Traditions
We celebrate Simmons as a campus community all year round!
Celebrating Simmons
Traditions are part of what makes Simmons so special. From Founder's Day to the Simmons Soiree, our campus celebrates its legacy in fun and exciting ways. Check out a few of the ways we celebrate our Simmons pride!
Traditions with a long history at Simmons
Explore the University Archives for the history of some of the oldest traditions and activities that continue bring students together and build bonds that last a lifetime.
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May Day
May Day is the oldest continuous tradition at Simmons. This 100-year-old tradition meets the modern age with the senior and sophomore classes working together. Activities include flower crown making, a strawberry-themed brunch, singing, the maypole dance, and more.
Winter Wonderland
Catch the holiday spirit with res-hall decorating, themed dinners, and an ugly sweater party hosted by first-year students. This tradition loosely grew from the Olde English Dinner.
Shark Week
Seven days of swimming in Shark pride through events like casino night, scavenger hunts, laser tag, cake decorating, and more. Shark Week is an evolution of what originated as Track Day.
Founder's Day
Every year on October 30, we celebrate the birthday of Simmons’ founder, John Simmons with an essay contest, sparkling apple cider, and cake!
Friends and Family Weekend
Every year friends and families of our students come to experience Simmons for themselves. This tradition began as Father-Daughter weekend in the 1960s.
Newer traditions at Simmons
Candle Lighting Ceremony
A moving tradition that brings first-year students together on their first night to pause and reflect.
Simmons Soiree
Like prom, but fancier! You and your date spend the night dining and dancing at one of Boston’s finest hot spots, like Park Plaza or the State Room.
Traditions and Annual Events in the News
Simmons Marks 125 Years with Reunion Celebration
First-ever all-inclusive reunion aims to raise $1 million for student scholarships while celebrating Simmons' legacy of excellence.
Edwidge Danticat Explores Being Alone Together
The award-winning author Edwidge Danticat was the speaker at the annual Robert M. Gay Memorial Lecture. Danticat read excerpts from her recent work and engaged the Simmons community in a conversation about solitude, community, and memory.
Children’s Literature at Simmons: An Archival Journey
In honor of this year’s Summer Children's Literature Institute, we take a look back at the rich history of these events over the last 50 years, which gathered creators, scholars, and readers to mine the brilliant simplicity and compelling complexity of literature published for young people and read by so many others.
Reflecting on Women’s History Month
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, President Wooten shares key takeaways from the events she participated in throughout March.
SLC25 Celebrates Leaders’ Capacity for Change
The Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership recently hosted the 46th Annual Simmons Leadership Conference. The diverse array of panelists and guest speakers championed resilience, self-growth, and interpersonal connection.
Dr. Sharon Malone Promotes ‘Grown Woman’s Talk’
The sixth annual Ifill Forum featured board-certified OB/GYN, menopause expert, bestselling author, and women’s health advocate Dr. Sharone Malone. In conversation with WBUR’s All Things Considered radio host Lisa Mullins ’80, ’05HD, Dr. Malone spoke about her close friendship with Gwen Ifill ’77, ’93HD and rallied women to advocate for better health.
Dr. Adrianna Nava Champions Leadership in Nursing
Dr. Adrianna Nava “fights to ensure that nurses’ voices are heard in healthcare policy,” said Delmy Piano, Assistant Professor of Practice and Assistant Director of Simmons’ Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program, when introducing the Dotson’s 2025 hybrid Lectureship Event on...
Simmons Founder’s Day Essay Contest 2024
On October 30, Simmons celebrated Founder's Day; a particularly special event, given the 125th anniversary of the University. Our essay contest winner Abigail Gill ’26, read her essay at the event.