Photo by Richard Howard

Rain was forecast for the last day of classes (#LDOC to students these days), so the traditional end-of-year Stepsinging was brought inside Houghton Memorial Chapel. The gloomy weather didn’t dim the enthusiasm of the sunshine-yellow class of 2019—and small but mighty contingents of other classes—who belted out classic tunes like “O Thou Tupelo,” “The Wellesley Composite,” and “Ballad of the Bold, Bad Man.”

The Wellesley College Alumnae Association hosts Stepsinging at the beginning and end of the academic year, and also at reunion. After 120 years, why is the tradition still popular? Associate Director of Alumnae Engagement Darcy Kupferschmidt ’12, who helps organize Stepsinging and first learned the songs from her alumna mother, says, “The entire event is such a fun opportunity to see the creative and silly side of Wellesley students. The competitive cheers are witty, and it’s such a good opportunity to make some noise on what can be a very quiet campus.”