Search results matching tags 'Greek life' and 'homecoming'

What I wish I knew then that I know now...

BUTaylorM — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:04:00 GMT

Let me start this off by saying that it finally feels like fall. It's lovely. As I look back on all the time I have already spent here, I thought of all the things that I have learned in the past few weeks... thing I wish I had known before I started school. I don't want to leave everyone in the dark so I will shed light on some burning, prospective students' questions.

1. Flex-Dollars/Dawg Bucks/Meal Plan(s)

I am not going to sugar coat it. As an incoming student, meal plans are confusing. I had no idea what flex dollars were, what dawg bucks were, if they were the same thing, or how to use them. Flex Dollars are points, essentially, that come when you get your meal plan. I, for example, have a 240 meal block plan and it comes with $150 flex dollars. The 240 meals can be used at Atherton or ResCo dining halls (or through the C-Club Meal exchange, which I will explain in a minute.) and they last for the semester. I have, honestly, had trouble getting to meals at Atherton because I have a busy schedule and, often, I don't worry about my meals. Flex Dollars last only for the semester and don't roll over. Dawg Bucks do. Also, Dawg Bucks are something you buy to supplement your flex dollars if you go through them quickly. You can use your flex dollars/dawg bucks at C-Club, Starbucks, or the Zia juice bar in the HRC (health and recreation center). *see below for useful sites about meal plans*

2. C-Club Meal Exchange

I love the meal exchange. It is available from 4:30-9:30 PM at C-Club. Basically, you get yummy food like wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas, or chicken strips with a side and a drink and it counts as one of your meals rather than deducting from your flex dollars. If this weren't an option and I went to C-Club as often as I do, I would be out of flex dollars already. This is something I highly recommend you use as an incoming student.

3. Wi-Fi/Internet Access

Before I came to Butler, I was unaware of the fact that the campus in its entirety is not wireless. However, don't let this deter you from Butler. Schwitzer Hall now has wireless internet (Ross Hall does not) and buildings like Jordan, Gallahue, Holcomb, and the Pharmacy building have wireless, too. The thing is... Butler is an old campus (that was something that attracted me to the campus) and things like wireless and air conditioning are hard to install in the beautiful old stone buildings but like I said we are on our way to a wireless campus. In all honesty, I haven't had too many problems with internet connections or any of that.

4. Homecoming/High School-like Events

Currently, Butler is having Homecoming Week. It's really exciting as the sidewalks are covered in chalk... a huge thing here at Butler (if you need to know what's going on, just look where you're walking). Just this past weekend, there was an '80s dance. I wasn't really aware that there are still dances, homecoming, and clubs like high school. If that is something you were afraid of losing from high school, fear not! It is still here! If that is something you thought would go away, fear not! You don't have to go to Homecoming... there are plenty of other things to do. College is kind of awesome like that.

5. Dry Houses versus Wet Houses

A dry house is a fraternity/sorority that cannot have alcohol on its premises. All the sororities and one of the fraternities are dry houses. Now, for some that may sound like a terrible thing. What's college without parties, right? Well, I am not condoning underage drinking whatsoever but WHEN you are of age, there are places to have a good time. The nice thing about dry houses is that they are, generally, a lot cleaner. Without alcohol, there aren't parties where the house gets trashed.

6. Greek Life

Like I said above, we have wet and dry houses. Another thing I didn't know, specifically regarding Butler, is that Butler's sororities/fraternities are not off in their own little world. There isn't a divide between the 2 groups. In fact, there is a club, Independent Council, that serves to join the 2 groups together: Greeks and Non-Greeks. Also, because Butler is not a large state school... you won't find the groups separated. Campus is united... something I didn't know. Another thing that is really great about the Greek system here at Butler is that you don't rush until your second semester (unlike Purdue and Ball State where bid day has come and gone). This allows you to really get to know the houses, the girls, and Butler's campus in general. You won't have to make a rash decision because you have no time. Awesome, no?

7. Hall Commodities

Things Schwitzer Hall has that I didn't know about:

-Kitchenette for each unit (microwave, sink, recycling bins)

-Kitchen with stove/oven in basement

-Movies/kitchen utensils, pots, and such

-Ice machine

-Laundry Room

-Computer Lab

-Study Rooms

-TV lounge

Granted, you will see/hear a lot of this if you go on a tour or to information sessions but still... it's nice to know that you really don't need a microwave in your room. It's all there at your disposal. Who knew?

