Free Pizza: Joining Clubs at Purdue

by Alexander Coll

There are over 1030 student-run organizations and clubs on Purdue’s campus, ranging from clubs such as Pet-a-Puppy (where you actually do pet puppies) to graduate organizations to Greek and cooperative houses. Clubs are a great way to enhance your Purdue experience, meet new friends, and have a lot of fun. Almost all clubs have some sort of recruitment meeting, called callouts, where the club presents its organization to prospective members. Many times, these are meetings in classrooms or lecture halls, depending on the size of the club. Almost always these events include some kind of free food to entice prospect members to actually show up at the callout. For normal clubs, such as the one for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), serve the traditional callout items: pizza and soft drinks. Other types of organizations hold different kinds of callouts. Greek organizations (Fraternities, Sororities) and cooperative housing organizations call their recruitment process “Rushing”, where they hold events over the first month of each semester in order to recruit new members. These rush events typically include casual sports (ultimate frisbee, cornhole, flag football, etc.), free food (BBQ, wings, pizza, Chick-Fil-A), game nights, and other unique events.

I will admit that for most of the callouts I attended during my first semester at Purdue, I went for the sole purpose of getting free food. Along with some of my floormates, I went to callouts for ACM and Purdue Hackers, both of which offered free pizza and drinks to those who attended. I ended up joining both clubs, and without the free pizza, I never would have even went to the callouts. Another personal example is me joining a Fraternity. Coming to college, I never saw myself joining a Fraternity, and refused to even go to Meet the Greeks during Boiler Gold Rush (Purdue’s version of a welcome week for incoming students). However one day, a friend of mine told me he was planning on going to a rush event for a Fraternity, and insisted that I come. I refused — until he mentioned the free Buffalo Wild Wings and a game of flag football. I ending up joining this organization as well, all thanks to free food.

Clubs at Purdue are great way to be involved outside of the classroom. If you have even the slightest thought of joining a particular club, just go to their callout. Even if you end up not liking the club, at least you got some free pizza!

Here are some resources for those interested in clubs at Purdue:

• BoilerLink - List of Organizations at Purdue
• Boilerlink - Fraternity, Sorority, and Cooperative Life
• Dean of Students - B-Involved

Club sports

By Scott

People have sports talent like you should definitely join a Purdue Club Sport. Club Sports are a proud component of the Division of Recreational Sports (DRS) at Purdue and has been actively involved in providing assistance to the student organizations recognized as Club Sports since 1936. Through Club Sports, the DRS are committed to providing opportunities to student organizations focused on an assortment of team and individual sports. Club Sports may also be competitive, instructional, social and recreational in nature. The Assistant Director – Club Sports, with the assistance of the Graduate Assistant – Club Sports, oversees the Club Sports program and serves as the official representative of the program.

The Club Sports Council (CSC) is the advisory group responsible for interacting with the Assistant Director – Club Sports. The CSC serves as a committee representing all Club Sports and keeps other club members, students, and Faculty Staff informed of club programs and their needs. The group meets regularly and is advised by the Assistant Director – Club Sports along with one elected Faculty/Staff advisor from a recognized club. Recommendations may be made on the following issues: Excellence and Development Funding, select disciplinary policies and procedures, club policies and procedures, and other pertinent Club Sport concerns.

While the Division of Recreational Sports funds an annual allocation to most clubs, the majority of their expenses must be subsidized through membership dues, fundraisers, and generous donations. These funds are primarily used to support club travel to various competitions as well as equipment needs and capital expenses. If you want to donate, you can go the Purdue club sports website and select the club from the list below that you wish to support.

Participating one of the Club Sports not only improve your sport’s skill, but also gain the joy with your teammates. Additionally, students get too much pressure from academic, playing sports can help to relax and build a stronger body.

