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By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

The University of Montevallo’s College Night is one of the more unique traditions that can be found on a collegiate campus.

The event is a coeducational competition that consists of various athletic events and a musical theater competition. The two sides of the event, Purple and Gold, have a fierce rivalry rooted in passion and pride for the place they call home.

While I have yet to attend a College Night in person, I have seen plenty of archival footage and heard incredible stories of the lengths Montevallo students were willing to go to deliver their side a victory.

Another unique collegiate tradition is one that I got to be a part of in January 2024.

Samford University’s StepSing event is hard to boil down into words. It is an annual dancing and singing competition that began in 1951 on the steps of Renfroe Hall at the Howard College East Lake Campus. It has now evolved into an entirely student-led, highly-produced event with thousands of attendees in person or via livestream.

While I do not have time to delve into the minutiae of both StepSing and College Night, I can tell you that each of these events is a testament to Samford and UM’s investment in their student bodies.

The fact that weeks and months are reserved in the planning, preparation and execution of unique events such as these cannot be looked over. College Night and StepSing are not just random extracurriculars for students to fill time; they compose the very lifeblood of the universities they are performed at.

I believe that universities across the country need to have their own versions of College Night and StepSing. I do not mean that schools should create their own carbon copies of these unique events, but rather every college should have a storied, unique tradition that requires deep investment from students, faculty and alumni alike.

After all, where else in the country can you see accounting majors clash in Purple and Gold regalia and nursing students sing “Defying Gravity?” If you have not been to StepSing or College Night, I cannot recommend them enough. Traditions like these are the glue that hold academic institutions together, and deserve the acclaim they so rightfully receive.