The Brown & White

Long before setting foot on campus as a freshman at Lafayette College, I had heard about the deep-seeded rivalry between the school I had chosen to become my alma mater and the neighboring Lehigh University. I wasn't completely schooled on where it all began or why such integral parts of the rivalry included defacing statues on either campus or yelling blatant remarks of hate on game day. I didn't know why everyone had gone so far as to buy matching T-shirts covered in anti-Lehigh sentiments, packaged in pop culture references. All I was made aware of was this: These Lehigh people were a nefarious bunch, and it was my job to hate them for the next four years.

Now a senior, I know much more about the Lafayette-Lehigh rivalry and why we go all out every year: It's kind of fun.

To an outsider, the relationship between these two schools might seem strange. Our interactions are cordial as a whole, and there are many instances in which our institutions are able to collaborate on bigger projects, effectively utilizing one another's resources. This is rarely done without jokes about the utter dislike both sides have for one another. (All in good spirit, of course. Sometimes.) But then, this one time of year each campus unites against the other. Friends and relationships between institutions are put on hold, and the nasty T-shirts come out in full force. Feel the rage.

There is an unspoken agreement that shortly after the football or soccer game is over, and a winner has been determined, we will put our swords away and go back to the cordial partnership we enjoy for the duration of the year. But for that one November weekend of rivalry, rage and general debauchery - it's on. And it's fantastic. When again in our young lives will it be socially acceptable to chant obscenities at a formidable rival? When again in our young lives will we have such a formidable rival?

The long and the short of it is this: Hating you guys is fun for us, and I'm equally sure that hating us is a good time for you. There is a cathartic element to being able to so openly express such a passionate dislike, even if it's an imaginary one we bring out but once a year. Memories are made, football is played and for this one weekend, we get to put other things on hold and be kids. It will be a long time before I forget my best friend openly yelling "Leopards" at strangers on our Quad or standing in the freezing cold with my housemates, bonding over being so quintessentially college. The hate we have during game day is very much rooted in a love I think we all have for being young, being in college, loving a good rivalry and spending time with the people who mean the most to us right now.

This Saturday, the Lehigh campus will explode with this yearly display of collegiate contempt each school has for the other. I'm expecting to see some good football and hopefully a Lafayette win. Coming from the side with the higher winning percentage, I feel good about my odds. (Sorry, Mountain Hawks, you didn't think I could leave that out, did you?) But more importantly, the stresses of work and life will momentarily fade, and I think we're all going to have a good weekend. We always do.