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FactsSlang
- Clarion - DU’s student newspaper.
- Copper Top - The solid copper spindle atop the Ritchie Center.
- Halls - Centennial Halls dorm.
- J Mac - Johnson-MacFarlane
- Jazzy’s - Jazzman’s Café in Driscoll Center.
- J-Ru’s - Jerusalem Restaurant on East Evans Avenue.
- K-Book - Kynewisbok, DU’s yearbook.
- Puck Sluts - Female groupies of the men’s varsity ice hockey team.
- The Commons - Village Commons in Driscoll Center.
- The Lawn - The sprawling lawn outside Sturm Hall where students sunbathe, study, listen to music, and hang out.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- DU is a bigger party school than its reputation gives it credit for.
- Get core classes out of the way as soon as possible.
- Hockey players are only human.
- It’s not as academically challenging as some assume.
- Parking is a disaster.
- The students can be snotty.
- There’s more to Colorado than Denver.
- What with parking permits and other fees, it’s really expensive to go here.
Tips to Succeed
- Don’t be apathetic about on-campus issues and events.
- Don’t get too caught up in the social scene.
- Take advantage of the small class size.
- Try to actually understand the course material.
Urban Legends
- Because developers didn’t plan properly, Penrose Library is slowly sinking due to the weight of the books.
- Mary Reed Hall is haunted with the ghost of Mary Reed, an early contributor to the University.
Traditions
- Chancellor’s Roundtable Discussion - If something really irks you about DU or its administration, go straight to the horse’s mouth. Once per quarter, the chancellor allows students the opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and propose suggestions in an informal, tell-all environment. It’s a good way for students to at least feel like they’re being heard, even if all the ranting and raving rarely leads to real change.
- Greek Recruitment Week - Men and women’s recruitment happen separately at the beginning of fall quarter. Greek students do their best to recruit as many students into their Greek houses as possible. Prospective Greeks are given tours of the houses and information about each fraternity and sorority on campus. While sororities usually only have fall recruitment, it is possible that some sororities (if they have room) will do a spring recruitment as well. Fraternities for the most part do have spring recruitment as well.
- Homecoming/Family Weekend - Homecoming takes place every fall quarter and features receptions, fireworks, a barbecue, carnival, parade, concert, and dance. Some students really get into to it; others think it’s a lame return to high school.
- May Days - Spring is welcomed at DU by a week-long carnival on Driscoll lawn with games, activities, music, giveaways, and food. Students flock to the lawn to bounce around on an inflatable castle, eat free food, and relax in the sun while listening to local musicians.
- Pioneer Carnival - Held at the beginning of the year, Pioneer Carnival is a day-long event for new students to get to know more about various DU clubs and organizations. Penrose Lawn is taken over by current students offering information and advice about their organizations. New students leave Pioneer Carnival with armloads of free stuff, brochures, and food.
- Pioneer in the Rockies - A 30-year tradition, Pioneer in the Rockies invites all freshmen to meet other students and explore the Rocky Mountains for a few relaxing days. Pioneer in the Rockies is a great way to break the ice at the beginning of freshman year, and at the same time discover Colorado’s beauty.
- Winter Carnival - Every February, students bundle up and head to the mountains for this 36-year tradition, sponsored by Greeks. Special discounts are handed out for students to rent resort condos and ski equipment, as well as purchase lift tickets. Winter Carnival has become somewhat of a weekend alcohol fest in the mountains, but it’s a great time for avid skiers and non-skiers alike to get together and play in the snow.
School Spirit
Sadly, most students only take great pride in DU when a sports team (i.e., men’s hockey) wins a big game (i.e., the NCAA championship). Otherwise, you’ll more frequently hear students bashing the school for one reason or another than you will students praising it. To look stylish or cute, though, many students don DU gear such as hooded sweatshirts, T-shirts, and (for the girls only, let’s hope) shorts with a big “DU” sewed on the rear end.
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