn’t sure what he would get out of the day. Ultimately, he decided that he was going to work on his photography final project, cataloging the day – some of those images appear with this piece – instead of enjoying it himself. At least, that is what it might look like from the outside.

While he was working on his project, he still managed to enjoy the day. In between taking photos of people partying and hanging out, he managed to find the time to partake in the many activities that Le Moyne provided for the students.

Lee played volleyball, danced, and got a picture drawn of him and his girlfriend on Dolphy Day, enjoying himself the whole time. Despite the fact that he may not be the audience that many people expect Dolphy Day to, he showed that it is a day for the whole Le Moyne community to come together and enjoy themselves.

By Aidan Mingoia

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As the sun rose, an exciting wave of energy awoke the Le Moyne Campus on Dolphy Day. Excitement filled the air, as the students eagerly anticipated the festivities that awaited them.

Seniors received an email two days before from the Dolphy Day King announcing the event and the initial senior march. Color filled around the quad quickly as students joined in wearing vibrant clothes.

The DJ played hype music allowing the students in front of him to dance freely. Hands went up as the students danced to the beats of the music. Food trucks line up around the campus, offering an array of different foods to satisfy every craving a student might have.

Christopher Seargent, a senior at Le Moyne expressed his fondness for the walking tacos, “It’s a taco in a bag, and it is very good.” His favorite part of the day was spending time with his friends in his last few weeks on campus.

Nahal Malik, another student at Le Moyne, expressed her appreciation for the new addition of the water truck which kept the students hydrated throughout the day. She expressed her disdain for the lack of diversity in regard to the music.

She said the quality of music was poor, because “it was all English songs, which is fine as long they are iconic sing-able songs,” she said. “I did not rely on the music to enjoy myself, the songs were not anything you would want to scream the lyrics too.”

There were many fun things to do and take part in according to both students, such as a dolphin tattoo station, bounce house, and even a mechanical bull.

Friendships were made as the student body interacted as a whole, memories were made as students clicked pictures with their friends, and for just one day the worries of school and exams faded away.

By Kamilla Shahzad

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Mia Harris and Megan Dwyer are both juniors at Le Moyne. They eat in the Dolphin Den like other Le Moyne students, attend classes in Grewen and Reilly like other Le Moyne students, and consider themselves part of the dolphin pod.

However, until this year, they had never attended Dolphy Day.

Mia and Megan are part of the group of transfer students hailing from Cazenovia College after its unexpected closure last year, when Le Moyne became an official transfer partner with Cazenovia, allowing those like Mia and Megan to transition their credits and finish out their college careers at a whole different school.

At the sight of all the chaotic festivities, Mia, Megan, and two other former Wildcats stuck to the outskirts of the main hub of Dolphy Day. With an inflatable wrestling cage being the first thing they saw, it’s understandable why it may have been slightly overwhelming at first.

But after a round of photos against the Le Moyne backdrop and a lap around the premises, nerves started to ease and the group staked out some food, deciding the rowdy mosh pit and loud music was better enjoyed from afar.

“I originally didn’t know what to think because I thought it would be this crazy day and was honestly worried about it, but it ended up being super fun!” Mia Harris said.

No matter where someone comes from or how they experience Dolphy Day, it’s sure to be an unforgettable memory and tradition best served with friends.

By Corinne Becker

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April 23 was Dolphy Day, an event meant for students to enjoy a warm day of spring without worrying about class. While the music boomed freely throughout daylight hours, not all of campus was on due to celebrate outside.

While mainly student-run operations such as the Foery mailroom and the Dolphin Den were closed for the day, the campus’ academic offices were still staffed and ready to run.

Student office assistants at the Registrar’s office were told that they were free to enjoy the event regardless of scheduled shifts — or free to pick up a shift unless “actively partaking in the event.”

Throughout the day, the office continued to serve faculty and students, with phone calls and emails being handled as usual.

By Camille Chun

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Le Moyne College erupted into a kaleidoscope of colors, laughter, and music as students and faculty alike joined in the annual tradition of Dolphy Day on Tuesday. The campus, typically bustling with academic pursuits, transformed into a vibrant carnival-like atmosphere as the community came together to celebrate the cherished event.

Food trucks dotted the campus, offering a array of foods ranging from dinosaur BBQ to delectable desserts. Students indulged in a feast, savoring the flavors of the day while basking in the warm spring sunshine.

Dolphy Day has been a tradition for a very long time to celebrate the hard work students put in each day, they’re rewarded with a great tradition of a day of partying on the quad. The hit of the day was the DJ and the massive stage they brought in for the students to gather around in a day of partying.

Lastly, President Linda LeMura even made a appearance to show her respect to the students for their diligence each day.

By Joe Pezzimenti

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Classes canceled, free food, DJ booth, and so much more. Le Moyne College has one day a year when students and faculty are able to do almost whatever they want.

Dolphy Day has been a tradition at the College for years, an unknown surprise on the first sunny day of the year. The element of surprise is what makes it so exciting, but what happens when a global pandemic takes over and Dolphy Day gets canceled?

