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FactsSlang
- ‘Kato - Mankato
- Arb - The Arboretum, located on the south end of campus, has many trails, a rose garden and nature preserves; an aerial view shows that it is shaped like the state of Minnesota.
- BC/AD Letter Cube - Though it actually means Before Christ and Anno Domini, students give the letter cube in front of the library a spin to help determine their grades at midterms and finals.
- Besties - Your best friends at Gustavus
- CAB - Campus Activities Board
- CFs - Short for Collegiate Fellows; this is what other schools commonly refer to as RAs.
- Chapel - Held at 10 a.m. during each class day
- Coed - More officially referred to as Norelius Hall
- Complex - What the combination of North, Gibbs, and Sorensen dorms are called
- Echo Circle - Right outside the Campus Center, stand in the middle of the Echo Circle and hear anything you say said right back to you.
- Econo - Econo Foods: the only grocery store in St. Peter
- FTS - First Term Seminar; every first-year is required to enroll in one during their first semester.
- G-ring - The Gustavus class ring
- Gustie - What you become by enrolling at Gustavus
- Gustie Greeter - Current students assigned to greet new first-year students as they move in; Gustie Greeters lead an assigned group of first-year students through the five-day orientation period.
- Gustie Rouser - Sung during sporting events and any other time that you want to cheer on Gustavus
- J-Term - January term—a month spent taking one class or traveling
- Late-Night PK Run - A very late-night trip to the 24-hour Perkins in Mankato
- North Side - The north end of campus as divided by the Chapel; primarily dorms, athletic facilities, and the Campus Center
- Old Main - The oldest building on campus; it used to house the entire College back in the late-1800s.
- Old Main Hill - “The Hill” that you must come up to get to campus
- P-Ball - President’s Ball; each spring, students head up to the Cities for a formal evening of dinner and swing dancing.
- POs - Post office boxes in the Campus Center
- Rama-lama-ding-dong - The monstrous ice cream sundae at Ruttles. Finish it and you can get your name on the wall.
- Ring Road - The main road that runs around all of campus
- S&S - Safety and Security
- Shakespeare Pit - Right beside the Fine Arts Building, the Shakespeare Pit is an indented portion of the ground where professors often teach class on nice days.
- Social Dance - A physical education class that you take with a friend or that special someone. Learn any kind of dance imaginable and earn one of your two required physical education activity requirements.
- Sorority/Fraternity Banquet - Once in the fall and once in the spring, each sorority and fraternity hosts an evening (or weekend) of fun for their members and dates.
- South Side - The South end of campus, as divided by the Chapel; primarily dorms and academic buildings
- The Caf - The Market Place
- The Cities - It is not just Minneapolis, St. Paul, or the ‘burbs anymore. “The Cities” is the all-encompassing term for the Twin Cities.
- The Dive - What used to be the old swimming pool on campus has turned into a fun and relaxing place to hang out with friends; located in the Student Union. Look for dances every Friday night.
- The Grib - Think of it as a glorified student directory. Each fall, every student receives a copy of the Grib that lists everyone’s name, year, telephone number, and picture. Besides being a foolproof way to identify that person you see everyday in the Market Place, “Grib Shopping” means picking out the best and worst on campus.
- The Weekly - The campus newspaper
- Townies - Locals from St. Peter
Tips to Succeed
- Be open-minded.
- Have a desire to get involved; it’s the only way you’re going to meet people.
- Study, study, study.. . . But not too much, because the social aspect almost outweighs the academics.
- Take a class or two that you never thought you would be interested in; chances are, you’ll find something you’re passionate about.
Urban Legends
- Afraid of ghosts? Apparently, they like to hide out in Bjorling Music Hall.
- Each year during freshman orientation, first-years (and their overzealous Gustie Greeters) attend the annual hoedown. Word has it that 80 percent of first-years end up marrying their dance partner.
- Two years ago the College set into place the Gustavus Honor Code, which students are supposed to sign after each exam that they take. Word has it that the Honor Code, which is hung in every academic room on campus, was plagiarized from the Honor Code used at Harvard University.
Traditions
- BW3s on Tuesdays - Buffalo Wild Wings in Mankato offers cheap wings and beer on Tuesday nights.
- Christmas in Christ Chapel - At the beginning of December, the school celebrates the season of Advent with five performances of Christmas in Christ Chapel. The service features students in the music, theater, and dance departments and has a different theme each year.
- Decorate Gus the Bust - Old Gus, the bust of Gustavus Adolphus right outside the Administration Building, is notoriously decorated by students. It always decorated with a cap and tassel on graduation day.
- Earth Jam - Held on the last Saturday before finals, it’s an all-day, outdoor music festival.
- MAYDAY! Peace Conference - Established in 1981, the conference occurs on the last Wednesday in April and focuses on different issues of peace and social justice each year.
- Midnight Express - During finals, students are served up tasty snacks by their professors and administrators while getting to listen to music provided by the jazz ensembles.
- Nobel Conference - One of the most recognizable events on campus, the Nobel Conference is held for two days every fall. Nobel laureates come to campus to discuss different science-related topics each year.
- Painting the Rock - Right in front of Old Main Hill sits a rock. This rock likes to change colors nearly everyday. It has become tradition that student organizations, and occasionally a few overzealous friends with birthday wishes, paint the rock to advertise campus events. Look for every Greek organization to paint the rock at least once during pledging.
- Senior Week - In the days between finals and graduation, seniors have a week of fun activities before they head off into the real world.
- St. Lucia Day - During the first week of December, the school celebrates the Swedish festival of St. Lucia. Five sophomore women are chosen by their classmates based on their leadership and academic accomplishments to represent St. Lucia. On the day of the festival, all the women go caroling through campus at 5 a.m., and St. Lucia is crowned during chapel at 10 a.m. on the same day.
- Traying down Old Main Hill - When winter finally rolls around, grab a tray from the Caf and go “traying” down the main hill on campus.
School Spirit
Though lots of school spirit is usually associated with Division I schools, there is no shortage of school pride at this Division III college. While tailgating may not occur before the big home game, and ESPN doesn’t cover the big rivalry against St. Olaf, students and faculty are proud to be Gusties. Walk into any classroom on any given day, and there will undoubtedly be more than one person wearing Gustavus paraphernalia. School spirit seems to overflow all the time, not just during bustling athletic seasons. It also seems unlikely that any school has more organizations that make their own T-shirts for just about every occasion. Simply put, people who go to Gustavus love being Gusties.
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