2020: The Wilson Commons entrance alarm started going off. No one thought much more than it being a small annoyance before they walked into the Pit. We joked around about how annoying it was. We thought it was funny…

2021: The alarms became more and more regular. Soon enough they were ringing every day in Wilco. There were endless complaints. They had no idea how much ruin was in store for us all.

2024: This was the beginning of the end. There used to be reliable places on campus to get away from the sound. Then one day, as the students in Douglass Dining waited in line for a bowl of soggy pasta floating in basil oil…..  BEEEEErrRR… BEEEEErrRR…  BEEEEErrRR… the alarm spread to Douglass. Mass havoc arose on campus. Students emptied the dining halls, becoming so desperate that they even raided the gluten-free pantry. They’d rather eat a cookie that tastes like sand than nothing. 

2025: The noise spread to the libraries and residential halls. The constant ringing was inescapable.

2027: After a few years the alarm invoked a certain craze in the students. The ring in the ears of the nerds convinced them they were in the world of Luke and Leia Skywalker. The Optics students converted first. They started small, wearing robes whenever they all sat down for Douglass dinner. Then they officially established their cult. “The Knights of the Jedi Order” was added to the clubs on CCC. They even convinced the administrators to give them funds for free lightsabers and a Jedi sanctuary in the Eastman Quad. 

2028: The constant ringing in their ears and the University’s favoritism for the Optics students enraged the other engineering majors. They painted the tunnels black and created an underground Sith headquarters. Hutchison was quickly taken over and turned into a droid factory. Soon every STEM major had been possessed by the alarm and had chosen a side. The humanities majors simply sat back and watched the destruction. The entertainment held back their complaints. The ringing persisted.

To be continued… 



The beeping revolution: A timeline of events

For graduated senior Helen Jackson, who hadn’t been able to go home for breaks for the past two years, these last few months have been a much-needed break. “I’m moving halfway across the country in July for my PhD program, so I probably won’t be able to come home very often after this,” she said. Read More

The beeping revolution: A timeline of events

URochester’s annual Senior Week always features a full lineup of celebrations for the graduates leading up to Commencement. The contemporary week-long fun is deeply embedded in the history of URochester culture, even though Senior Week and Commencement traditions have changed dramatically over time. Read More

The beeping revolution: A timeline of events

Through a live demonstration and tasting, Chef Dede prepared fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, and collard greens – dishes rooted in Black Southern history. Students leaned in as she explained the methods and care that go into each plate. Read More