Every year before Marathon Monday, Wellesley students use the creativity they have saved up working on problem sets and papers all semester to make funny, topical and sometimes even risque signs to encourage runners—and sometimes ask for kisses.
Students have different strategies for making the perfect MarMon sign. Bastienne Baggett ’21 wrote “Kiss Me I’m from South Dakota.” As a first year, she does not have a history of seeing older students’ signs to draw on, but because she has not found any other Wellesley students from South Dakota she hoped this sign might help her find runners from her state.
Another strategy for a successful sign is based on negativity. Baggett suggested that her friend Amira Solomon ’21 make a sign that said something like “Kiss Me I Hate the Yankees.” They both agreed that signs like that could get more attention than positive signs because people usually feel more passionately about things they hate.
Nicole Li ’21 had a similar idea — one of her signs read “Don’t Kiss Me I’m Petty.” Her other sign simply said “Skrrt.” Neither one asked for a kiss, but she thought they were both likely to get people’s attention.
Sign making events in the Tower and Bates Dining Halls were hosted by Schneider Board of Governors (SBOG) the night before the marathon. SBOG member Iletze Porras ’19 mentioned that she knew many students were rushing to get sign-making supplies from CVS at the last minute, so they planned this event to make the process easier. Porras made a sign for the SBOG Frog to hold, which says “Turn Me Back into A Princess.”
Some students remember particularly timely political signs from years past, such as “If Trump Can Run So Can You” and “You Run Better than the Government.” Others chose facts about themselves to emphasize on their signs, such as “Kiss Me I’m French and Blonde,” “Kiss Me I’m A Vegan,” and “Kiss Me and I’ll Mention You When I Win My Nobel Prize.” Most signs are colorful markers in block letters on white backgrounds, but some students add in more pattern and color. The Nobel Prize sign, for example, stood out for its green striped bubble letters.
Amanda Hernandez ’18 made a sign asking runners to “Kiss Me It’s My Birthday.” She mentioned that each year MarMon has been close to her birthday, but this year it falls exactly on the day, so she used it to inspire her sign.
A few students crafted more risque signs to get the attention of runners. Several students mentioned remembering signs saying “Kiss Me I Won’t Tell Your Wife” every year. “Kiss Me I’m Single” is another perennial favorite, with new variations every year.
