Slope Day, a long-standing tradition, returns on April 20 featuring headliners Ryan Lombardi and Sigma Ligma Balls Fraternity DJ, Jake Chadson ’25.
When he is not serving the campus community as the vice president for student and campus life, Lombardi attracts a vast fan base on SoundCloud with his recently leaked account titled “Lil Lombard,” including several Cornellian fans.
“My favorite track is ‘Martha’s Weather Machine Mash’ because of how it encapsulates this one week in February when I walked to class from North [Campus] in negative 5-degree weather one day and 70-degree weather the next day when my parents flew in from Long Island,” said Marsha Pommack ’26.
When asked about Lombardi’s inclusion on the lineup, Jay P. Morgan ’24 connected the dean’s journey into the music industry to his own experience as an Industrial and Labor Relations student.
“I didn’t know [Lombardi] was a musician,” Morgan said. “But as someone originally interested in unionization and ethical labor, yet later found their passion for investment banking, I really think it is cool when people try new things and ultimately pursue careers that spread joy in the world.”
After the long-anticipated lineup was released, students flocked to Sidechat to discuss the artists.
“Am I the only one who has zero clue who the people for Slope Day are…?” said an anonymous Sidechat user.
This comment was met with extreme backlash, with some students expressing that the original poster should be more knowledgeable about Chadson in particular.
“Were you not at Sig Lig’s Groundhog Day darty, OP?” said an anonymous Sidechat user. “Buddy was obliterating aux.”
The Slope Day Programming Board was given just enough of a budget to afford Chadson, who just so happens to be “tight” with the board members.
“Jake and I go way back,” said SDPB president Coco Coin ’23, who has been a Sigma Ligma Balls sweetheart since 2012.
Budgets seem to be allocated sparingly in all organizations. The SDPB only had $250,000 to book both Lombardi and Chadson, who typically charge more for performances but gave the school a discount to make up for last year’s Slope Day, which was characterized as “lame” by almost all attendees.
“Who even was Aminé?” Lombardi said. “As the leader of Student and Campus Life, last year was frankly embarrassing. That’s why I knew I needed to step up.”
Passionate professors were eager to contribute to the discussion as well. Prof. Cory Earle ’07, history, had only praise for the unique direction SDPB took with artist recruitment.
“This year’s Slope Day lineup objectively has less star power than any other in the past twenty years [which highlights indie, underground talent],” Earle tweeted.
Overall, this year’s artists feel overwhelming support from the Cornell community, each looking forward to being on stage in the near future.
“Yeah, I’m stoked,” Chadson said. “I’m ready to get lit on the Slope,” Lombardi added.
Ise Spicer is a freshman in the College of Industrial and Labor Relations and can be reached at [email protected].