A new friend of mine acquainted me with the different way Colgate University alumni see Friday the 13th. For them it is Colgate Day. Here is the school tradition on 13 from a CU website.
The university was originally founded as The Baptist Education Society of the State of New  York by 13 men who each offered $13 and 13 prayers.
The society's original constitution contained 13 articles. Our address is 13 Oak Drive, and we are located in the zip code 13346 (the first two digits are 13, and the last three digits add up to 13!). There is certainly no triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13) here -- in fact we've embraced it as Colgate's lucky number!
So, that is why we've adopted the most notorious 13 – Friday the 13th – as a celebration of Colgate. Every Colgate Day students, faculty, staff, alumni, and families around the world don their Colgate regalia and celebrate the university and its community.
I like their style. As one sage observed about sporting events, "I've observed that those who work the hardest tend to be the luckiest." I used to tell my son before a track meet, "I don't believe in luck. Run hard." People often say the words, "Good luck," to me. I've heard it a lot lately as I am beginning a new chapter in my life. I know that it is a wish on their part; they want the best for me, so I try to receive the words graciously. As I used to tell my son, though, I don't believe in luck, certainly not Luck. Life is lived out in the intersection of my work and God's plan. So I trust God and try to work hard.  Friday the 13th is simply the day between Thursday the 12th and Saturday the 14th. I suggest that we follow the lead of Colgate. Let's do our best to make a good day of it.
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