Titus Is Back, and This Time, It’s Serious.
Four years ago, on March 7, 2020, one of the most famous St. Lawrence events took place for what some thought would be the last time. Titus Mountain, like many other beautiful parts of the world, was temporarily halted due to Covid-19, but not anymore. And now SLU Students can cheer loudly that Titus is back!
Seeing how the last Titus event took place four years ago, very few current SLU students know the history of the event and why there is so much hype around it. Starting in the late 80s, the Outing Club has been bussing students to the closest ski resort to St. Lawrence, Titus Mountain. School buses filled with students all head out simultaneously to start the day of fun. Events were all over the mountain: live music in the lodge, skiing and sledding outside, and some après ski enjoyment, The best event, it was the best event of the year. Even if you were too late to get a ticket, there was still fun to be had. Titus weekend also includes a school-wide rail jam party on the quad. Energized skiers do their craziest tricks to a crowd of fellow onlookers who dance to live music and the smell of hotdogs. The largest Dana train ever takes place, and the wackiest 80s outfits cover the SLU campus. It’s a beautiful sight that everyone can take part in. And now it’s coming back.
This March 1 and 2 students can participate in the revitalization of Titus. The rail jam on the quad will take place on the afternoon of Friday, March 1. Then at 11 a.m. the next day, students with tickets bought through the OC will be driven to Titus Mountain to begin another day of skiing and dancing. Once again, SLU students will be able to have a true Titus experience.
However, there are not many students who have attended a real Titus weekend and still attend SLU. Knowing this, I tracked down some of the few students left on campus who have been to Titus weekend pre-Covid. Sage Lalor of the OC states that going to Titus Mountain is a “longstanding St. Lawrence tradition that has been around for decades. Students remember it as an amazing and memorable part of their SLU experience. And I cannot wait to go again this year!”
Even students who cannot attend the event on Saturday describe their fondness for Titus; Owen Russell states, “the hype around Titus was unreal. Even students like myself who weren’t going to Titus got up to chat with their friends leaving for the mountain. When they returned around 6 p.m. we were ready to rally with them. Ideas were flowing. The entire school mobbed dana, desperate for some sustenance and hydration. If you see Dana John on March 2, dap him up, because he and the entire staff have a busy day ahead of them.”
Titus weekend is coming back to St. Lawrence and students are ready for it. To reiterate, the rail jam on the quad will take place Friday afternoon on March 1, then the next day, students with a Titus ticket will be bussed to the mountain for another day of fun. More information about ticket sales will be released by the Outing Club soon. My recommendations are to find or thrift your wackiest outfit and get your game face ready because Titus is back in action. Have a great winter and stay safe out there.