Coly Olympics
Tents and a hog roast on the campus green signal the arrival of Spring Bash and the Coly Olympics, held at the end of each school year. After lighting their version of an Olympic torch, the men of Colenbrander Hall spend the night under the stars before competing in such events as the five-legged race, mattress carry, egg toss and car push.
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Cardboard Duct Tape War
The culmination of West Hall’s Medieval Week, this epic battle features the dorm’s residents outfitted in helmets, breastplates, spears and shields created entirely from cardboard and duct tape. As music from Braveheart blasts across the campus green, the warriors fight before an appreciative throng until one man is left standing.
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Steggy Keggy
Root beer floats served from a keg in Stegenga Hall’s lobby cap this annual decorating contest. After selecting a theme for each wing, the dorm’s residents transform their hallways and rooms into scenes from movies, eras, books or fairy tales. As spectators tour the hall, the women don homemade costumes and enact scenes telling the story of their theme. Bragging rights go to the wing with the most votes at evening’s end.
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Miss Hospers
A satire of the Miss America contest, Miss Hospers is a beauty pageant in which contestants take on a persona as they compete for the crown—for example, the librarian who shelves books for her talent or the Hollywood starlet who signs autographs. Participants are judged on their creativity and how well they stay in character. As does Miss America, last year’s Miss Hospers also promoted a cause, encouraging her fellow residents to embrace simple living.
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Fern Barbecue
When “sleepovers” was the theme of the annual Fern Barbecue, Fern Smith Hall residents hung out on the campus green in their pajamas, slippers and bathrobes, clutching pillows and their favorite stuffed animal. Whatever the theme—from superheroes to the hit movie Hunger Games—the annual event features coordinated costumes, games and decorations, along with a cafeteria-catered meal.
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Pilgrimage
Another West Hall tradition, Pilgrimage is a 15-mile cross-country trek. Armed with walking sticks and water bottles, participants follow fence lines during the daylong excursion, ending their journey at a nearby town’s restaurant. Along the way, they share stories, struggles, aspirations and goals, stopping to rest, cool off in a nearby creek or discuss their faith.
When the last two miles seem the longest, the men may be less apt to talk. But even if the only sound between them is the crunch of dried corn stalks beneath their tired feet, the shared experience of an all-day pilgrimage still strengthens their bond as West brothers.
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Social entrepreneurs invest in society, but not at the expense of making money.
Jim Ellis has been running across Iowa since January, inspiring young and old alike to pursue their passions with vigor.
Dorm Traditions build bonds, forge friendships and make memories.
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