The CC Weekly Weigh In: Campus “Traditions”

While it’s obvious that there are situations common to all college students whatever campus they may call home, every campus has its own unique traditions. Some, like walking through a certain fountain upon graduation, date back hundreds of years. Others, like puking under a table at the late night Mexican restaurant on the night of your 21st birthday, are simply infamous amongst the student body.

And it is these things that unite students and make us proud to call our specific school home. So this week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to show a little school pride and share their university’s eccentricities with the world.

Tell us: what campus “tradition” sets your school apart from the pack?

Ness – Sheridan: You know you go to the biggest art school in Canada when all the guys are either high or gay. Sigh.

Teresa Wu – UCSD:  You know you go to UCSD when it’s hard to find a seat at the library on the third day of school.

Kim – Stanford: You know you go to Stanford when there is a protest for anything and everything.

Lauren H – The New School: You know you go to New School when there’s only one guy in your class and he’s looking for guys too.

Elizabeth – UC Berkeley: You know you go to UC Berkeley when you’ve been kissed by a bum.

Nina – Michigan State University: You know you go to Michigan State University when a half hour’s walk to a party or class is no sweat … it’s actually the norm.

Kari – Florida State: You know you go to Florida State when the sight of Potbelly’s makes your heart flutter, when you refuse to wear anything that pairs orange and blue together (hideous), and when you’ve eaten a slice of pizza bigger than your head from MoMo’s.

Thu – USC: You know you go to USC when you can dorm in a hotel your freshman year (I did!).

Rosie – Duke: You know you go to Duke when your pre-football game tailgate consists of students completely wasted by 9 am, dressed in ridiculous costumes in a parking lot, throwing beer, chilling in kiddie pools, dancing on speakers, and then, after 3 hours of a complete sh*tshow, totally ignoring the football game itself for a nice longggg nap.

Lauren – University of Michigan: You know you go to Michigan when the mere site of an Ohio license plate makes your blood boil. And when you look around for the skinniest person near you at a football game whenever the team scores.

Brittany – University of Richmond: You know you go to University of Richmond when you’ve never seen, only heard of, the UR basketball team and not even the incentive of free pizza can motivate you to go to a game.

Elizabeth – University of Missouri: You know you go to Mizzou when campus tour groups are the most excited to see the Rec Center. Hey, can’t blame ‘em for wanting to see what Sports Illustrated ranked #1 Best College Gym in the nation.

Brianna- Fordham University: You know you go to Fordham (At Lincoln Center) when you wear sweatpants to dorm parties because all the men are looking to hook up with other men.

Charlsie – Hollins University: You know you go to Hollins University when one random day in October, after the first frost, the president cancels classes in honor of Tinker Day. We eat Krispy Kreme donuts and then hike up Tinker Mountain, where we do class skits, class songs, and eat fried chicken. Or if you are too cool for that after first year, you get drunk off of mimosa’s and pass out by noon.

Samantha – UC Santa Barbara: You know you go to UCSB when instead of a football team, you have a soccer team, and instead of tailgating you pregame and throw tortillas onto the field.

Elizabeth – University of Missouri: You know you go to Mizzou when campus tour groups are the most excited to see the Rec Center. Hey, can’t blame ‘em for wanting to see what Sports Illustrated ranked #1 Best College Gym in the nation.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: You know you go to Texas when you’re asked the time and you automatically respond, “It’s ___ o’clock…AND OU STILL SUCKS!”

Mechelle – Florida State: You know you go to Florida State when you play drinking games better than you play football (and own more than one t-shirt with announcing that fact).

Alex K – Lakehead University: You know you go to Lakehead when you’re in line at Tim Horton’s and the guy in front of you has his full fishing gear (rod, hip waders, ETC).

Ricki – University of Michigan: You know you go to Michigan when the Insomnia Cookie Truck is the only thing that will make a drunk person feel better.

Carly – Grinnell: You know you go to Grinnell when you find yourself drunk at a party late on a Friday night… having an intense discussion about philosophy.