Traditions at Barnard

Barnard was founded in 1889, and its age and deep seated history result in an academic year filled with traditions. Our traditions are planned by our McIntosh Activities Council, where a group of Barnard students are paid to assist with the planning and execution of the traditions that make Barnard Barnard!

Big Sub

Big Sub is a very unique tradition established here at Barnard, garnering recognition from several top 10 lists of college traditions whether that be quirkiest, best, or most unique. At Big Sub we line a humongous subway sandwich along the entire interior perimeter of our campus. There is a color coded menu for all sorts of types of sandwich ranging from gluten free grilled vegetables to roast beef! Although we are not exactly sure how Big Sub got started, it's been going strong since at least the early 2000s. The tradition really is quite simple: we come together, count to three, and dig into our big sub! 

Midnight Breakfast 

A Barnard favorite! Midnight Breakfast happens every semester, where faculty and staff will serve student breakfast late in the evening of the night before finals. Every semester it has a different theme. A personal favorite was the semester that was Karaoke themed, in which I got to hear various students, but occasionally some faculty and staff singing their hearts out over french toast sticks. 

Emily Gregory

Very different from our other traditions, Emily Gregory is an awards ceremony and dinner held to celebrate and honor faculty members and teaching assistants who exemplify extraordinary commitment to teaching, mentorship, and service that deeply impacts the student experience at Barnard. The Emily Gregory Award was established in honor of Professor Emily Gregory– a pioneering botanist, scholar, and mentor. She was the first woman to earn a full professorship at Columbia University, and in 1890, she volunteered to serve as Barnard’s First Woman Professor. 

Greek Games

Greek Games is our oldest tradition here at Barnard dating back to 1903! It is a competition between all four class years; but it began as a competition between the sophomore and first-year classes with competitions reminiscent of the Ancient Greek Olympics including archery, chariot races, high jump, and wrestling. It was held annually until 1968. Since, various revivals have been attempted and we have had a handful of Greek Games in the interim. This year we had our most recent revival, which looked much different– lacking the togas, torches, and javelins that marked versions of its past. The competition consisted of four main competitions: Relay Races, Trivia (Barnard, Music, Pop Culture, and General Knowledge), Capture the Flag , as well as Tug of War. This year for the revival games our Seniors, Class of 2025 ended up taking home the prize!