Washington & Jefferson College - Inside Scoop

School Slang

• Academic Advisor - The faculty member who serves as the primary advisor for each student in his or her own major.
• Add/Drop - For the first week of each semester and the first two days of Intersession, students can add or drop a course from their schedule online without approval from their academic advisor or the professor teaching the course.
• Beer Bong - A device which consists of a length of plastic hose connected to a large funnel for the purposes of consuming a can of beer in a matter of seconds.
• Beirut/Beer Pong - There is a distinct difference between these two fine sports. Beirut is by far the most prevalent on campus. It is played by arranging cups in a triangle formation at both ends of a long table. Opposing players stand at either end of the table and lob Ping-Pong balls into their opponent’s cups. If the shot is successful, the opposing team must drink the beer in the cup into which the ball was thrown. Beer pong, in its truest form, is exceedingly rare. It is a game in which players use Ping-Pong paddles to knock balls into the opponent’s cups.
• Blackboard - An online program that enables students to hold forum discussions, submit documents electronically, and to store course documents.
• Booze Cruise - Refers to the annual cruise during Intersession that is part of a course on Latin-American politics. Traditionally, students take this course for the opportunity to cruise to Mexico and drink for a week on the ship. It is wildly popular, to say the least.
• Butter Face - A derogatory expression referring to a girl who is attractive in every physical regard “but her face.”
• CA - Short for “community advisor,” each CA is a student in charge of a group of RAs. There is typically one CA per building who oversees the several RAs that manager the individual floors.
• Case Race - A drinking competition that tests stomach capacity and endurance. The object is to be the first team to drink and entire case of beer (30 cans).
• De-Po - Pronounced just like “depot,” this is short for Dieter-Porter Hall, the biology building.

• Dub-J - Short for “W&J.”
• Having a Fake - Short for “having a fake ID,” by which a minor can purchase alcohol or enter bars and clubs.
• Intersession - That glorious period in between fall and spring semesters that lasts for the month of January. Intersession is a time when students only take one class which lasts for roughly 3 hours and happens 5 times a week.
• Meal Period - Every meal plan grants a certain number of meals per week, and those meals can only be used during specific times during the day called meal periods. A student cannot swipe his or her card to redeem meals more than once per meal period.
• Meal-X - Short for “Meal Exchange,” which is another name for George and Tom’s Place, the short-order dining option on campus.
• Pinkertons - The casual name for the campus security guards, in the tradition of the old British investigators.
• Power Hour - A loose drinking game in which each participant drinks one shot of beer every minute for one hour.
• Quarters - A drinking game in which competing players attempt to bounce quarters off of a table and into either a shot-glass or a glass of beer. If a player sinks a quarter, his or her opponent must drink the beverage.
• Shotgunning - The process of poking a hole in the side of an unopened can of beer, placing one’s mouth around that hole, then opening the can’s tab in order to quickly consume the beer.

• Sorostitute - A derogatory term for a sorority girl.
• The Quads - Students still refer to President’s Row as “the quads” despite the fact that the fraternities and sororities that had lived there have since been moved to new houses on Chestnut Street.
• The Ski Lodge - Referring to the space underneath the Commons, adjoining the Barista, which bears no sign or markings calling it “the Ski Lodge.” The most anyone can figure about this mystery is that the central see-through fireplace resembles one you might find in an actual ski lodge.
• Townie - A citizen of Washington who is in no way affiliated with the College. Often, “townie” is used to deprecate such an individual.
• Upper-Trash - Another name for Upperclass Hall, arguably the dirtiest, least appealing dorm on campus.
• Vilar - The Technology Center was initially to be dedicated to Alberto Vilar, an alumnus of W&J who was financing its construction. But in light of fraud and embezzlement charges brought against Vilar in 2005, the building was renamed the Technology Center.
• Wally World - An affectionate term for Wal-Mart, the one entity that no one around here particularly likes but no one around here could live without.
• Water Pong - The tactic of filling beer pong cups with water so as to prevent accidental spillings. Beer is consumed straight from the can or bottle if a team is forced to drink.
• WebAdvisor - The online program used to manage student’s schedules, search and register for classes, review progress towards a student’s major and minor, and to display an up-to-date transcript of completed courses. WebAdvisor is the students’ primary tool for registering and managing courses.

Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School

• All-nighters are essential to survival.
• Caffeine will only carry you so far until sheer will-power and determination have to take over.

• How to understand heavy foreign accents better.
• Just because it’s a 100-level course doesn’t mean it’s easy.

• The city has virtually no appeal to students.
• Townies will not like you.

Tips to Succeed

• Get to know your professors, even if they aren’t in your major’s department.
• Join at least one club that isn’t a sport.

• Know your alcohol limit.
• Never expect an A from a class, but always work for one.

• Never sleep through a class—you never know what you might miss.
• Take advantage of the opportunities to travel. Not only are they fun, but they are a much needed break in the regular school routine.

Urban Legends

• According to legend, the president’s house is haunted by the ghost of a Confederate soldier who died in the house while being treated for injuries he received in the Civil War. The ghost is reported to walk the second floor hallway and appear in windows looking out over campus.

Traditions

• Anchor Splash - Anchor Splash is the national philanthropy event hosted by the Delta Gamma sorority. It takes place in the spring semester during pledging. Each fraternity and sorority sends in pledges to compete in aquatic races and events in the natatorium in the Henry Memorial Gymnasium. The biggest draw is the choreographed dancing and swimming competition. Each group is judged, and awards are given for the winners of the races and relays as well as the best overall dance routine. The price of admission is one dollar.

• Street Fair - For a Saturday late in the spring semester, the Student Activity Board puts together the annual Street Fair. Clubs and organizations on campus set up booths along Lincoln and Wheeling Streets with games and contests. Fraternities and sororities often plan signature events, like the Pi Phi pie toss. Area vendors also come, bringing food and promotional materials. The College brings in a band to play in front of the Burnett Center in the afternoon, which can draw a decent crowd. The Street Fair is free to all students, as well as anyone from the community who wants to join in.