Traditions

My friends and I are creating our own tradition here at Lehigh. It is a weekly ice cream eating competition. But it is not your average “who can eat the most ice cream” type of contest.

This competition has been going on for some four weeks now. It takes place every Monday at the Cort at Lower U.C. at one o’clock in the afternoon. The rules of the competition go something like this. All of the competitors take a pointy waffle cone. Then one-by-one each participant takes their turn at the soft-serve machine to make the tallest ice cream cone possible without having the ice cream fall over. The cone must also not be artificially supported by items such as a hand or spoon. Once back at the table, the cones are measured by eye by holding them next to each other. We then rank the cones according to size, from tallest to shortest. This ranking is important because, in order to be declared the victor, the ice cream cone must be completely eaten. This means that if the person who made the biggest cone fails to finish it, the person with the next biggest cone who did finish it is declared the victor.

Now this may seem like a silly and childish game, but it is actually full of strategy. There are many different styles of cone-making. Some opt for the method known as the “compactor.” This method involves keeping the cone very close to the release point of the ice cream from the machine. Others opt for the “dive-bomber” method. This method is opposite of the “compactor”, as the cone is kept far away from the valve as the ice cream “dive-bombs” into the cone. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. The “compactor” offers great structural support, but at the expense of having more ice cream packed into a tight space. This can be detrimental while trying to eat the cone. The “dive-bomber” offers the opposite, as it has less structural support and is thus a bigger risk to fall, but is less ice cream to eat. So the next time you see someone in the dining hall with a huge ice cream cone, just think of how much skill was involved in making the cone.

There are many traditions here at Lehigh University. These traditions number many and range from the annual Bed Races to the Lehigh-Lafayette game. I like to think that my friends and I are contributing to Lehigh University’s rich and ever expanding history.