Service & Maintenance Staff
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Student Centers
Cotter Union
Main Libraries
- Art & Music Library
- Miller Library
- Science Library
Popular Places to Chill
- Joseph Family Spa
- Marchese Bluelight Pub
- The Pugh Center
- The Street
Bar on Campus
The Marchese Bluelight Pub (the Pub) in Cotter Union
Coffeehouse on Campus
- Miller Library coffee cart
- The Spa and Caporale Lounge in Cotter Union
Movie Theater on Campus
None, but some lecture rooms are used to show films on a pretty regular basis.
"Green" Initiatives
There are Eco Reps in every dorm that keep students apprised of the best methods to reduce waste.
School Slang
- Beer Die: Colby's own drinking game that involves stolen tables, dice, and plastic cups
- Beirut: A popular drinking game. It's a lot like Beer Die, except with ping-pong balls instead of dice.
- Bob's: Short for Robert's Union, the building that houses a dining hall, the campus bookstore, student newspaper offices, and the campus radio station
- Bro: William "Bro" Adams, Colby's president; he even calls himself Bro.
- Buck Fates: A clever play on words used in reference to Bates College, which is Colby's biggest rival
- CAs: Community Advisers; they keep the dorms running smoothly.
- The Co-op: The first-floor rooms of Mary Low. They have a kitchen, and residents can get the 100-meal-per-semester meal plan.
- COOT: Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip. Before starting classes, freshmen are thrown into the Maine wilderness for a little less than a week.
- Cotter: Cotter Union, the student center
- The Digest: Refers both to the Digest of General Announcements and the Digest of Civil Discourse, which are e-mails Colby students get every day. On the Digest of General Announcements, students can post information about upcoming events, lost-and-found items, and needed rides. The Digest of Civil Discourse is a place where people can bring up things that bother them and argue a lot.
- The Echo: The student newspaper
- The Fishbowl: A study area in Cotter Union
- Frat row: The row of small dorms lining the walkway between the library and Bob's. They used to be fraternity housing. Its real name is Roberts Row, but everyone still calls it frat row.
- The Hill: Mayflower Hill, where Colby is located
- Jan Plan: January Program, or the time of year when you have class for eight hours a week and drink or ski the rest of the time
- PCB: Pugh Community Board, which manages Colby's multicultural clubs
- The Pub: Marchese Blue Light Pub, an on-campus pub open only to students 21 or older
- SGA: Student Government Association
- The Spa: No, you can't get your nails done at the Spa. The Joseph Family Spa offers non-dining hall food on campus. It's open when the dining halls aren't and has good food that you actually have to pay for.
- SPB: Student Programming Board, which plans things like concerts, lectures, and dances
- The Street: A big hallway underneath Miller Library. It's full of couches to study (or nap) on, is open 24 hours, and is always heated, making it a nice way to avoid the cold in the winter.
Traditions
- Cafeteria Tray Sledding: Colby is situated on a big hill in the middle of Maine, so obviously sledding is popular here. While people get creative about coming up with things to sled on, your Colby College experience isn't complete until you've stolen a cafeteria tray and slid down Chapel Hill. Be careful-trays go really, really fast.
- Doghead: Doghead is a huge party that takes place the weekend closest to St. Patrick's Day. It's usually held at an off-campus house, and people wake up as early as 4 a.m. to start drinking. One year, the police heard in advance about the party, and it was cancelled, but the party just ended up moving on campus. Everyone still started drinking before breakfast and partied all weekend.
- Loudness: The first and last weekend of each semester are called Loudness weekends. Bands perform and activities are planned. The first Loudness is especially great because classes are just starting, and no one is too bogged down in homework yet. The end-of-semester Loudnesses typically feature stress-busting activities to help people get through finals.
- The Miller Steps: The steps leading to Miller Library are a symbolic beginning and end to life at Colby. One of the first things new students do, after dumping all their stuff into their dorm rooms and meeting their roommate, is go to the steps with their parents to listen to a welcome to Colby speech. Commencement ceremonies also take place on the steps.
- Mr. Colby: This is an amazingly well-attended beauty pageant featuring men rather than women. Mr. Colby is a great opportunity for the guys of Colby to show of all their assets (especially their senses of humor). Runners-up are crowned Mr. Bates and Mr. Bowdoin.
Urban Legends
There is a blue light on top of Miller Library, and according to Colby myth, the light will only go out when a virgin graduates.
Favorite Things To Do
The facilities are very conducive to student interaction, which normally occurs in the athletic center, the student center, and dining halls. There is also an art museum on campus, and a pub for students 21 or older. Movies are shown in lecture halls on weekends, and there are often student performances in Runnals (the theater and dance building), Lorimer Chapel, or Page Commons (in the student union). While Colby students are usually content to talk to each other between classes, Colby's facilities are put to good use. The gym's extremely popular, especially in the late afternoon and early evening. It is easy to find a friend walking through Cotter Union or sipping coffee at the Spa. When the weather is nice, students flock outdoors to Johnson Pond or one of the many grassy, sunny spots. In the evenings, the on-campus pub is packed (even during the week). Students also occasionally find their way to an athletic game on the weekend.
Clubs and Organizations on Campus
There is a wide range of clubs on campus, but if you can't find one that fits your interests, start your own! To do so, write a proposal, a club constitution, and gather a list of officers and at least 10 club members. Then submit it to the director of Campus Life for approval. Colby's Student Affairs website has tons of information on how to fund and plan events and other things.
Student Activities Offered
- Choral groups
- Concert band
- Dance
- Drama/theater
- International student organization
- Jazz band
- Literary magazine
- Music ensembles
- Musical theater
- Radio station
- Student government
- Student newspaper
- Student-run film society
- Symphony orchestra
- Yearbook
ROTC
Air Force ROTC:
NoNavy ROTC:
NoArmy ROTC:
YesDid You Know?
Colby currently has more than 110 clubs, and new ones are always being approved.