Purdue University Airport

By Scott

Have you gone to Purdue University Airport? It was built in 1930 and it was the first university-owned airport in United States. It is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Because it has such a long history, we need to know what happen through ages. In the late 1920s, David E. Ross, member of the Purdue Board of Trustees, and President Edward C. Elliott were the two who first had the idea of building a airport at Purdue. Hundreds of members of the U.S Army and Navy were trained at Purdue Airport at that time. The airport became the home of the first Reserve Officers’ Training Corps flight program. Also, at that time, Purdue already offered courses in aeronautics through Mechanical Engineering. Pilots could drive from campus to Shambaugh Airport south Lafayette. The owner was Charles Shambaugh and the manager was Lawrence “Cap” Aretz. 360 acres of land south of the Purdue campus had been used for the construction of the airport. The airport was rarely used when it first opened in 1930. In September 1934, Purdue Airport became a working airport. Later, Purdue Airport started to offer commercial flights. Significantly, started 1968, the services provided flights for Big Ten football team and Chicago White Sox, and flew Hugh Hefner’s Playboy jet.

Furthermore, The Purdue Airport was the first airport to offer flight courses as fulfillments of college credit. Also, Purdue was the first university to offer a bachelor’s degree in aviation.

Since the good opportunity and huge benefits we have, we should have experienced our airport at least once in our Purdue life. You can pay 25$ for a little flying experience, if you have a friend who has pilot’s license.

Purdue University Dance Marathon

by Scott


If you are studying in Purdue University but never heard about PUDM, now is a good time to know! Purdue University Dance Marathon was established in 2005 and is now in its 10th year and 11th marathon. This organization raises money year round for the families at Riley Hospital for Children! In every November they have an 18 hours Dance Marathon to celebrate accomplishments though the year. Although they do not dance the whole time, they do stand for the full 18 hours in honor of those who cannot. During the marathon people learn to line dance, play lots of games, and have many entertainment acts.

Over the years, PUDM has raised over $2,000,000 for the kids and families at Riley Hospital for Children. Specifically, the money raised by PUDM pays for one child’s trip to Camp Riley, annually $100,000 goes to Child Life and the remaining amount goes to Cancer Research.

PUDM has grown from having only 100 dancers in its first year, to over 2,000 in the November 2013 marathon. PUDM is, and always has been, student run. Currently, an Executive Board of 28 students and over 400 committee members are actively planning and fundraising for PUDM 2014! The amazing success of this program could not happen without the hard work and dedication of our students and faculty advising staff. The marathon could not take place without the help of the Purdue and West Lafayette communities. They are glad to work with local businesses, restaurants, prominent community figures, athletic teams, and a variety of bands to aid with the marketing, fundraising, and entertainment during the marathon.

Most importantly, PUDM has developed close and personal relationships with multiple Riley kids and families. They are the heart, soul, and inspiration for the year-round fundraising and planning of the marathon. PUDM tries to give more than just money to the hospital; they try to also provide a wonderful and special experience for our Riley kids. The marathon is a celebration of life, hope, love, and dreaming!

A patient room in the new Cancer Center at Riley Hospital is named after PUDM. It’s an incredible honor and gives all involved with PUDM even more motivation to do all they can “For The Kids”.

If you want to know more about PUDM, please look up their Facebook, Twitter or visit their website. Hopefully, you can donate the money and join the marathon dance for the next year! You can also share the happy experience with your friends, or meet new people in there.

Intramural Sports

by Randy Clark

In college it is very easy to get wrapped up in academics, and completely ignore the human body’s need for physical activity. It is not uncommon, for college students to gain weight and get out of shape, especially during their freshman year when they are still trying to figure out a healthy schedule. Hence the reason, the term the “freshman fifteen”, which refers to the fifteen pounds that college freshman supposedly gain, is so commonly recognized. Luckily, Purdue offers a number of different facilities and options to its students to help them stay physically active. For example, Purdue just recently built the Co-rec, a huge gym equipped with basketball courts, racquetball courts, two indoor tracks, an indoor soccer rink, and many other useful arenas. Fittingly, one of best options that Purdue offers for staying physically active often takes place in the Co-rec. That option is intramural sports. In high school, a large portion of the student body was involved in some sort of sport. But as students usually realize playing on a varsity team in college requires an obscene amount of time commitment, and many students are not willing to make that commitment because they would rather explore other extracurricular activities. Fortunately, intramural sports exist as the less time consuming alternative. Intramural sports are a way to play organized games with friends at varying levels of competitiveness and get involved in the Purdue community. In fact, nearly 18,000 students participate in intramural sports every year. This is partly due to the fact that they are very easy to sign up for, only requiring every person on a team to agree to the terms and conditions. And there is a sport for everyone.  Purdue offers over 21 different intramural sports in both the spring and the fall. So get off the couch and get involved in Purdue community, while staying healthy.

