Students Mark End of Spring Semester with 119th Annual Stepsinging

Wellesley students celebrated the last day of classes on May 11 with the 119th annual Stepsinging, a tradition that began in 1899 with the dedication of Houghton Chapel. Per tradition, each class dresses in its respective colors—green, red, yellow, or purple—and sings from the Wellesley Song Book (including “America the Beautiful,” with lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates, class of 1880), and tries to out-sing and out-cheer the other classes. The tradition also includes a Champagne toast to send off the senior class, followed by a festive barbeque on Severance Green.