Well, it’s a little more than a month before classes start. In a few short weeks, new students will be flooding onto campus, wide-eyed and curious about the inner workings of EMU. Sure, our school looks like every other state school—great professors, a pretty campus, a decently hyped up student body. But let’s be real here—you don’t really know the school until you know the really…um, unique aspects of campus life.

Well, we can help you there. Here are the 10 things you need to know about EMU to really get to know the campus.

1. Our Lord and Savior, Geoff Larcom

Okay, so that may be title overkill. To clarify, no, he is not the university’s president. He actually handles the school's PR, but the student body knows him as the man behind the email updates your inbox is blessed with. He’s a bit of a man of mystery—some days, you get a million emails from him at once, and then there are the instances where he is silent for weeks on end and you start worrying about Geoff. He’s a bit of a celebrity on campus, and if you ask, he’ll give you a fact of the day and a selfie.

2. The Brick Dick

Ahem, I mean Ypsilanti’s water tower…that happens to look very phallic. Be warned: this is a monument very near and dear to Ypsi, but I guess that goes to show how weird and wonderful the town is. Legend says that if a virgin graduates from EMU, the tower will fall. No pressure though.

3. Certain spots on campus are haunted.

Starkweather Hall, (former home of the Honors College), is reputed to be haunted by Mary Starkweather, who donated the building to be used for religious purposes/classes but had her wishes disobeyed. Aside from her, there are a few other instances of hauntings or odd occurrences around campus, but you may have to ask an upperclassman about that…

4. Ypsi the Klown

As if a slightly haunted campus wasn’t odd enough, we have our own creepy clown! At the start of every October, to promote one of the haunted houses around Ypsilanti, EMU gets a month long visitor. He’s terrifying but friendly. (Be warned though, there are copycats of Ypsi who are not as nice.)

5. Grilled Cheese Fridays

On a happier (and tastier!) note…if there’s a time to have a meal plan, it’s each Friday because that’s when the dining hall serves up all-you-can-eat grilled cheese sandwiches. Is it the healthiest thing to eat? Probably not, but it’s one of those meals that taste like home and it can’t be missed.

6. There are more geese and squirrels on campus than students.

Even though you pay the tuition, be aware—this campus is all but owned by the geese and squirrels. They are everywhere. The squirrels are super cute and low key, and one has their own Twitter.

The geese…well, let’s just say they are demons who poop everywhere and enjoy walking slowly in front of you as if they know you’re late to class.

7. I promise, not all of our football team’s posters look like this.

I’m not saying that we’re a team meant to be feared—there’s a reason why EMU students are more likely to join in on poking fun at ourselves and our athletics department—but I promise…usually our posters are safe for work.

8. Our mascot is an eagle, not an emu.

Even though an emu would be a hilarious mascot, Eastern takes particular pride in our eagle mascot, Swoop. Swoop is a great representative of our school spirit, and like Ypsi the Klown, you can see him out and about on campus throughout the year. (We promise that he’s not as terrifying.)

9. With Depot Town and downtown Ypsi just a brisk walk from campus, you can satisfy your inner hipster whenever!

Sure, we’re not Ann Arbor, and we don’t have too many purposefully hipster spots…but we have Depot Town, a hipster’s home away from home, complete with a cool coffee shop and quirky aesthetic. And it’s just a quick walk away—perfect for a date or a study session.

10. Our student center will basically become your second home.

Literally anything and everything happens at the student center. There’s food, free Thursday night entertainment (from swing dancing to stand up comedy to poetry slams to open mic nights…), free Friday night movies, art galleries, club meetings…I could go on, but there’s a lot. Plus, the facilities are so nice and the services so plentiful, the student center itself was ranked number one in the country. (It doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but trust me, it kind of is.)

At Eastern Michigan University, there is so much to do and see that it’s hard not to become involved. Sure, our school is a little bit weird, but the quirks make this place home. Want to join our Odyssey community, too? Request here.