Hiking, crying and stressing over finals — that’s the idea behind the event, "Cry Hike Before Finals," that began as a joke among friends at ASU.
A crowd of around 30 people took off onto "A" Mountain around 6:45 p.m. Thursday after gathering to talk briefly about how their finals were going. They set off, ready to hike, just as the sun was setting.
Digital culture sophomore Samedi Johnson, who identifies by gender neutral pronouns, said they felt like crying on a mountain before starting finals week. Soon after, they thought other people might want to do the same and made it into a public Facebook event.
“What I hope to get out of this event is probably just to see other people,” Johnson said. “A lot of people kind of crowd inside themselves to get their finals done and it’s hard to get out and meet friends.”
Johnson said they were inspired by events like Fill Tempe Town Lake with Quick Dry Cement, and they thought they should try something comical like that, too.
However, Johnson said they thought the stress of finals depends on which final a person is taking.
“Some teachers can be unrealistic with some of their assignments — they expect you to get done in such a short time,” Johnson said. “Some have a right amount of stress where you can prepare for real life where you’re going to have harsher deadlines, and it’s your job on the line.”
Geography and urban planning sophomore Gabe Leon said he attended the event for fun and because he is friends with Johnson.
“It’s kind of a joke, but it’s also reflecting a lot of students’ feelings about finals, about possibly graduating and a lot of the stuff that goes along with it,” he said.
He said "A" Mountain is symbolic because it acts as an extension of the University and feels like it belongs to its students.
“We’re all attached to it even though it’s probably not the coolest hike we’ve ever been on," he said.
Secondary education english junior Daniel Orton said he was in the room with Samedi when they made the event, and that he chose to attend because he wanted to be with his friends and meet new people.
He said the stress that comes with finals is natural, but spending time with friends can help make it less burdensome.
“You’re supposed to have that kind of stress in your life,” Orton said. “That’s what college teaches you to deal with stress in your own way and I think a cry hike really helps with that.”
Reach the reporter at avcabral@asu.edu or follow @angeligagaa on Twitter.
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