Cornell University celebrates 124th Dragon Day

ITHACA, N.Y. (WBNG) -- Thousands of students and community members went to Cornell University’s campus Friday afternoon to celebrate the school’s 124th Dragon Day.

The tradition involves first-year architecture students designing and building a giant dragon that they then parade around the campus for all spectators to see.

You could hear chants of “dragon, dragon, dragon... oi, oi, oi” across the campus as the students pushed their handmade dragon through the streets of Cornell.

The students said that the project took nearly two months to design and an additional two weeks to assemble the dragon.

Students Kuai Yu and William Day, who led the project, told 12 News that it was a great opportunity to get hands-on experience that they wouldn’t get elsewhere.

“It’s a great opportunity just as architecture students were very glad to have something like this that we can design and actually build with our hands. It’s such a great opportunity,” said Yu.

Day added “It’s amazing you learn so much just building something kind of actually making the drawing come to reality. It happens so little in architecture school so it’s really great”.

Dragon Day was traditionally held on St. Patrick’s Day, but after the university’s spring break schedule was pushed back in 2013, the event has taken place on the day before students leave for break, giving them a fun sendoff for the week.

Dragon Day embraces the historical roots of the rivalry between engineering and architecture students with the friendly tradition.

“They March it through campus, it fights with a Sphinx that the engineering students make, and everybody has a great time,” said President of Cornell University, Michael Kotlikoff.

Dragon Day doesn’t just play into tradition; it also serves as a massive day for school spirit while giving students a big project to work on.

“It’s terrific, it’s a great spirit event for the campus, it’s great for the architecture students they have a project they do engineering for the dragon and creation, and everybody has a great time,” said Kotlikoff.

Historically, the students would push their dragon through the streets of Cornell’s campus before it was burned. However, nowadays, instead of being set ablaze, the dragon gets a fresh coat of color as students throw colored powder on their project.

Students told 12 News that the tradition is a blast for the first-year students.

“It’s immensely satisfying. I mean obviously it’s a risk when we’re putting the head on and the structure in, but it’s been great,” said Day.

It is safe to say the celebration was the perfect way for students to welcome their spring break.