“At shortly after 2 o’clock, the sophomores carrying the daisy chain left Main Hall and marched to South Hall where they met the seniors. With the daisy chain at their head, the seniors came over to the Court and, in the glory of their caps and gowns, they suddenly appeared before us on the platform” -1909-1910 Pharetra

On the eve of graduation, students took a bus out to the nearby fields and collected daisies, which they then knotted together to form a chain. Symbolically, the daisy chain represents the last opportunity for the sophomore “littles” to honor their senior “bigs”.

On the morning of Commencement, the sophomores present the seniors with the completed chain. In early years, the graduating class carried the chain with them onto the platform where they sat to receive their diplomas.  Later, this aspect evolved. Seniors march into a “W” formation with the daisy chain, the sophomores sing the traditional daisy chain song to the seniors, and then the chain is dropped beside the Conococheague Creek.

After commencement, the seniors toss the chain into the Creek, where it is carried away on the current, symbolizing good wishes for the graduates in their journey beyond college. It is said that a broken chain is bad luck for the graduates.