Slope Day 2008 started slow and ended wet, but even mid-afternoon rain didn't dampen the spirits of students gathered to celebrate the end of classes.

The weather -- cool temperatures in the lower 60s and overcast skies that turned to rain by 2:30 p.m. -- may have kept some of the early revelers indoors, but the music brought them out to Libe Slope.

"I noticed a lot of people actually going to classes this morning, more than in previous years," said Peggy Beach, director of campus information and visitor relations.

This year's event had a new emphasis on sustainability and on cutting waste. In addition to receptacles for trash and recyclables, two large dumpsters were placed on the site for compost -- for the first time, all food packaging, cups and utensils at the event were 100 percent compostable. Beer cups were made of corn-based plastic and forks of potato-based material. The effort was an initiative of Campus Life's student and staff Green Team, Cornell Dining and the Slope Day Steering Committee.

Catherine Holmes of the Office of the Dean of Students credited student Lonnie Odom with coming to her last fall with the idea of a sustainable Slope Day. "I took it to the steering committee and Cornell Dining, and they thought it was a great idea," Holmes said.

Organizers are also looking at alternatives for plastic water bottles at future events, she said.

At SlopeFest on Ho Plaza, thousands of students enjoyed activities, treats and freebies, including the official Slope Day '08 ice cream flavor (with the we're-not-making-this-up name: "Take a look at our ice cream … bah da da da!") in addition to skee ball and other carnival games, food and cotton candy, music, dance and free raffles for an iPod Touch and a Canon camera.

All comers, from students to staff, had their IDs scanned at the gates this year, both for security and to collect demographic and arrival-time data for future events.

While some policy and program decisions for the event -- such as the Greek SlopeFest Challenge -- were aimed at pulling people away from house parties and onto campus earlier, it was Ted Leo and the Pharmacists as Slope Day's opening act that really did the trick. Libe Slope was sparsely populated before the music started at 1:30 p.m. but was crowded by the end of Leo's 45-minute set.

A favorite among college audiences, Leo played four Cornell shows prior to 2005, packing students into rooms in Appel Commons and the old Noyes Recreation Center.

"Is it true that you literally just finished classes?" Leo asked when he first took the stage. "Well, we just literally finished writing this song in the dressing room."

The concert lineup also featured rock bands Hot Hot Heat and Gym Class Heroes, the latter hailing from nearby Geneva and featuring onetime Cornell student Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo on lead guitar.

The Cornell chimesmasters also honored the day at their 1:15 p.m. chimes concert with a rendition of "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?" before playing the alma mater.

The weather also seemed to lessen the risk of dehydration usually caused by sun and alcohol at Slope Day, said event logistics committee member Phil McPheron of Campus Life. As of 2 p.m., Cornell EMTs on site had only tended to a few minor cuts and scrapes.