Night Rider Bus

by Alexander Coll

For people who don’t have a sober driver or money for a taxi, there is another option for getting home after a late night at the bars or a party: the 18 NightRider bus loop. This CityBus loop runs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8:55 pm to 1:55 pm. The bus looks exactly like the one pictured below, except it says “NightRider” instead of Purdue West, and it will most likely be dark out when you see it.

Stops include residential areas such as Tower Acres, Windsor Halls, and Third Street Suites. The loop can take you home from numerous popular late night destinations including Chauncey Hill, Wabash Landing, and downtown Lafayette. For people desiring to do some programming after a night of drinking, the bus stops at the Lawson Computer Science Building. If you’d rather hang out in the Stack, you can also get off the bus at the Stewart Center. For those living at Triangle Fraternity, the bus also stops directly across the street. For anyone looking to lift weights (not a good idea after a night out), the bus can let you off at the CoRec. For fans of Franks (which should be everybody) looking for the best late night hot dogs and fries, this loop stops right by Pierce Street.

The NightRider bus isn’t only for people coming home from bars. For the people under 21 wanting to observe the Purdue after-bar experience, or just see drunk people trying (sometimes failing) to get on a bus (and forgetting to get off). But whatever your reason for riding the bus, the nightrider is definitely something everybody at Purdue does at some point in their college career, whether just for fun or actually to get home after a night at the bars.

Sledding on Slayter Hill

by Randy Clark

Purdue winters are brutal. The temperature often drops into the negatives and the sun does not show up for days. Not to mention that no matter how many layers a person puts on they will still be cold. Luckily, every cloud seemingly does have a silver lining. In this case, the cold winter and extensive snowfall creates perfect sledding conditions. And all Purdue students know that the best place to go sledding on campus is the infamous Slayter Hill. After the first good snowfall, students flock to the hill like seagulls to food. The hill becomes quite crowded, but everybody always has the time of his or her life. while usually making a lot of new friends in the process. It is also important to note that some students take their sledding very seriously. Students have even been known to construct jumps. Unfortunately, nobody actually thinks far enough into to the future to bring sleds to college. So students will sled on anything they can find. In fact, students

have been seen sledding on anything from books to cardboard boxes. However, the most popular choice for a makeshift sled has proven to be a dining court tray. This tradition has become so popular in recent years that the dining courts no longer give out trays because students were stealing such a large number of trays for the sole purpose of sledding down Slayter Hill. The dining courts now instead only have trays at the exits for collecting student’s dirty dishes. If causing Purdue to change their entire dining system to combat a crazy tradition is not an accomplishment, than I do not know what is. So the next time there is good snowfall, grab anything you can find and make your way to Slayter Hill to make some new friends and have a great time.