Spring of 2021 was a tough time for all college students, but an even tougher time when the most fun day of the year got canceled due to unsafe group sizes and possible spread of illness.

This year’s senior class is the last to be formally affected by that shutdown: Many seniors this year are experiencing only their third Dolphy Day, where they are the last graduating class to not get all to face the sad truth of one of their special days being canceled.

Seniors have spoken out: They wish they’d received all four Dolphy Days, “but we have to be happy about what we did get.”

By Claire Rickett

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Dolphy Day for Ariani Colon, an AD at Le Moyne College, began at 12:00 a.m. with an energy drink in each hand and one on deck for usage.

According to Colon, her shift officially started at 7:30 a.m., with some checking in on RAs before then; work did not end for Colon until 8:00 p.m.

Colon’s tasks were straightforward: prevent crisis, ensure students had wristbands, and oversee all Nelligan RAs and any other RAs from townhouses and Mitchell Hall stationed at different buildings.

Although Colon stated that this year of Dolphy Day was better, with everything adequately spaced out to ensure people were safe, she also believed this year was more challenging than last year.

For starters, she believed that it was hard on Campus Life. Having the same amount of notice as the other students provides very little time for the ADs to prepare their buildings for the holiday, and secondly, she believes they are spread very thin.

With only four ADs to watch over around five check-in areas, the ADS bounced back and forth between buildings, causing stress to brew.

Overall, Ariani believes that giving students a day before the finals to just let loose and relax is a good idea. However, she still wants students to remember that being respectful should be paired with this wonderful day, as a lot of hard work goes into making this day safe on all ends, from Campus Life to their fellow peers who are RAs.

By Legende McGrath

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To most, Dolphy Day is a big party. It’s a day off from classes where you can party with your friends in the quad. There’s a DJ, food trucks, games, etc. It’s a loud, big, energetic, crazy event. 

There are certain traditions that many students follow on Dolphy Day. Certain groups host parties the night before, some students have specific spots on the quad they like to be at, and some people go to specific buildings to meet up with their friends. But for two juniors, Hannah Mendillo and Lia DiPaolo, it means going on their traditional breakfast run. 

In most cases, students will either order food straight to their dorm or they will drive/catch a ride to whatever restaurant they want to go to. But not for these two. Starting freshman year, Mendillo and DiPaolo decided to walk themselves down Erie Boulevard to get to Bruegger’s Bagels for breakfast, and from there, a tradition was born. 

For the past three years that they have done this walk, they’ve been asked multiple times why they don’t just get an Uber to Bruegger’s, or have it DoorDashed to their room. But to them, this walk is a tradition. It started as a bonding moment freshman year, where they had very different plans for Dolphy Day. DiPaolo went out and enjoyed the festivities while Mendillo had a quieter afternoon, just enjoying the day off from classes and obligations. 

And now, three years later, while they both go out and participate in the activities on campus, they still start their morning off with this “pilgrimage” as they call it. 

Dolphy Day is such an overwhelming experience that the main take-away is always the big party on the quad, or the parties hosted by the sports teams the night before. But taking a step back and looking at some of the small traditions different students have that highlight their roommate/friendship bond is really what the day is all about. 

More often than not, when people talk about the “college experience” they talk about the parties you go to, and Dolphy Day is a staple of Le Moyne College for that reason. But making memories is much bigger than a big party. In 20 years from now, people aren’t going to remember the specific details of their Dolphy Days. But a specific tradition like this will be something they both will look back on fondly.

By Isabella Allen

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Despite the disappearance of the sun behind gray clouds, there were a few stragglers on the quad playing volleyball and throwing frisbees late on Dolphy Day, at around 6:30 p.m. Apart from that and the empty stage set up near the library, you never would have known it was Dolphy Day at all — all was quiet.

Anyone who performs at the PAC will tell you that the world doesn’t stop for Dolphy Day. Last year, it fell during performance week for LSDC, and this year it hit the theater program and orchestra, which opened Plan 9 from Outer Space on Thursday. So, despite a full day of festivities, students such as myself trudged their way to the PAC for an evening dress rehearsal.

At the beginning of rehearsal, the Jesuit Theater was full of lethargic students sharing their Dolphy Day experiences. Most students I chatted with simply told me that it had been a long but fun day that left them exhausted. I heard an actor tell orchestra director Travis Newton that they currently felt like “negative ten dollars.”

When I asked Travis about his day, he cheerfully shared that he spent it replying to emails and catching up on work.

Yet, as the saying goes, the show must go on! The orchestra and actors stumbled through the play together, our first time properly pairing the music and script together. We had to stop often to adjust the timing of the lines and accompaniment, a sometimes tedious part of the rehearsal process, yet essential.

All that attended knew that had rehearsal been canceled, we would have been doing this the night before opening, which simply wasn’t an option. Put simply: no matter how drained we felt, we had to do this.

And would you believe it, by the end of rehearsal at around 9:30 p.m. I actually felt a little more energized than I had upon arriving… of course, that feeling quickly went away as soon as I got home.

