Architects in quirky costumes, throngs of people lining the streets, chants of “oi, oi, oi,” a 70-foot dragon — all of these were hard to miss for anybody on campus the day before spring break.
But while many cheered as the dragon marched through campus that rainy afternoon, few witnessed how it came together in the early hours of the day. This year, The Sun’s photographers spent the busy morning with the aspiring architects and captured the moments as the dragon came to life piece by piece.
The 118th Dragon Day parade, which took place on Friday, March 29, was the culmination of over a month of planning by the first-year architecture students. Although the parade lasted only an hour, the design and construction of the dragon spanned the two months leading up to the big day.
[Take a look at the history and little-known traditions of Dragon Day.]
Most of the construction took place during Dragon Week — the week before the parade when students were relieved of their typical workload so they could focus on building the dragon. After ordering the materials well in advance, they set to work on putting together the wooden frames and reflective scales.
The dragon as a whole, however, didn’t come together until the 24 hours leading up to the parade: Most of the frame was assembled the day before, and students were attaching scales from the early morning up until the final hours before the dragon was proudly marched through Central Campus.
Friday, 12:23 a.m.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
Luke Kratsios ’22 drills holes into the frame of the neck so scales can be attached. The string at the top of the frame was part of a pulley system that allowed a person to raise and lower the neck of the dragon from the inside.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
Turner Andrasz ’22 marvels at the tail, which consisted of multiple segments that could be swiveled from side to side.
3:45 a.m.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
Students test out parts of the right wing. The final design involved a pair of movable wings, but they were dropped in the final minutes before the parade after the connection point with the frame broke.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
Alexander Kyaw ’22 (left) zip ties a scale to a segment of the tail.
4:08 a.m.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
Construction is halted due to the rain, giving students a moment to catch their breath.
8:46 a.m.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
Francis Encarnacion ’22 (standing on the ladder) puts the finishing touches on the right leg of the dragon. Although the rain continued into the morning, students resumed construction on some parts of the dragon; a tarp was draped over the remaining sections to prevent water damage.
12:27 p.m.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
As the rain dissipated, the tarp was removed so students could finish their work on the body. With less than an hour to go, Jack Otto ’22 stands inside the frame to assist with the final assembly.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
A classmate helps Walter Collins ’22 paste pieces of reflective mylar sheets onto his face as he prepares for the parade. The material was primarily used in the dragon’s scales but was also incorporated into the first-year students’ costumes.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
As the dragon gradually takes its shape, freshmen not involved in the final construction warm up for the parade with a series of chants.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
A security worker holds up the dragon’s head as students attach it to the neck.
1:08 p.m.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
The dragon joins the parade just after the final assembly, heading east on University Ave. The first-year students, some pushing the chassis and some carrying parts of the tail, escorted the dragon along the one-mile parade route.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
While the freshmen uniformly donned black with the exception of the silver and gold pieces of mylar, the upperclassmen leading the procession displayed a wide array of color and creativity in their costumes.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
A unicorn, built by physics graduate students, greets paraders on East Ave. The unicorn has been a part of the parade since the early 2010s.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
Community members line East Ave, many with cameras ready.
Harry Dang / Sun Staff Photographer
While some groups of students coordinated their outfits, there was no overall theme; paraders dressed up as anything from instant noodle packages to Cornell’s Two-Step Login page.
Harry Dang / Sun Staff Photographer
The dragon makes its way up Ho Plaza.
1:40 p.m.
Harry Dang / Sun Staff Photographer
Paraders run around the dragon after it reaches its final destination on the Arts Quad.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
The first-year architecture students each claim a scale from the dragon after the parade as recognition of their hard work over the past few weeks.
Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor
Students briefly abandon their dragon for a puppy after their group photo.
Harry Dang / Sun Staff Photographer
Glorious to view: The Big Red Marching Band wraps up the celebration with Cornell’s alma mater, “Far Above Cayuga’s Waters.”