One of Wellesley College’s oldest and most beloved traditions, Flower Sunday annually welcomes the latest round of first-years (this year the class of 2028) into the community.
On the morning of Sept. 15 2024, this year’s Littles woke up bright and early to finally discover the identity of their Big. The joyful energy and contagious enthusiasm of the day was evident in the many pictures being taken in front of Lake Waban. Even if first-years don’t quite feel “at home” on campus yet, having a familiar face who knows the ins-and-outs of Wellesley can make them feel more comfortable.
The matching process of Bigs and Littles seems like a daunting task, so we wanted to get an insider’s perspective, and who better than a House President? Elli Gurguliatos ’25, house president of Shafer, told us all about the process this year.
“Both Bigs and Littles filled out a Google Form about their personality, likes/dislikes, and hopes for their relationship with their Big/Little. Some of the matches were based on identity-related questions, others based on activities, academic interests or music taste,” they said.
In some dorms on campus, such as Shafer, the number of Littles outnumbered the Bigs. In those cases, more than one Little was assigned to a Big after matching shared interests. All of the hard work done by the House Presidents evidently paid off, as many first-years described their positive experiences, including Keza Ineza ’28.
“I loved meeting my Big. I’m obsessed with and want to be them. We need more reasons to dress up on Sundays,” Ineza said, advising that future Bigs and Littles should, “Take time to get to know your sib and make plans to hang out with them! Ask as many questions as you can because they will give you the real deal. [Also,] if you have a multi-faceted identity, you should sign up to be a Little for as many orgs as you want! I didn’t know that, and it’s nice to have many people to rely on.”
After meeting their Bigs, Littles have the option to attend a ceremony at Houghton Chapel and this year’s ceremony was marked with poetry and words of wisdom from other students and faculty as well as music performances, including one from the Wellesley College Choir.
Katelynn Crespo ’26 who gave a speech at the ceremony reminded the community to “be where your feet are,” in her student reflection, emphasizing the importance of being in the present.
Students are often reminded of the value of new connections during Flower Sunday. Dani Ellis ‘25 explained that, “Realizing how much my Little and I had in common reminded me that I can both build new friendships and foster existing friendships at the same time!”
She remembered how social anxiety was a struggle for her, and that Flower Sunday was something that appeared out of her comfort zone, but that she found new friendships and grew as a result of the process.
The connections that first-years make during this event are not only with older students, and there is a lot of opportunity for meeting new people on campus, even those within your class.
Claire Pankros ’28 echoed this, saying, “I have a ’Twin Little’ and I’ve loved getting to be connected with another first year … It was so much fun getting to know each other and meeting my Big’s friends and their Littles too!”
The bonds cultivated by Flower Sunday are ones that Wellesley students have described as being able to depend on for years to come, especially meaningful during this time of transition where students are developing their academic interests and preparing for their lives and goals beyond college. As Gurguliatos put it, “The foundations of community, mentorship, and friendship are embedded into our Wellesley experience.”
Image credit: Wellesley College
Contact the editor(s) responsible for this story: Diya Khanna and Phoebe Rebhorn
