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FactsSlang
- Arbutus - IU’s yearbook.
- Campus Access Card - Student ID, which serves as a meal card and sometimes the key to your room, in addition to allowing you access to the HPER and the SRSC.
- FIG - Freshman Interest Group; a learning community open only to freshman in their first semester.
- Hoosier - IU’s “mascot.” An intangible expression of school spirit; what you are if you attend IU.
- Hyper or “EssAreEssSee” - How to say the names of the two fitness centers on campus
- Indiana Daily Student - School newspaper; your first source for news and a great way to gain real-life writing experience.
- INSITE - Indiana Student Information Transaction Environment; an online system to keep track of you grades, financial aid, course offerings, and other important info.
- J-School, B-School, Ed-School, etc. - Shortened version of an academic school (Schools of Journalism, Business, Education).
- Little 500 - IU’s famous bike race, which takes place every spring. Also the subject of the movie “Breaking Away,” this event draws spectators from all over the country.
- Oooeey Pooeey - Pronunciation of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI); IU’s sister campus in Indianapolis.
- Showalter Fountain - In the square containing the Fine Arts building, the Lilly Library, the Art Museum, and the Auditorium, this fountain is often the starting point for marches or candlelight vigils.
- The Stacks - The upper floors of the main library; where surreptitious liaisons are rumored to take place every now and again.
- WIUS Pure Student Radio - IU’s student radio station, managed and operated by students 24/7.
- WTIU - IU’s public TV station.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- “Dead Week” really means “Week When I Have Huge Papers or Semester-Long Projects Due in All of My Classes.”
- Even though IU is known for partying, classes are not easy.
- Everyone really is happy to help you with any problem.
- The smallest meal plan is more than enough for most people.
- There’s no way to beat an oncoming rainstorm if it’s a 20-minute walk back to the dorm.
- You have to have real drive to stand out in the crowd.
Tips to Succeed
- Be open-minded. There are a lot of different people here from a lot of different backgrounds.
- Check your e-mail continuously.
- Don’t be just another face in the crowd.
- Don’t get so wrapped up in your academics that you don’t have any fun; it’s entirely possible to maintain a 4.0 GPA and still have a good time.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Go to class and pay attention.
- If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to ask.
- Join as many organizations as you can without overloading yourself.
- Stay on top of things.
- Use the resources on campus to help you find your path if you’re not sure.
- You don’t have to go to all the lame orientation programs.
Urban Legends
- A third floor room at Read Hall is haunted by a student who was killed by her boyfriend.
- In 1998, a psychic correctly predicted a mass murder on Halloween at IU (this is not true).
- The bells in the student building clock tower will ring out if a virgin walks across campus.
- The Career Development Center is haunted and has been for more than 50 years.
- When building the main library, architects failed to take into account the weight of the 3.7 million books inside. Now, the building sinks a quarter of an inch every year into the earth.
Traditions
- Basketball - Always an exciting Big Ten competitor, the men’s (and women’s) basketball team has shown increasing prowess over the years. Students have a tendency to support their Hoosiers wildly and irrationally at home games, and when the men’s team made it to the Final Four, there was a massive, street-consuming celebration that bordered on riotous.
- Dance Marathon - Every year, a 48-hour dance competition is put on to raise money for the Riley Hospital for Children. Since 1991, when the tradition began, a sum of over two million dollars has been raised through this event.
- Freshman Induction Ceremony - Freshmen are gathered, the band plays, the faculty watches, and a “spirit” (usually a theater major) recites a speech about gathering new freshmen into the fold, then freshmen take an oath of their loyalty to the school. This tradition dates back to 1933.
- IU Outdoor Adventures - This is a group that plans, down to the last detail, exciting trips for IU students who need to get away for the weekend or longer. There’s everything from whitewater rafting to hiking, and if you like the outdoors, this is definitely for you.
- Little 500 - Since 1951, IU has been the proud home to what’s known around the country as the “World’s Greatest College Weekend,” a non-stop party that centers around a bicycle race. See the movie Breaking Away, which was filmed entirely in Bloomington, to get a feel for the spirit.
- Other Sports - Hoosiers love their athletics, and even the teams that fail to perform never fail to capture our hearts (like the football team).
- Tailgating - The fields across from the stadium fill up early on game days, and this is one of the best times for families and alumni to join current students for a good time. Make sure it doesn’t get out of hand, and you won’t have any problems.
- Union Board - This organization is the behind-the-scenes power that brings the cool stuff to IU. Various committees focus on getting big-name acts to the auditorium, putting on all-ages events on campus, and releasing an annual collection of poetry and prose made up of student work, among other things.
School Spirit
School spirit is one of the things IU thrives on. Particularly strong when basketball season rolls around, students are proud to be Hoosiers and wear the Cream and Crimson like a badge. Every time we’re recognized as a top party school, spirit soars as we pat each other on the back and raise our glasses, but the atmosphere is just as charged whether we’re cheering the football team on to another defeat or protesting the departure of an Indiana legend. A Hoosier is a Hoosier is a Hoosier, and even if no one really knows what that means, the cohesiveness of the student body (and the pride in this term) can’t be ignored.
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