Walking down the isle into Elliot Hall of Music with "Year 3000" blaring into my ears, seeing everyone smiling and dancing as new students look around awkwardly searching for looks of approval on each other's faces thinking, "Why is everyone dancing? They look ridiculous! They are dancing to Jonas Brothers... That was acceptable in the sixth grade but not now," I look down to my group of students, standing stiff, feeling alone in the group of 6,000 students around them. I begin to high-five them all, and the mood starts to set into an awesome night. I was a new student in Boiler Gold Rush last year, and this year I was a Team Leader for Boiler Gold Rush. I was lucky enough to be a part of the amazing community of BGR and experience an incredible week. Here's why:
1. You meet SO many people.
Walking into a college without a friend by your side is scary. I went in afraid that I wouldn't make any friends that I could get along with because during high school, I had a solid friend group that I had known and expanded only slightly since I was in fourth grade. I was nervous that people would think my spunky personality was weird, or that since I went to a private high school I would be stuck up.
I met one of my best friends in my BGR group, and am lucky enough to be rooming with her this year. The first week of classes, I walked in and recognized at least two people in each of my classes, just from seeing people around. You also meet upperclassmen who just experienced what you are about to go through. You can ask them questions about nearly anything, and they are able to be your mentor throughout the week and the rest of your years here at Purdue.
2. It's a week-long dance party.
You will never not hear music during this week, and if you aren't listening to music, you're doing BGR wrong. People carry speakers in their backpacks, and whenever you go into rooms for activities, the supervisors are blaring the latest songs on the BGR playlist. You also learn a dance called "The Common Bond Dance." This year, we all jammed to "All Night" by Icona Pop for the dance, and there is nothing more exciting than looking around in Elliot and seeing every other person doing the same exact dance moves as you. If you don't like to dance, or don't know how, you're about to learn. Nothing compares to the feeling of looking around and seeing everyone jam together and jive at closing ceremonies.
3. Freezone.
Freezone is a state of mind. Purdue created Freezone as an environment that you can be who you are and feel supported for the decisions you make and the way you think and perceive things. Freezone addresses a variety of topics such as the LBGTQ community, homesickness in college, broken family households, drinking, sexual assault, how to treat others, and how to create an accepting environment around campus. Freezone has taught me that it's okay to be myself. I always thought I had to cover up who I really was for people to like me. This inspired me to be confident with who I am and my opinions. Freezone makes you vulnerable. You feel open enough to share personal experiences with your group that you may not have told anyone before. It brings your BGR group close together, and let's you know that you are not alone.
4. You learn all the Purdue traditions.
With your BGR group, you'll go on fountain runs, get Den pops, sing Hail Purdue, cross the tracks, and learn about all our great traditions that bring Boilermakers together. My personal favorite is the fountain run, because sprinting across campus in huge groups jumping into ice cold water and sliding down the engineering fountain is just pure fun. Except Loeb fountain, that just hurts.
5. Free stuff galore!
Okay, let's be real, all new students get free stuff. But at Purdue, you get TONS of free stuff. I wasn't even a new student and I got three bags, two cups, four pens, and other silly stuff that I probably won't use. I know people who received shirts, portable chargers, and other awesome stuff. We also had a B-Involved fair, which gave new students the opportunity to see all the great clubs and organizations Purdue has to offer.
6. You see some pretty awesome acts.
This year, we had the privilege of seeing David Coleman, the Date Doctor, who is the only speaker to ever win National Entertainer of the Year, and Christopher Carter, The Mentalist. Coleman was able to answer questions from the new students and make everyone in Elliot crack a smile and laugh until their stomachs hurt while he told us the reality of dating. Carter hypnotized 25 people on the stage of Elliot Hall of Music, and even a few new students from the crowd, leaving people laughing and filling the hall with good vibes.
7. You learn the campus quickly.
When walking around the campus for five days with a leader who knows where they are going and is constantly pointing out which buildings are where, and the best route to get to your next class, it makes learning the campus simple. You are able to follow in the footsteps and walk the same streets as your fellow Boilermakers with confidence.
8. HALL TEAMS!
Oh-MT, HOT, Shrevehart, McHarrison, WCW. Those mean absolutely nothing to outsiders. They will look at you crazy when you say, oh yeah, I'm in Oh-MT, and it's like the best thing ever. These are called hall teams, and depending on where you reside on campus during BGR, you are assigned a hall team. You meet people in your residence hall from all different floors. You learn shoutouts, which are short chants that you shout throughout the week to win points for your specific hall team in the (drum roll please) Interhall Showdown. Oh, and let's be real, Oh-MT should've won this year. Below is me every time we would finish our shoutouts.
9. You have a week full of being a Boilermaker, without the whole school part.
A full week of living in dorms, meeting people around you, getting used to community showers, running around campus, late-night pizza runs, doing nearly everything you'll do in the school year, except you don't have class. It's a stress-free week to get you transitioned into college smoothly, while having fun and distracting you from the potential homesickness.
When I describe BGR to my friends that went to other schools, they are jealous of how much fun I had, and how comfortable I became with the campus in such a short amount of time. I was able to become close with people in my grade, but also with upperclassmen because they showed me the way around and taught me about campus. This year, I had the honor of being a Team Leader, the mentor that I looked up to as a new student. It was an amazing experience to be able to meet so many new students and calm their worries, pump them up for an awesome four years, and be the person they look up at to answer any of their questions and help them through any difficulties they may face.
Boiler Gold Rush may be over, but the year has just begun. The memories made will stay close to students' hearts, and I'm so happy to have been able to be a part of it. Boiler up, hammer down, HAIL PURDUE!
