Songfest
At some point during orientation (and throughout the rest of your Emory career), a particular t-shirt will remind you that Emory does not have a football team. So, instead, we get excited about watching the newly-indoctrinated Emory freshmen awkwardly belt cover versions of popular songs and flail around in an attempt at organized choreography – all at the same time. Consider it your first college lesson in multitasking. Sure, it's weird when your all-too-enthusiastic RA pulls you out of your dorm to practice your dance skills in a parking lot, but after the first three rehearsals, you'll learn (or at least pretend) to cherish these moments. After all, there's no better way to bond with your hallmates than stumbling over each other as you hurtle towards your next formation. It's one of those things you remember forever, and upperclassmen always make an appearance to cheer on their former residence halls.
Dooley's Week
Go to all the Dooley's Week events. Seriously. When it's March and you're stuck in a rut with your second semester classes, Dooley's Week is the best – and sometimes only – way to get past that weariness. It's a welcome reminder that the long days of winter are over, and spring is officially here. There's Taste of Emory, an all-encompassing (and free!) look at the incredible restaurants in the area surrounding campus. Or try the annual comedy show, which never fails to impress. Past comedians have included big names such as Hannibal Buress and Rob Riggle. Oh, and there's the end-of-week concert. For more on that, keep reading.
At Least One Concert
I don't know if you realize this, but Emory has hosted some legendary concerts. Over the past several years, we've been graced with the presence of OK Go, Ben Folds, Big Boi, Washed Out, B.O.B., Atlas Sound, Alesso, Slightly Stoopid and Kendrick Lamar, to name just a few. And whatever your music preference, there's something about the experience of a concert on McDonough Field that solidifies your status as an Emory student. There are those concert moments that went down in Emory history: when T.I. made a surprise appearance during the B.O.B. concert, when Ben Folds brought two innocent audience members onstage to sing "Bitches Ain't S--t" ... you get the idea. Emory is good about getting a range of music styles: rock, rap, pop, country, everything – so sooner or later there will be that concert announcement that will make you go, "Wow." I promise.
Dooley Letting Out a Class
You can't really control if Dooley will let out any of your classes, but it's something that all Emory students eternally anticipate. Of the many events that Dooley's Week offers, one of the most exciting – and most unpredictable – is the possibility that Dooley will arrive at one of your classes in all his skeletal glory, entourage in tow, to address you and your classmates for a few minutes before freeing you from the confines of the classroom an hour early. These delightful moments happen most frequently in the large lecture halls, in an effort to give the highest number of students the chance to be touched by Dooley's magic. Which is great for the biology majors, but it's a bummer if you take most of your classes in Callaway.
An Event of Your Choice
It's hard to say if everything Emory offers will be for you, but you should go out and try it anyway. Whether your friend drags you to his a cappella concert or your professor offers extra credit for attending a poetry reading, make a point to experience at least one of the many events that Emory has to offer. Pick something you find interesting, and I promise, there will eventually be an event for it. In a place this big and this prominent, there are dozens of things happening around you every day – and it just seems wrong to let them all pass by without giving them a shot.
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