Every university has its own lingo. I mean, you throw thousands of students together, and you've got to expect someone to start making up slang at some point! But while everyone in the campus community knows what's up, nobody else has any clue what you're talking about. If you use these phrases off-campus, you're bound to get some odd looks.

1. "The devotional portion of chapel is now over."

Chapel happens every weekday at Freed. You've got the usual singing and prayer and announcements... and then you've got a speaker. But sometimes that speaker doesn't have a topic that pertains to anything spiritual (or is a woman), and on those days, they make sure we know "the devotional portion of chapel is now over" before he or she gets up to speak. Sometimes.

(And when they forget, believe me, it's awkward.)

2. "Are you going to SI tonight?"

For about the first month at school, I didn't know what on earth SI was. Apparently, it's some kind of mass tutoring... class after-class, so to speak. Still don't know what the S and I stand for.

UPDATE: my dear suitemate just informed me that it stands for "supplemental instruction." Well wouldn't ya know... Learn something new every day.

3. "There's a candle lighting tonight."

No one will ever know you're engaged unless you gather all your closest friends and announce it with a tiny flaming stick of fire! And then everyone screams and jumps around all happily and takes photos for Facebook and wait, weren't candles banned in the dorms?

4. "Three swings and a ring!"

We have a fascination with porch swings and love connections. Why not combine them? I mean, if you sit on a swing with someone for THREE WHOLE TIMES, of course you're destined to wed. They don't call us "Find a Husband University" for nothing.

5. "Hey, [insert social club of choice] painted the lion again!"

There's this statue of a lion on campus, and it really seems to attract the spray paint. I don't want to know how many paint layers are on that thing now. But hey, tradition.

6. "Is there anything good in Gano?"

To clarify, Gano is the cafeteria.

7. "Is campus-wide tomorrow night?"

Sometimes we have campus-wide devotionals, and they are rad.

8. "We're going to Lo Po."

Lo Po is the glorious local institution of Mexican food, otherwise known as a student lifeline.

9. "Let's go boog-bustin'."

Because nothing is more fun than screaming "save room for Jesus!" at the awkward couple.

10. "Who's up for Hoop Cheese?"

It's an Amish store, and I guess it does sell cheese... I just don't know where they got the "hoop" part of that.