Photo Reilly Patrick ’19
BY KATE ANGUS AND OLIVIA WHITE
STAFF WRITER AND EDITOR IN CHEIF
The evening of Thursday, March 2 saw members of the Outing Club trucking around Canton collecting any piles of slush and icy snow leftover from the last substantial dump of the white stuff more than a week prior. Unseasonably warm temperatures and mid-week rainfall in the days leading up to the First Ever Eighth Annual Great Mt. Titus Global Cooldown Wicked Weekend Ski Event raised campus-wide concern that perhaps the much anticipated pre-Titus Friday rail jam was set to be thwarted by, ironically, the current global warmup. However, a fortuitous dusting and freeze, combined with the tireless efforts of the determined O.C., ensured the steps of the quad were lacquered with packed snow for gliding, jumping, and general rail jamming.
The weekend officially kicked off on Friday morning when more than 100 students anxiously lined up in the student center, hours before the second round of Titus tickets went on sale. The line looped around the student center, into the Winston Room, filled with students who hadn’t been able to buy tickets earlier in the week due to the event’s popularity among groups across campus. Everyone was hard-pressed to get a ticket, but there was a sense of camaraderie amongst the crowd.
Waiting in line for over an hour and a half were Marcus Corasanti and Dameian Bossarte, ’19. “The atmosphere is tense; it’s buzzing,” they said about the crowd awaiting ticket sales. “But everyone’s here to have a good time.”
Between the ticket sales on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday morning, over 900 tickets were sold, along with countless Titus-themed t-shirts and PitViper sunglasses, a retro, cult favorite that have become a staple of Titus fashion.
Festivities heightened on Friday afternoon when the rail jam came to official fruition in all its brightly patterned, retro ski chic on the quad. Students gathered in vibrant leggings, puffy fluorescent jackets, furry vests, bright jerseys, and myriad combination of patterns to listen to music, partake in horse-drawn carriage rides, and eat hot dogs and hamburgers provided by the O.C. A few daredevil students entertained the crowd with their impressive ski skills, attempting different tricks and jumps. Despite the cold – it was about 10 degrees on Friday – everyone seemed to be having a blast. Christine Tulikangas ’20, remarked, “It’s so cold, but I think everyone is having a great time anyway.”
Another, though unofficial, annual tradition, the Dub’s Pantsless Dash across the quad, also occurred this year. At around 4 p.m., several daring ladies ran across the quad baring their legs to the crowd – and the cold. Haley DeParde ’17 who helped organize the run, said the tradition “is so fun, and it fits the atmosphere.” Julie Simoes ’17, who is also a senior from the Dub, described it as “a decade-long tradition of pants-less, strong women on campus.”
When Saturday morning peaked over Gunnison and into the windows of sleepy bedrooms from Park Street to the Senior Townhouses, the SLU student body roused at what was probably the earliest average wake-up time ever recorded. By 11 a.m., hundreds of students began boarding the busses in 3-degree weather, in retro gear even brighter (and hopefully warmer) than the day before. 900 students were bussed to Titus Mountain in Malone, NY. The highly-anticipated event did not disappoint. Jane O’Connor ’20 especially appreciated the fashion, saying, “everyone is wearing vintage, I love it.”
After an hour-long ride, SLU arrived at the famed Titus Mountain for a day of skiing, dancing, and having fun in the snow. Students grooved to live tunes courtesy of the Max Ryder Band, an event staple and familiar sight for Titus veterans, who performed a great set in the lodge, contributing to the fun and lively atmosphere. Jen Barnhart ‘19 said of the event: “Titus is a great experience that every SLU student should do at least once. It’s crazy and fun and definitely worth it. It’s definitely on the SLU bucket list.”
Isa Caliandro ’18 from the O.C. summed up the weekend perfectly: “Titus is like Christmas, but better. It brings everyone together. This year was great; everyone was really respectful.”
The maelstrom of puffy ski pants, questionable mixed beverages, and dancing bodies packed sardine style into the lodge swirled to a stop by 6:30 p.m., when students boarded the busses once again to head back to campus, visions of neon dancing in their heads. Though everyone was exhausted from the action-packed weekend, students left with plenty of memories and stories to rehash at brunch on Sunday morning and a tick off the SLU bucket list.