Even though you’ll quickly learn that sky can remain gray for several consecutive weeks, here are some of the traditions that warm up the life of the mind.

After your first quarter at the University of Chicago, most of your friends will ask you the age-old question: “Is it really where fun goes to die?” Although the early morning trips in the freezing cold after an all-nighter at the Reg might make you want to transfer to that school in Southern California you declined, here are some of the traditions the U of C has cooked up to make campus life a little hotter.