The beginning of the school year is marked with the Convocation ceremony. Held during Orientation, Convocation is one of only two times when the entire first-year student class will be together in one place (the other time being Commencement). During this dignified ceremony, which professors attend in full academic regalia, speeches are given by campus leaders, and talented first-year students are featured.

During Homecoming, both alumni and parents have an opportunity to participate in a variety of campus activities, including the annual football game, the crowning of the King and Queen, and performances by campus talent.

Throughout the year, Tea and Trumpets showcases campus and regional talent. Frequently held on Friday afternoons, these hour-long programs feature free refreshments and performances by musical groups, comedians, even poets and debators. Similarly, the Campus Programming Board brings talented musicians to campus for the CoffeeHaus series. Students can take a break from their studies to attend these free concerts.

Campus organizations often find that the best way to advertise their events is to Chalk the JAYwalk. The JAYwalk (James A. Young Memorial Walkway) is the name for the large sidewalk between the campus center and the library, extending from Sandusky Street to Rowland Avenue. Students are frequently found coloring the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk, advertising upcoming events or even writing celebratory messages for friends. The rain washes it all away, of course, and a new set of messages appears soon after. The JAYwalk is also a great place for eating lunch, chatting with friends, listening to concerts, or for starting an impromptu game of Ultimate Frisbee.

The Ohio Wesleyan Greek (fraternity/sorority) community has many of its own traditions, but two of its biggest traditions are Greek Week and Recruitment. Greek Week is held during September and features Olympic-style events and contests, songfests, barbecues, volleyball games, and more. Sorority recruitment for first-year students (and others) takes place during the first full weekend of the spring semester; recruitment for upperclass students is held during September. Fraternity recruitment for first-year students (and others) is also held during the early spring semester.

The Ohio Wesleyan President's Club hosts the annual President's Ball during a weekend in early December. This formal dance features music by the campus jazz band, as well as by a disc jockey. Similar to many formal high school dances, tudents, staff, and faculty dress to the nines to attend this event and dance the night away.

A newer campus tradition is the Midnight Breakfast, held during final exam week in the fall semester. The campus dining room in Smith Hall is kept open until the wee hours of the morning, where students gather to study, chat, and have their professors serve them meals.

Ohio Wesleyan recently acquired the use of The Strand Theatre in downtown Delaware. Students can now see current movies there at discounted prices. The Strand also hosts a special community film series, as well as fundraising events and free movie shows for campus events.

Current OWU students frequenly host prospective students throughout the year. However, in early April, a special weekend is set aside for prospective students to stay the night and experience Ohio Wesleyan. Called Slice of College Life, this weekend includes movies at the Strand theatre, performances by campus talent, and other fun programs for both current and prospective students alike.

Ohio Wesleyan has been acquiring traditions since 1844, when the College of Liberal Arts opened its doors with an enrollment of 29 male students taught by three professors. The college was housed in Elliott Hall, formerly the Mansion House Hotel, which had been constructed in the early 1830s when the current East Campus was a popular health resort. The resort was known for the "health-giving though odiferous waters" of its famed Sulphur Spring, a favorite spot of futrue generations of students. The Sulphur Spring is located on the north side of Phillips Hall on the academic side of campus, and recently underwent restoration efforts funded by the Class of 1954. It was at the spring that Rutherford B. Hayes, Delaware native and the 19th president of the United States, wooed and won Lucy Webb, one of Ohio Wesleyan's first coeds and the person for whom Hayes Hall is named.

In 1853, the Ohio Wesleyan Female College, an independent institution, was established in Delaware and four years later moved into the new Monnett Hall. In 1877, the Female College and the University merged, and during the 1977-78 academic year, Ohio Wesleyan celebrated 100 years of coeducation.

For many years, Monnett Hall was the center of women's life on campus. Monnett Weekend, now called Monnett/Kids and Sibs Weekend, takes its name from the Hall and the activities that occurred there. Originally scheduled to coincide with the nationwide celebration of Mother's Day in May, the Weekend was strictly a women's affair for many years. All events were scheduled on the Monnett Campus, and men were banned from the area while women students danced around the Maypole. During those years, men apparently developed their own tradition by arriving on the Monnett Campus early in the morning and concealing themselves in trees from which to watch the festivities. In recent years, the Weekend has become a time for both men and women students to entertain their parents and share their campus experiences with them. This is also the weekend when students are inducted into honor societies. In the most recent years, student organizations have sponsored kid-friendly programs for the siblings of current OWU students, including movie nights, game sessions, and more. This provides the opportunity for students to spend quality time with their families.

In addition to Monnett Weekend, spring brings SpringFest, planned and implemented by the Campus Programming Board. National musical acts are brought to campus for this Saturday concert, for which OWU students can purchase extremely discounted tickets. Recent bands to visit OWU for SpringFest include the Counting Crows, The Roots, and O.A.R.

Most underclass students have already left campus for the summer when Commencement and Alumni Weekend occur. Commencement is held on Sunday following the end of spring semester classes (on Mother's Day) and is preceded by a Baccalaureate celebration planned by members of the senior class. Many underclass students stay on campus to assist with Baccalaureate services. The traditional Commencement ceremony takes place on the west terrace of Phillips Hall. In case of rain, Commencement is held in Rickey Arena. At the conclusion of graduation, the bell in the tower of University Hall is rung to mark the close of another academic year. The weekend after Commencement is for alumni, and approximately 1000 people return for class reunions and other traditional activities. Classes hold their 25th (Silver Key) and 50th (Golden Key) reunions are especially honored at this time.

 
 
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