Mercator Spirit Days were initiated by the Mercator College Office Team in October 2004. The idea behind the Spirit Days is to promote college spirit, make students feel home in Mercator and most of all have fun.

It all started with the first Pajama Spirit Day in 2004 and over the years many other events have been initiatad or incorporated in this unique concept. The spirit days are spread throughout the semester ensuring that we are not short of spirit at any time.

Kick starting this chain of events is the Initiation Ceremony (College Social Night) during the O-week. While freshmen are officially knighted into the Mercator Family, the older hands have a chance to catch up with their friends after the long summer break and get to know the new Mercatorians. A surprise or two for the freshmen is usually the highlight of the day.

Following hot on the heels is the Pajama Sunday - Das Original Spirit Day. Students usually get in the spirit of things from the beginning of the weekend as they are encouraged to follow an open door policy. The doors to their apartments open, they are more than willing to welcome fellow students and get to know their college mates better. On Sunday, most Mercatorians roam around in their Pajamas and later get together in the college office late at night for some sumptuous English breakfast.

And soon it is time for sports to take centrestage as Jacobs University plays host to the Olympix - the annual Inter-College sports fest. To make sure that every Mercatorian feels part of the team, the college office distributes Mercaotor T-shirts to each and every Mercatorian. The next day, most Mercatorians come out in their blue T-shirts. Later everyone gets together in the college office to make plans for world domination and try to come up with a common war cry as we march together to the opening ceremony. Rumour has it that some of our honorary members have used blue chalks on this day in their lectures.

The cooking contest then follows. All the nine floors from Mercator are cook food from different parts of the world. A panel of jury including honorary members of Mercator, college office and student representatives judge the food. The top three contestants are awarded with the winner also getting a plaque on their kitchen door proclaiming them to be the winners of the cooking contest. A rewarding award indeed (in addition to getting money for a floor party).

Fast forward to December - the last month of the fall semester. As Christmas is around the corner Mercatorians decide to get in festive mood. We gather in the servery and decorate it for the upcoming festive season. Cookies, Glühwein and Christmas Carols add to the festive spirit. After a few short hours of work, the servery is completely unrecognizable - hollies, Christmas trees and mistletoe dominating the scene. And around the same time, there is also a nice surprise for the residents of Mercator. We won't spoil the surprise here, come and live in Mercator to unravel this secret.

After the month long winter break, it is time to not only welcome back the Mercatorians but also the exchange students from Lafayette. We do this in the Italian style with the Mercator Italian Night. With pizza dough and tons of toppings to chose from, you finally have the chance to be a chef. Mix all the toppings you want, chose the shape that you want your pizza to be and then put it the oven. Minutes later, enjoy it hot with wine, soda or juice. With soulful Italian music in the background, it is the perfect way to start a new semester.

February the 14th - your heart skip a beat there? You have the chance to come to the college office and make a personalized card for your beloved one and we will deliver it for you with a red rose. The servery is decorated on the night of the 13th so you have the perfect excuse to feel all lovey-dovey.

The first day of March sees us celebrating Martisor/Martenitsa - the traditional celebration of the beginning of the spirng in Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Macedonia. It was pioneered by Cosmina Bolojan - a former Mercator student in 2007. Students learn to make Martisors. It is indeed quite a sight to see a couple of students five feet apart twisting a long string over and over again. It is a nice chance for all of us to learn about new cultures and traditions.

Come the ides of March and it is nearly time for us to be a little Irish as we celebrate the St. Patrick's day. Kilkenny, Guinness and Irish stew along with a highly trained dance instructor all combine to create an infectious atmosphere. Bedecked in all things green, the common room is a sight to behold. Packed full of dancing, chatting and merry folks it indeed is one of the liveliest events of the year.

May brings along nice and sunny weather (usually and hopefully) and also Mercatorstrasse - the most eagerly awaited event of the semester. Organized by the Mercator floor representatives, the event features a unique theme each year. Examples from last years include a pirate based theme, medieval theme and the fall of the Berlin wall. Combined with games, BBQ, drinks and loads of people makes it an evening designed for unbridled fun. Perfect way to relax before the finals.

(Text by Rahul Jain)

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