8. Club involvement

Something I learned really quickly here at college is that you do not want to get overly involved with clubs because the meetings will overlap and it's not worth it. It is more useful and tactful to choose a few clubs to get really involved in and focus on them. Granted, that is just my opinion and there will be other people that tell you otherwise but I have always found my time to mean much more to an organization when it is focused and not worrying about other things (if that makes sense). To each his own, I suppose.

8. Free Stuff/Free Events

5 words: College students LOVE free stuff. It's everywhere. Find it and get it! You'll never need a pen or notepad ever again and pizza will never taste as good unless it is free.

9. Laundry

I am not going to lie to you- laundry is expensive. If you have 5 loads of laundry, it will end up costing $10+ if you wash and dry it. If you do your laundry at a busy time, like Sunday, then you will have to wait. Either way, laundry can take forever. Some tips that I have found useful are

Only wash what you need (if it's something you won't use for awhile, let it sit in your basket until you can take it home)
Make a makeshift dryer in your room using a drying rack and fans
Watch your laundry 24/7. Take your books/laptop and work while you wait.
Moms will help with laundry (THANKS MOM!)
Sort your clothes before you get there.
Fold clean clothes in your room (the laundry room can get a little gross... same goes for above).
Get the most out of your money... don't wash small loads because it will cost the same either way.
This is what I do while waiting:

I would like to credit my unit friends: Bethany R., Bethany G., Laura S., Lexi C., and Megan R. with giving me some extra ideas and thoughts on BU.

Hope this was useful, Dawgs.

P.S. Meal Plan info:

Meal Plan Terms

Meal Plan FAQ

Re: Traditions!

ChristinaL — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:50:03 GMT

Funny you should ask! This is a question I asked pretty much everyone I know at Butler last year when I was editor of the yearbook and we did a "Butler Traditions" page. Here's what we came up with:

Fountain jumping - This is the number one Butler tradition, in my opinion! Groups of friends run around Butler's campus and jump into every fountain (and of course, photo document it!). The ultimate fountain jumpers make it in every single fountain... even the one in the library : )

Campus golf - Bring your golf clubs to school, because Butler students love to "golf" around campus with tennis balls. "Holes" are popular spots on campus such a star fountain, the observatory, etc.

Soapy Star Fountain - Star Fountain is in the center of campus on the mall... not only is it part of the epic fountain jumping experience, but it tends to be the site for practical jokes. During finals week in the spring someone always pours soap in it so it bubbles over with suds. Always good for a laugh… or even a bath. I jumped in last year on a whim with some friends – the walk home was a bit sticky! haha.

Blue II's Birthday – Our mascot, Blue II is a real live bulldog so last year we started the tradition of a campus-wide birthday party for him. The birthday dog hangs out in Starbucks to take pictures with everyone and play games and there are free cupcakes for all.

Lawn decorations for Homecoming – I don’t know if other campuses do this, but I had never heard of it before I came to college… for Homecoming Week, we have a lawn decorating contest to go with the Homecoming theme. All the Greek houses and residence halls participate and decorate the sorority houses – but you would not believe how intense these lawn decs are! My freshman year, Delta Gamma covered the entire front side of their house with a tarp. Last year Theta had a school bus parked in their driveway… it gets serious! Anyway, I think it’s a really fun tradition because the night before the competition, everyone is out on the lawns decorating until like 3 or 4 am, kind of like a massive decorating party… even if you’re not helping, it’s a great time to walk down Hampton Drive and check out all the action.

Midnight Snack – probably my favorite Butler tradition, and it happens twice a year! During Homecoming and Snowcoming Week, SGA brings in tons and tons of fast food – Qdoba, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Duncan Donuts, pizza, etc. and at midnight everyone RUNS into the Reilly Room and grabs as much food as possible.

Geneva Stunts & Spring Sing – These are two musical extravaganzas/competitions where Greek houses and residence halls pair together to put on musical skits. There is always a theme – for example, I think last year’s was Back to the Future. Anyway, the participants sing and dance, but all the lyrics are rewritten to be about Butler… so it’s basically all about making fun of ourselves. Bring on the campus inside jokes : )

Sledding on C Club trays in the Butler Bowl - Snow days are one of the greatest things to ever happen at college, because even if you’re snowed in, all your friends are right there. Our football stadium is bowl-shaped, so one of the wintertime traditions is to go sledding down the hill. However, being college students, we don’t really have sleds sitting around our dorm rooms… so we have to get creative. Not that I’m advocating this, but a popular sled choice appears to be borrowed trays from the cafeteria ; )

Drive-In movie – During Welcome Week, SGA shows a popular movie out on the Mall (our big grassy area in the center of campus) and everyone brings their blankets and snacks and enjoys movie night.

