Stevens has its fair share of traditions — founded in 1870, we have a rich history of past Hoboken life and campus life. Luckily, we had The Stute to start documenting these traditions starting in 1904, and the Samuel C. Williams Library archives to document even more of the preceding years. From past to present, students will always find a way to create tradition and a shared sense of community. I remember peer leader orientation back in my freshman year. I got a wonderful, perfect introduction to the ways of Stevens and my favorite: Slap the Ass and Pass conspiracy. If you are not familiar with this, I am fairly surprised, but it’s simple. The Torch Bearers statue at the center of campus has a horse on its hind legs. Supposedly, if you smack the horse’s ass (not the human’s), you will pass your exam. Does it work? I’ll let you be the judge of that, as I get too embarrassed in broad daylight to walk up to the statue and smack the ass of the horse. I’d say do it just in case you are truly in dire need of luck for your exams this midterm season.
This is not the only exam tradition to exist throughout Stevens’ history. Before Slap the Ass and Pass, there was Cremation of Calculus, which started in 1889, and doesn’t the name sound tempting? Personally, I love calculus, but I would gladly burn my old paper coding tests. At the end of the semester, when classes were done, there would be a ceremony one night where the sophomore class would wear costumes and robes and carry an effigy of “Ol’ Man Calculus” through the streets of Hoboken, then back to campus. A court case against him was held in front of professors, faculty, students, and whoever stopped to look. The faculty members served as jurors for this trial, the verdict would always be death by fire, and the effigy would be burned, the Ol’ Man of Calculus never to return to their course load.
After this eventful burning, students would dress as clowns on the steps of Edwin A. Stevens Hall for the post-cremation parade. Slap the Ass and Pass is a good, lighthearted way for Stevens students to cope during exam times, although Cremation of Calculus was the whole spectacle. Maybe we can’t burn an effigy and parade the streets of Hoboken, but I think we should still have an end-of-semester parade for finishing classes. These traditions are what bring Stevens together and give it such a rich history. While Slap the Ass and Pass is classic, on behalf of Stevens students, we would love to have something else to commemorate the hard work we put into studying and have a nice, lighthearted event.
