About the event
The Ring of Iron is the quietest thing that happens all week. On the Friday of Millrace Week, graduating seniors meet at dusk at the 1912 cornerstone of Founders Hall. They form a ring, each with a hand on the shoulder of the person beside them, and walk one slow lap of the building. Then they go home. There are no speeches and no programs, and the university has never quite admitted to organizing it. Nobody can say for certain why it happens at dusk. The usual student explanation is that it is easier to be sentimental when you cannot see anyone’s face too clearly.
Two hours later the noise comes back. The pep rally in Ironclad Fieldhouse brings out the football team, the Ironclad Pep Band, the spirit squad and the mascot. Before Saturday’s Forge Bowl, the 138-pound anvil trophy appears on a cart pushed by two offensive linemen.
Schedule
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 5:45 p.m. | Seniors gather (December and May graduates both count) | Founders Hall steps |
| About 6:15 p.m. | Ring of Iron, one lap | Around Founders Hall |
| 6:45 p.m. | Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner (ticketed, separate) | Founders Union ballroom |
| 7:30 p.m. | Fieldhouse doors open | Ironclad Fieldhouse |
| 8:00 p.m. | Pep rally | Ironclad Fieldhouse |
Location and access
The lap around Founders Hall is paved and level except for the north side, where seniors who use wheelchairs or would rather not do the hill can wait at the cornerstone. The ring closes around them, as it has done for years. Underclassmen and families are asked to watch from the quad side, quietly. The fieldhouse has accessible seating on the concourse level. Founders Union stays open until 1 a.m. both nights of the weekend.
Registration
Neither event needs a ticket. Seniors do not register for the Ring. You just show up. Alumni coming back for reunions should look at Homecoming and reunions 2026 for the Friday evening class gatherings.
Contact and related events
The pep rally is organized by the Millrace Week committee with Ironclad Athletics. The full week is on the Millrace Week schedule. Earlier in the week are the cardboard boat regatta and the Foundry pour.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. The Ring of Iron, the pep rally and the anvil on a cart are invented traditions of a fictional university; there is no cornerstone to circle and no rally to attend.