Playfair – This is only for freshman, but one of my favorites. Playfair is an activity that travels around to different college campuses, and it always comes to Butler during Welcome Week right before the start of classes. It’s hard to explain but it’s basically all these crazy group games that the whole freshman class plays together. It involves running around and yelling and holding hands and all this chaos. It is impossible to go to Playfair and not meet new people! The joke is always that you will meet your future husband or wife there.

VooDoo – Annual Halloween party sponsored by Sigma Nu, one of the fraternities. The guys go all out decorating their house and people sometimes wait in line for over an hour to get in!

Greek philanthropy events – Greeks sponsor lots of fun annual philanthropy events that we look forward to every year. They almost always involve a cookout to raise money, and then free entertainment like sports tournaments, women’s lipsyncs or men doing cheerleading or synchronized swimming haha (blogger JoeW LOVES to do this… check out his videos.)

Humans vs. Zombies – I think Liz wrote about this in her blog already, but I’ll mention it here too. This tradition was around my freshman year, banned last year and appears to have made its resurgence. It is a campus-wide game that anyone can join. If you’ve ever played Assassins, it’s kind of like that. I don’t remember all the rules, but the basic idea is that there are humans and zombies roaming campus (marked by bandanas) and they are both trying to defeat the other side…. you attack by hitting someone with a nerf dart, rolled up sock or a marshmallow (not kidding). It’s not dangerous by nature, but it was banned last year because the administration didn’t think it was safe. I guess this year the restrictions are that you can’t play in the dorms or academic buildings. I have never played but it’s always fun to see people creeping around corners talking about zombies.

Rowdy Row – This is only a Greek tradition, but a memorable sight on campus even if you’re not participating. Our Greek formal recruitment takes place at the end of Winter Break, right before classes start up. On the last Sunday of break, all the new members get their bid cards and find out what house they are in. They run out onto Hampton Drive (usually screaming) where their new Greek families are cheering and waiting to greet them. The street is closed off for the afternoon, and it’s basically a big Greek party in the streets with everyone hugging and taking photos and catching up with all their friends from other houses.

Camping out for skydiving – Every year, SGA’s Out & About in Indy committee sponsors a very cheap skydiving trip. It is very popular, but there are limited spots that are given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. So, the night before the sign-ups, people always camp out in the student union in front of the activities office.

Basketball – Loving basketball is probably the oldest Butler tradition and one that is still strong today. This IS Indiana, after all.

Also, they’ve already been mentioned, but Relay for Life and Spring Sports Spectacular are both fantastic. And Dominick the Donkey is just hilarious… there’s nothing like Christmas-time at Butler to make you smile.

2007: A year in pictures

ChristinaL — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 07:00:00 GMT

You may think I put tons of pictures up on my blog, but for every one I post, there are hundreds more on my computer. To celebrate the end of 2007, I picked out some of my favorite shots that you haven't seen before. Enjoy!

Bell tower in the snow, February 2007.

Snow day! The guiding spirit of our music fraternity was named Boh, so we made a Kappa Kappa Psi themed "Boh-man".

Our student foundation is known for our rugbies... but we stole the idea from University of Wisconsin. Our conference in Madison was a blast - it's such a cool city and we loved hanging out with the UW students!

KKPsi hosted Salsa Night last year - here's two of my friends dancing. At Butler, we love ballroom dancing (everyone's favorite PE credit!)

In front of the house with my Greek family after I got initiated into Pi Phi.

Sweet 16 game vs. Florida! Butler showed it on a massive screen in Clowes hall. We may have lost, but we're winning in this picture

When our team arrived home from the Sweet 16 in St. Louis, we were there to cheer for them when they got off the bus.

Sigma Nu's World Vision Bowl (sorority football tournament) is one of the most popular Greek events all year. Check out our team captain getting tackled in the middle! Those girls were intense!

All the music & dance fraternities & sororities teamed up this year for a pirate-themed formal. Everyone else pretty much wore normal dresses and suits, but three of my friends who were the DJs for the evening really got into it.

At our District convention in Cincinnati, my Big Big Big Brother Eric won the highest award a collegiate member of KKPsi can get! We were so proud. It was an exciting convention because my big brother (and blogger) Alex was elected district secretary/treasurer, our former chapter president Jeremy was elected district president, and our chapter was selected to host the next convention in Indianapolis! I feel so lucky to be part of such an outstanding group.

