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Wheaton College (MA) - Inside ScoopCollege Prowler0.00
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Wheaton College (MA)? FactsSchool Slang
- 26/28 - The student house next to Public Safety.
- 44 - The student house located on 44 Howard St.
- Chapel Field - The field behind Cole Chapel that is good for Frisbee.
- The Dimple - The large grassy lawn in the center of Upper Campus, which is the site of sunbathing in the spring and mattress sledding in the winter. Its official name is the “Quad” but no one calls it that.
- EECS - Another quad on Upper Campus: Everett, Emerson, Cragin, Stanton
- Ghettos - Meadows, the largest dorm on Lower Campus.
- The Gym - For those that don’t play sports and never go to Haas, “the gym” is the Fitness Center.
- The Herp - Familiar term for herpes, as in “don’t go near him, he’s got the herp.”
- KLMC - The quad of residence halls on Upper Campus: Kilham, Larcom, Metcalf, Chapin.
- “Meet me at Hebe” - If someone says this to you, don’t be alarmed. Just know that you should meet them by the statue that is in front of Metcalf and Kilham Halls.
- Mad - Used interchangeably with wicked, as in, “this is a mad sandwich.”
- The Pond Race - Each year during Spring Weekend, groups of students build and captain their own boats across the pond in a crazy, anything goes race.
- PS - Short for Public Safety.
- Slype - The archway under Everett where concerts happen through the year.
- S.M. - Stands for Student Mentor, which is equal to an RA at other schools.
- Throw Down - A big party.
- Wheaties - An affectionate term for Wheaton students.
- YMCA - The quad of residence halls on Lower Campus: Young, McIntyre, Clark—the A is a mystery.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- Dining hall food gets very old, very fast, so bring things to make your own meals.
- If you don’t work out at least weekly, the Freshman 15 will own you.
- Keep as little cash on you as possible or you will probably spend it all.
- Laptops are going to be your life, so get the one you want.
- Ramen noodles, Easy Mac, and SpaghettiO's rule your nights when you're up late.
Tips to Succeed
- E-mail and your cell phone are your lifelines in college.
- Join clubs on campus or participate intramural sports. You will make so many friends this way and will get to learn so much new information.
- Organization is key. Write everything down that you need to as soon as you can.
- The Housing Office will work with you if you are having housing problems. Don’t be afraid to talk to them, and tell them you need to move.
- Your professors can help you with so much more than school. They know so many people and can get you connected in so many ways. They are truly your most valuable resource.
Urban Legends
- Eve, a student at Wheaton when the campus was all girls, used to always have her boyfriend covertly visit. Other students tended to stay away from them since Eve's boyfriend was known to have a bad temper. EVe's room was on the top floor of Everette Hall, and when they got into an argument one night, no one came to investigate since it was a common occurrence. This fight, however, escalated to deadly heights. Eve fled from her room, and as she was running down the hallway away from her boyfriend, she supposedly slipped, fell down a flight of stairs, and broke her neck. She is now one of Wheaton’s most commonly spotted ghosts.
- In the courtyard of Metcalf and Kilham Halls is the statue of Hebe, the legendary daughter of Zeus and Hara. Before the 1980s, students used to gather on the steps of the library after graduation, and then charge across campus to be the first to touch the statue. It was believed that the first one to touch it would be the first to get married.
- Mary Brown, former head librarian of Wheaton College, took her job very seriously. She worked there for the majority of her life, and she truly loved her job. When she fell ill and was told that she would have to leave her position, it pained her horribly and she made the decision to take her life by means of a gas oven. It is then believed that she returned to her beloved library in the form of a ghost. Mary Brown’s ghost has been seen and documented by a variety of library staff and Public Safety officers. One report stated that when a Public Safety officer was doing rounds, he noticed the shape of a person in the elevator. When he walked nearer to investigate, the doors closed and the elevator moved to another floor, but the mysterious person was never found. Even more curious, according to library staff, Mary’s favorite book appropriately titled, Between Life and Death, is sometimes found in the mornings open on the floor.
- One of Wheaton’s first presidents, Samuel Cole, was known to be very kind and gentle. It is rumored that his ghost can be spotted late at night in the Cole Memorial Chapel and has been known to dim lights, play with the sound system, and cause other eerie phenomenons. It is creepy enough to keep all but the bravest students from entering the Chapel late at night.
- Peacock Pond on Lower Campus is rumored to bring love to young couples who walk around its edges. Historically, if a couple walks around the pond three times in a row and the guy does not kiss the girl he’s with by the end of the walk, she has the moral right to push him into the water.
- When Wheaton was an all-girls school, it was much more difficult to carry on a relationship, especially in the pre-1900s. Susan longed to see her boyfriend, Michael. He had managed to sneak into her bedroom many nights before, but the headmaster seemed curious about Susan’s late-night adventures, so the couple decided to go to the roof of the Mary Lyon building instead. At that time, this was the only building on campus and contained both the classrooms and dormitories. It was an incredibly cold night, so Susan decided to return to her room to get a warmer blanket for the two of them. But Susan was caught by the headmaster, who viciously bolted the door leading to the roof, leaving Michael stranded. Susan pleaded with the headmaster to let him come back inside, but she would not relent, calmly telling Susan that Michael would get whatever punishment he deserved—this allegedly ended up being death by freezing.
Traditions
- Boats - Each spring, students come together to craft what they affectionately call boats. These contraptions are then attempted to be sailed/paddled/desperately floated across the Peacock Pond in a race during Spring Weekend. Beer kegs have recently been outlawed as material for constructing the boats.
- Boston Bash - Each fall, students grab their significant other or friends and get all fancy and go out for a night of dancing and drinks in Boston. This is held at a ritzy hotel, where students dance the night away.
- Chapel Doors - According to tradition, only seniors are allowed to walk through the front doors of the Cole Memorial Chapel. Anyone else will be struck with bad luck for the rest of their time at Wheaton College.
- Library Steps - Another senior-only tradition is the rule that underclassmen are allowed to walk and pass by the steps, but they better not dally. Only during senior year may students relax on the library’s steps because it is the library that has caused them so much pain of research and class work over the past four years.
- Running to Class - Never run to class. Even if you are horribly late and your professor is known for throwing satanic tirades, walk calmly, but briskly. No one ever runs to class, and those that do are frequently ridiculed by upperclassmen.
- Senior Disorientation - At the very end of the spring semester, before the stress of finals and the joy and sadness that graduation brings, seniors are taken on a special trip. They all pile into a bus and are driven to an undisclosed location, where they are given ridiculous amounts of beverages and then are driven home again in the wee hours. Previous Senior Disorientation locations have been breweries and casinos.
- Slype - Each semester, auditions are held for each of the a cappella groups on campus. Those that are accepted into the various groups are roused from their dorms in one of many ways (one of which is having a can of beer sprayed all over them in their sleep) and then taken to their first concert, which is held at the archway of Everett called “Slype.”
- The Snapping of Stanton Gate - For some reason, the innocent plank of wood, which blocks cars from passing through onto Upper Campus, is maliciously ripped off nearly every weekend. It is dutifully replaced by the school and then torn off once again. It has become something of a tradition, and it seems to be a never-ending cycle. The culprits are seldom caught.
Most Recent Contributing Author
Name: Mandi DeGroff
Hometown: Glastonbury, CT
Major: Political Science/Communications Fun Fact: Mandi dances and is part of Wheaton's first cheerleading team. Contributing Author Internship
College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating
the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally
recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is
really like at your college. Read more about the internship.
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