Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of the University’s Quad Day, a campus tradition that has undergone many transformations throughout its history.

As the photos on this page show, Quad Day was not always an event for freshmen to discover what their new school has to offer in terms of extracurriculars. Early days featured yo-yo contests and face painting booths. Essentially, it was an extended pep rally.

While there is nothing wrong with school spirit, the function of Quad Day has evolved into something much more useful for students: It’s a convenient way to find new clubs or see what kinds of tangible differences your peers are making in the world outside of the classroom. And if participating is not your thing, then go to Quad Day to pick up some free handouts. It’ll be your way of exercising your school spirit.