So my friend Julie was studying abroad last spring in Australia, but before she left she had a life-size cardboard cut-out made of herself! We took it to all of our KKPsi events and tagged "her" in all our photos of so she could see what we were up to. In this shot, she's hanging out in Cincy with us. Only Julie...

The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is a huge event at Butler and so much fun. Last year some of my friends and I dressed up our buddy Paul for the Miss-ter Relay beauty competition. Makeup, shaved legs, panty-hose, jewelry... "Paula" was the real deal. She raised a bunch of money for cancer research and so we won the competition!

Once upon a time, we were cleaning out the band storage room in Hinkle when we found a box. My friend Nate said, "Hey, I can use this!" He took the box home over winter break, and when he came back... Boxbot was born! After that, many late nights were spent doing Boxbot photo shoots around Ross Hall...oh the freshmen dorm life. Nothing like it!

I know this isn't the greatest quality picture, but no record of 2007 would be complete without Steak n Shake. This photo is from a special trip with my "family," but I think we went about once a week. Oh frisco melts - how we love thee!

Finals Week - Spring 07. Somebody soapified Star Fountain!

I absolutely loved my freshman dorm room in Schwitzer. I was so sad to leave it that I went on an insane picture taking spree during the last week of school. It was pathetic... but now I can probably do a great blog post on what a Schwitz room looks like!

I spent my summer performing with the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps from Casper, Wyoming. We toured the whole country and performed 3 or 4 times a week - so much fun. Here's the colorguard, aka the people I spent ALL my time with and love soooo much! Most of them are from Texas... I miss them!

Check out how tan I was by the end of the summer!

Even though I was all over the country this summer, I never felt too far away from home because there were always Butler friends around. Chris (the guy in the BU sweatshirt) is a drummer who marched with me for 2 summers in a row (and helped convince me to go to Butler!). Evan, in the middle, is also a music major at Butler and is the drum major for a different corps from South Carolina. This photo was taken right after he was named best drum major of all the corps in the nation! Go Bulldogs! : )

Drum Corps International Championships were in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl this year, so we got a day off to enjoy Cali. We spent an afternoon at Santa Monica Pier where MTV happened to be filming an episode of Next (see they bus behind us?) And yes, it is as fake as it looks on tv. The producers tell all the people what to say!

"Make new friends but keep the old"... even though I'm not home very much, I'm still close with some of the same friends I've had since junior high. Ashley (who goes to Augustana in IL) and Sarah (who goes to GWU in DC and took this picture) and I had a campout on my back porch before we all headed back to school in August.

Back at Butler, finally! Block Party is my favorite part of Welcome Week because you can find out about all the awesome student organizations. Here I am at the Butler Student Foundation (BUSF) table with Forrest (president) and Sara (secretary).

BUSF always helps out with Homecoming and this year Kate and I worked at Blue's Family Fun Fair - of course we had to test all the games ourselves before the kids got there!

My Big Sis Ariel was our Homecoming Queen candidate for Pi Phi. Here we are at the football game - she's the greatest!

Living up my nineteenth birthday with two of my best friends, Amy and Betsy.

Pi Phi and Sigma Nu teamed up to plant trees for Keep Indianapolis Beautiful this fall and had such a blast. My friends Jon, Ariel, Ross and I were an amazing team - we planted four trees and named them all after characters from Finding Nemo. This is Sharkbait!

Fall at Butler is so beautiful! I love our campus.

One of my favorite things about being a sophomore is getting a Little Brother for KKPsi. I first met Jimmy at camp when he was 16. Last year when I heard he was looking at Butler I was so excited that I did everything in my power to convince him to come here. Not only did he choose Butler, but he joined my fraternity and now he's my little!

The BUSF exec board puts so much hard work into creating a great experience for Butler students, alumni and prospectives, so it was so sweet that our advisor rewarded us by taking us along to Chicago to help with her conference. These three people with me are some of the most involved student leaders at Butler and I admire them all so much. I feel so lucky to consider them great friends, too!

Basketball was one of the greatest parts of 2007, and it looks like 2008 could be even better! "DAWG POUND! wooooooosh!"

Wow, 2007... my first full year at Butler and such an amazing one. So many great people, good memories, late nights, long days, and fun times.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful 2008 and that I'll see some of you at Butler this year!