Friendly competitions help build camaraderie among first-year students
September 1, 2026
Woodruff P.E. Center was lively — and loud — as Emory College’s first-year students showcased their musical talents, creativity and love for Emory during Songfest on Aug. 27 (photos above). The longstanding tradition pits students against each other as they perform custom songs highlighting life in their new home.
At the end of the night, Turmilton (the nickname for residents of Turman and Hamilton Holmes Halls) took home the trophy, with Raoul Hall and Complex Hall placing as first and second runners-up, respectively.
Alabama and Dobbs Halls (also known as AlaDobbs) won the T-shirt design contest. Raoul Hall was first runner-up and Harris Hall rounded out the top three.
Eagle Hall won the banner contest, followed by AlaDobbs Hall and Raoul Hall.
Earlier in the week, first-year students at Oxford College held their own competition: the annual Oxford Olympics (photos below). The evening was filled with team activities and good-natured competition, with orientation leaders overseeing the eight teams based on T-shirt color.
Students competed in games such as Hungry, Hungry Hippos, the three-legged race, the hippity hop relay and “basket”ball. The yellow team won first place overall in this year’s games, with the blue team as runner-up. The pink team claimed the Most Spirited Award.
Songfest photos by Sarah Woods, Emory Photo/Video. Oxford Olympics photos by Paulina Yang 27Ox.
