The beginning of finals signifies not only the end of classes for Cornellians but also the completion of another fall season of athletics.

Many students finish off the semester with parties, formals and other celebratory social functions, so it’s certainly no surprise that many of the Big Red’s teams are wrapping up the fall season with various celebrations and events.

The cross country team partakes in a long-running tradition to wrap up the fall season; for the past 80 years, the members of the cross country team have dressed up in formal attire and walked to a church in Varna where they have a banquet during study week.

At the banquet, different awards are given out to honor the season’s MVP and most improved. The team also names the new captains at this banquet, according to Sage Canaday ’09.

Although members of the varsity cross country team run for the track team in the spring, the track team itself has its own celebration after the first home meet, scheduled for this Saturday. The formal event is held at one of the track houses every year, according to Emily Bartlett ’09.

This year, the varsity women’s soccer team is doing more than just partying at the end of the season; the team is participating in the Adopt-A-Family program in Ithaca.

The team will be supplying, wrapping and delivering gifts to less fortunate families in the area. The banquet will take place in the spring, as will a few other events.

“The seniors are putting together a ‘freshmen fun night’ for the freshmen,” Mariye Wick ’08 said. “We're hoping to embarrass them a little, but keep it fun.”

The underclassman honored the seniors earlier this season when “they made us all scrapbooks and videos and candy and lots of stuff,” Wick said.

The varsity field hockey team also honored its seniors earlier in the season with a formal tailgate after the last home game.

At the tailgate, parents, players and the coaches had the opportunity to share a few words about the team. Additionally, the freshmen decorated the locker rooms and made a gift to give to the seniors.

The official banquet will take place after winter break, according to Katie Bradshaw ’08.

Although the men’s varsity heavyweight crew team’s main season is in the spring, the team has a celebration in the fall after the Schwartz Cup race on Homecoming weekend.

The Schwartz Cup is an important race for the team and celebrated as such.

“This is the biggest event for the heavyweight crew team,” Michael Brown ’09 said. “The winners of the Schwartz races receive engraved pewter mugs which get used rather heavily that night.”

The men’s varsity heavyweight crew team has its big celebration in the spring. For the past few years, the team has had a pool party in Philadelphia.

But while most Cornellians are relaxing over winter break, both the varsity heavyweight crew team and cross country team are preparing for their next races.

Men’s heavyweight crew does get to get away from the cold over break while training for eight days in Orlando.

In the winter, the team trains intensely on ergs, rowing machines that closely imitate the motion of rowing.

Like the heavyweight rowing team, both the track and cross country teams have intense training over winter break and are expected to run and workout on their own over break.

“The team requires a lot of dedication and training over winter break,” Canaday said. “A lot of us will come back early in the first week of January to train and compete for the indoor track season.”

The distance runners will try to run as many miles as possible: “I personally plan on training about 3 hours a day over winter break — total time of running, doing drills, lifting and stretching,” Canaday said.

The football team also partakes in winter training; lifting weights for an hour three times a week until Christmas, then four times a week until returning to Cornell, Nick Maxwell ’09 said.