Fountain Run

by Randy Clark

In addition to being home to many great people, Purdue is home to a number of different traditions. These traditions range from trivial matters such as not walking under the bell tower for fear that whoever does will not graduate in four years, to the Grand Prix, a 50-mile student go-kart race dubbed "The Greatest Spectacle in College Racing.” Among these odd, yet important traditions there is the famous fountain run. You may be wondering what is a fountain run? Well, a fountain run consists of quarter mile sprint through Purdue’s four or five main fountains. The number depends on what you decide to count as a fountain. Nevertheless, every participant is supposed to run around each fountain three times before moving on to the next fountain. The order of the fountains does not really matter, but historically students finish at either Loeb Fountain or the Engineering Fountain where they can proceed to take a picture. Furthermore, note that although it is not necessary, designating one participant to carry an American flag is suggested, as it gives everybody someone to follow, and makes the entire experience more patriotic. Now you may be wondering why should you get soaking wet for the sake of a tradition? There are several answers to this question. First of all, completing a fountain run is a rite of passage. It symbolizes a new student’s initiation into the Purdue community. Additionally, running a fountain run is a bonding experience. It is a great way to make friends in the awkward transition period that is the first week of school. Not to mention, a fountain run is an extremely effective way to cool down after walking in the burning hot sun all day. In fact, many people will complete more than one fountain run simply to escape the heat. Thus, running a fountain run is a great way to become part of a Purdue tradition, make friends, and cool down on a hot summer day so if you get the chance to run one definitely do not pass it up.

Bowling Alley

by Alexander Coll

A somewhat hidden gem of Purdue, something that mostly only students and staff know about is the bowling alley in the basement of the Purdue Memorial Union, formally called the Union Rack and Roll. Not only does it contain multiple, fully-automatic lanes, but it also offers pool and billiards tables. The alley is complete with electro-dance and party music, along with rave-style lighting. Food can be bought with dining dollars at any of the numerous restaurants in the Union. For students who participated in Boiler Gold Rush, chances are you spent some of the “Union Night” down in the bowling center. If not, well then you missed out on a great time. For prospective students, the bowling alley is a place you must go to with your friends at least once during your freshman year. During Boiler Gold Rush, new students can play one free game with their friends. Normal hours are 10:00am to 1:00 am, allowing you to go bowling between classes if you really have nothing else to do. The price of one game is usually $10, but there are always specials and deals going on. Every Thursday there is “Thrifty Thursdays”, lasting 9:00 pm to midnight, where prices are all one dollar (bowling, shoe rental, and per hour billiards). Every Wednesday is Unlimited Billiards day, where for just two dollars per person, you and your friends can play billiards for as long as you want (or at least until the Bowling Center closes for the night). The Bowling Center also offers charity events, where a certain amount of the sales go towards a selected charity or cause. One of these charity events was the Bowling For Boobs tournament, priced at just $15 per team of five players, with the proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The bowling alley is one of the best hidden gems of Purdue, and everybody should try it out at least once.

Union Restraunts

by Alexander Coll

The Purdue Memorial Union is a great place to hang out, study, or get a bite to eat. If you’re sick of dining court food, and don’t want to go to Wabash or Lafayette for some real food, the Union is a great choice. With 13 different restaurants, there is something for even the pickiest eater. 
For the early risers, or for a cure for the 2:00 crash, there is the all time coffee favorite Starbucks located on the ground floor, with plenty of seating. For the on-the-go-healthy-choices type of person, there is Freshens smoothies. With a location on the ground floor of the union, and at the Lawson Computer Science Building, this place has the best smoothies you can buy with dining dollars. For breakfast, you can choose from bagels or breakfast sandwiches at Oasis Café, the diner-style Pappy’s Sweet Shop, or the more contemporary, formal Sagamore Restaurant. All of which also offer excellent lunch and dinner options as well. If you’re just looking for a casual place to hang out and have dinner, then La Salsa or Italian Kitchen is for you. Get south of the border cuisine at La Salsa, or pizza, pasta, garlic breadsticks, and salads at Italian Kitchen. If you’re looking for something different from the usual Mexican grill or pizza, you can stop by Lemongrass on the ground floor of the Union, which offers menu items from Thailand and Vietnam.
The Purdue Memorial Union dining services also has locations outside of the Union, spread throughout campus. For first year engineering students, you can grab a cup of coffee at Amelia’s in Armstrong before your 7:30 am ENGR 131 class. Computer Science students who need a break during their labs can go to the Port in Lawson to enjoy a smoothie. Rawls Hall is a great place for group studying, and you can get a cup of Coffee as you study at the Bistro. But where ever you choose to eat,  all of these eating choices are great, and the best part is that you don’t have to spend the little money you have in your wallet: all of them accept dining dollars.