11 bizarre traditions North Carolina colleges keep alive
From racing for cake to streaking and screaming to blow off steam during finals, discover the bizarre traditions of North Carolina colleges.
Late-night study sessions, frat parties, and tailgating are part of the college experience at many North Carolina universities. However, students at some institutions of higher education in the Tar Heel State also participate in more unique traditions. From a five-mile run with a pit stop for donuts to rituals that promise good grades for the semester ahead, keep reading to learn all about the bizarre traditions of North Carolina colleges.
1. Krispy Kreme Challenge
Every winter, runners, or trailglazers, embark on a mission that puts their endurance—and stomachs—to the test. During the Krispy Kreme Challenge, an event run by North Carolina State University students, participants run two-and-a-half miles from the Memorial Belltower to the nearest Krispy Kreme location, where they eat 12 doughnuts before running back to the Belltower—all within one hour.
The challenge started as an informal race among friends but quickly turned into something much bigger: a fundraiser for a local hospital. Since the first race in 2004, the Krispy Kreme Challenge has raised more than $2 million for the University of North Carolina Children’s Hospital. The event is a bucket list item for many NC State students, and more than 99,300 runners have participated in the last 21 years.
2. First Sip
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Old Well is a campus landmark. It’s also the location of one of the university’s most popular traditions: First Sip. On the first day of class, students line up at the well to take a sip of water from it. Doing so is said to bring good luck—and a perfect GPA.
While it’s unclear exactly how long First Sip has been a UNC tradition, a university archivist believes the idea of taking a sip from the well for good luck on the first day of class really took off in the 1990s.
3. Senior Bell Tower Climb
First Sip isn’t the only unique tradition UNC students participate in. Before graduating, many seniors take part in the Senior Bell Tower Climb, a tradition initiated in 2003 by the UNC General Alumni Association. Participants climb 128 steps up to the top of the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower and sign their name on the bricks inside.
“I think the Bell Tower Climb is about really celebrating your final moments on this wonderful campus and witnessing how many others around you equally loved and enjoyed their time at Carolina,” senior Aimee Kurtz said.
4. Davie Poplar Tree
We can’t write about UNC traditions without mentioning the university’s famed David Poplar tree. The centuries-old tree is considered a symbol of the university’s life, and legend has it that if the tree falls, so too will the university. As such, university officials have gone to great lengths to preserve the living legend, protecting it from several hurricanes, lightning strikes, and a drought. They even planted a second tree, Davie Poplar Jr., alongside the original tree as a backup.
“The Davie Poplar had been through some rough times, and the Davie Poplar Jr. was an attempt to kind of preserve that legacy when the original tree was gone,” said university archivist Nicholas Graham.
There is another legend tied to the original poplar tree: It’s believed that couples who kiss while sitting on the bench underneath the tree will get married.
5. Streaking
Not all UNC traditions are as wholesome as protecting a centuries-old tree. Streaking at the university dates back more than 50 years, when in February 1974, a student streaked through the lobby of The Carolina Inn. Student-run streaking events became increasingly common in the years that followed, and now, a twice-yearly event takes place at Davis Library.
On the night before the first day of final exams, students head to the eighth floor of the library, strip down, streak through the main lobby, and go outside, where they sing their alma mater. Or at least that’s what they’ve traditionally done. This year, university officials cracked down on streaking events, closing the seventh and eighth floors of the library at 10 p.m. However, a smaller crowd still gathered and started the event from the sixth floor instead.
6. Minerva Statue Offering
Similar to the First Sip, University of North Carolina at Greensboro students have their own way of securing good grades for the upcoming semester. During the first week of class, it’s tradition for students to place an apple at the foot of the school’s Minerva statue in the hopes that doing so will bring them good grades.
The statue—the oldest on campus—was a gift from the class of 1907 and depicts Minerva, the university’s patron goddess.
7. Sweethearts at the Old Well
At Davidson College, students who are looking to get lucky in love head to the Old Well. Once a functioning water well, this campus landmark is now a popular spot for couples hoping to take their relationship to the next level. According to campus lore, those who kiss at the well are destined for marriage.
8. Cake Race
Nothing seems to motivate college students to run more than the promise of sweet treats. At Davidson College, first-year students can participate in the school’s annual Cake Race, a nearly two-mile race with baked goods awarded to the winners
The first Cake Race, which took place in 1930 and was mandatory, was established to help a track and field coach identify hidden talent in the freshman class. Now, the race is voluntary, but participation is high thanks to the prizes, often baked by pastry chefs and other culinary pros. Past prizes have included a vegan cookie dough cake, a chocolate geode cake with salted caramel filling, and an R2-D2 cake.
9. Midnight Scream
Exams can be stressful, and sometimes, the best way to relieve some of that stress is by screaming. At midnight on the first day of exams, Davidson College students let out a collective scream, known as the Midnight Scream, that can be heard throughout campus.
10. Tenting in K-Ville
In the weeks leading up to the men’s basketball game between Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke students set up tents outside Cameron Indoor Stadium to score tickets to the rivalry matchup. This tradition began during the 1986 season when about 15 students pitched tents a few days before tipoff.
In 2025, there were more than 200 tents, each with 12 students, set up on the patch of grass in an area called Krzyzewskiville, or K-Ville, named after Mike Krzyzewski, who was the head coach when the tenting tradition began. Students sleep in the tents, with “grace” given on nights when temperatures dip below 26 degrees. They also decorate the tents, often elaborately. One group of tenters created the “Church of Siontology,” also known as the Siontologists, in a nod to Duke basketball star Sion James.
11. Free Expression Tunnel
While not exactly bizarre, North Carolina State University’s Free Expression Tunnel certainly is unique, and painting it is a beloved school tradition. The iconic campus landmark, a pedestrian tunnel beneath railroad tracks, is used to memorialize special moments, promote events, share political messages, and wish other students a happy birthday. Students have been painting the ever-changing walls of the tunnel since 1967.
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