By Carly Nicolai

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Mackenzie Doupe is a post-graduate at Le Moyne College who actually graduated early last semester, with a degree in psychology – and was excited to wrap up her last official Dolphy Day at Le Moyne.

She says Dolphy day was always more of relaxation day to her than a day to let loose: “I work almost every day and when it was no classes for the day I enjoyed the free food, music and drinks.” She said she only knew about Dolphy Day this year because of some friends she had kept in touch with.

“I’m glad I knew when it was so I could take work off and have time to prepare,” she said. It’s nice to have a small element of surprise but some things you don’t want to miss. Dolphy Day to Doupe is a time to take all the stress of school off right before the semester ends.

“I remember having two papers due in class one year on Dolphy day and it has just happened to land on my class day and they were all given an extension, that was a gift from above, ha ha,” she said.

Dolphy Day is a mark to the start of beautiful weather and great times with good people. “It’s a must have for LMC students and everyone looks forward to it,” she said.

Mackenzie ended on an interesting note: She explained how she is surprised that more schools do not do this. “Everyone needs a random day just to relax or let loose,” she said. “We’re not robots: We gotta have some fun sometimes!”

By Steele Williams

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As the week begins, eagerness rises as the wait for Dolphy Day gets underway. On Monday, Le Moyne College students started to see more and more signs of a potential Dolphy Day in the coming days.

As students who have already experienced Dolphy Day, they waited for Porta-Potties as the giveaway for Dolphy Day but instead this year the actual stage was the giveaway. But this stage placement also raised questions.

Many students looked forward to the new placement of the DJ booth, rather than where it was in previous years. One student in particular, sophomore Avery Maxam commented, “I liked the new location this year as we don’t have to stand on the pavement the whole time.”

As I talked to more and more students, mostly upperclassmen, in an attempt to understand how they expect Dolphy Day to be, my main goal was to understand how sophomores viewed their second year compared to their first year of Dolphy Day.

Following Dolphy Day on April 23, 2024, many students were very pleased with the way that Dolphy Day panned out. Current sophomore Ryan Furletti mentioned, “I was worried it wouldn’t live up to last year, but this year exceeded expectations.”

By Stephen Moore

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Dolphy Day, created under mysterious planning, is sprung on the college the night before it arrives. NO classes, everyone grabs their sunglasses and favorite beverage and heads to the Quad. History has recorded the magic of this day for 50 years.

Loud music — bass overwhelming — with its beat across the campus. Laughter, color, food trucks, ice cream. Students of every size and gender, arm in arm, laughing, heading nowhere in particular to have fun.

Two tall and laughing young men walked by. “Hey,” I asked, “Is this your first Dolphy Day?”

“Yes!” from both. “What did you think,” I continued. Two of the same enthusiastic responses, “Awesome!”

Drew stated, “We’re both seniors and transferred from Cazenovia College.” Bobby added, “We were roommates there and we’re roommates here. Drew is in Environmental Science and I am in Business Management.”

Drew added, “I wish I had gone here all four years.”

Dolphy Day had done its magic one more time.

By Mary Anne Winfield

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Tuesday, April 23, 2024 is Dolphy Day, a highly anticipated once a year tradition at Le Moyne that dates back to the 1970s, where when the weather gets nice outside, classes are canceled for one day and students are treated to a variety of festivities on campus. However, in reaching out to a Le Moyne faculty member about Dolphy Day, he shared some worries of the risks that come with the annual tradition.

Matt Read is a professor in the communications department at Le Moyne. Specializing in marketing and advertising, he would share some opinions on what Dolphy Day means to Le Moyne College… both the good and the bad.

“For the students, it’s a chance to create some memories, and a part of their shared history,” he said. “It gives them some opportunities to have an experience that they can share with alumni in the future, as only Le Moyne students ever experience it. It is something that is celebrated, but carries risk, too, from a public safety perspective.”

Drinking is a large part of the Dolphy Day tradition. In 2024, Le Moyne introduced its new “Dolphy Day IPA” named after the celebration. Whilst drinking is often seen as a major part of the annual celebration, Read also has some concerns about the risks that come with overdrinking:

“If I were a student, I’d probably love every second of it. As a faculty member, while I want the students to have a full, rich experience, I always breathe a sigh of relief after it’s over once we know all of the ‘Phins are home safe and sound and back in class.”

By Stephen Riale

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On April 23, 2024, Le Moyne College celebrated its cherished tradition, Dolphy Day, under clear skies and a pleasant 68 degrees, marking a memorable spring day filled with laughter, camaraderie, and festivity.

For Sophie Martin, a sophomore who missed last year’s event, this day was not just a break from academics but a cherished opportunity to immerse in college spirit.

Sophie shared her exhilaration, “I think there’s something really special about everyone coming together like this and having a good time. It’s rejuvenating.”

Students like Sophie spent the day partaking in various outdoor activities, enjoying the music, and relishing the food, making the most of the sunny weather and the break from classes. Dolphy Day continues to be a highlight for Le Moyne students, encapsulating the joy and unity of the college experience.

By La Quida Cummings