UPDATED: April 27, 11 p.m.

As empty red solo cups rolled down Euclid Avenue, Kyle McQuay reclined in a small blue inflatable pool outside of 423 Euclid Ave.

“Safety first,” said McQuay, a senior international relations major, pointing to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle floaties on his arms.

McQuay, along with many other students at Syracuse University, celebrated this year’s annual MayFest on Euclid Avenue. MayFest originally started in 2007 as a day off from classes for students to showcase their work and later party at off-campus houses on Euclid Avenue. The festivities are now split between Walnut Park and Euclid Avenue.

The weather at this year’s MayFest was better than past years, McQuay said, but Euclid Avenue was also much quieter. Still, students on Euclid were feeling the MayFest spirit.

At 500 Euclid Ave., a blue and orange sign with the phrase “You Honk, We Drink” was plastered on the front of the house. Students cheered as trucks and cars whizzed by, blaring their horns. Standing in the front yard of the house, Kyle Kimball, a senior advertising major, shared his MayFest morning routine.

“We started at 8 a.m. with mimosas and Mario Kart, and then somehow ended up here,” Kimball said.

Other students such as Lorenzo Marquez and Peri Casella began celebrating MayFest at noon. Casella, a junior management and emerging enterprises and entrepreneurship major, said she loves how everyone is so kind and happy during MayFest. She added that the event truly makes SU feel like a community.

“Every day should be MayFest,” Casella said.

As Marquez, a junior economics major, hopped off the back of an ice cream truck stationed at the corner of Euclid and Sumner avenues, he said MayFest was better this year because he lived on Euclid Avenue and was able to host parties at his own house.

Marquez added that the police were cooperative with the students partying on Euclid Avenue. One student pointed at a Syracuse police officer as he strolled down Euclid Avenue and informed the officer of the great job he was doing monitoring MayFest.

Syracuse Police Department Lt. Richard Shoff said Euclid Avenue was “creepily quiet” this year. The police department’s main concern was students getting on top of roofs, he said.

“It’s dangerous,” he said, “alcohol and roofs don’t mix.”

It’s not against Syracuse city law to be out on rooftops, but since it’s against student conduct codes, Shoff said he calls the Department of Public Safety to take care of it. Around 3 p.m., Shoff noted that he had yet to ticket students for open containers.

“Once I hit my threshold (of seeing open containers) I start giving out tickets,” Shoff said, adding that it is important that students keep alcohol on their property.

Late in the afternoon, things began to pick up again at 519 Euclid Ave. A black MayFest ’14 banner was strung above the front porch, while students took turns launching themselves down a Slip ‘n Slide. The slide went down the steep hill at the front of the yard and ended right at the pavement where sliders were caught by fellow students.

KJ Mills, a senior history and political science major, was not so lucky and instead slid right into the pavement. Though his left hand and chest were bleeding, Mills said he only had one regret: “I guess I should have planned for dry clothes.”

For Mills, MayFest is the day that everyone comes together in collective celebration to honor the end of the year. He added that this year’s MayFest, which was his last, reminded him that he will not be here with his friends next year who are all going their separate ways after graduation.

“It’s a last hurrah for everyone,” he said.

Published on April 25, 2014 at 8:05 pm