Madeline Crocenzi
Summer Director
When you made the decision to come to Messiah, you were probably wondering what you had just gotten yourself into. It’s okay. We were all there once. Lucky for you, a few of the Pulse staff members have compiled a list of things you need to know before starting at Messiah.
1. Soccer is love. Soccer is life.
Some people find the lack of football at Messiah to be a drawback. It’s okay though, because Messiah is big on futbol, the European kind. Pulse Business Manager, Josh Husmann, recommends attending the Messiah vs. Etown soccer game. “One thing that sticks out to me is the the marshmallow bowl with Messiah vs Etown soccer games,” he says. Although pelting Etown soccer players with marshmallows is technically banned, it’s a Messiah tradition.
Students participating in the annual eyas “White Out March” to Shoemaker Field.
2. No, someone is not being brutally murdered outside of your dorm room; it’s just the midnight scream.
The midnight scream, when every night during finals week, students all scream at the top of their lungs at midnight. No amount of preparation will ever make you get used to the midnight scream. When it’s 12:00 AM and you’re deep into your chemistry notes at the library, you might happen to forget about the scream and jump out of your own skin when it starts. Yes, I’ve been there.
3. What exactly is in Lottie’s chicken cordon bleu?
Some students like Lottie’s signature Sunday lunch dish, chicken cordon bleu. Is it chicken? Is it pork? Is it the hamster you’ve successfully hidden in your dorm room for months? The world may never know.
Source: Reddit.com. Taken from giphy.com
4. Ring by spring and spouse hunting are not myths.
When I first came to Messiah and I heard about ring by spring I (naively) assumed it was a joke. It’s not. At times campus literally seems like the husband games. If you’re going to participate, remember Messiah is 60% women and 40% men. Ladies, the odds are not in your favor.
5. Trust no Wi-Fi, especially WPA.
Messiah’s Wi-Fi network, WPA is notorious for failing at inopportune times, or all the time for that matter. When you finally get off of Facebook to start research for that paper. Down. When you’re on the last problem on your online math homework. Down. When you’re ten episodes deep into a Parks and Recreation marathon and you’re about to find out if Ben and Leslie are going to get together. Down.
6. The Duct Tape Wars will make you a cardboard and duct tape believer.
Every May, students gather for the annual Duct Tape Wars. A time to release all of that pent-up finals frustration. These aren’t just any old war. The Duct Tape Wars are full of duct tape, cardboard, sweat, and protest signs. Josh Husmann says the Duct Tape Wars always come to mind when thinking about Messiah. Just make sure to snatch up all the cardboard before it’s gone.
The 2015 Duct Tape Wars on Bittner Beach.
7. No shoes doesn’t mean no service.
A lot of people like to walk around Messiah barefoot. They will walk outside, in the academic buildings, and in the bathrooms barefoot. Hopefully, you still have the receipts for all the new pairs of shoes you bought this year.
Source: fallontonight.tumblr.com. Taken from: giphy.com.
8. It’s okay to get a little emotional at times.
If you’re an upperclassman, there are probably a few times you’ve gotten emotional at Messiah. For example, during the candlelight service, your calculus final, and the time your bank account read $5. However, there’s also another campus event that routinely touches students… Thursday night Powerhouse. Editor, Myriam Pedercini, says, “You will probably cry at one point during Powerhouse.” If you’re going for the first time, make sure to have a tissue handy at the popular Thurday night worship service.
Members of the 2015 Powerhouse Team at Incense night of worship. Taken from: Powerhouse Facebook page.
9. You don’t have to die a slow, painful, textbook death.
While a lot of professors encourage you to buy the textbook before class, it’s not necessarily required. Pulse Student Director, Ally Coonradt, says sometimes waiting to buy textbooks until you see which ones you’ll actually use is smart. Trust me, when you actually have the money to buy that sandwich you’ll thank yourself for not buying the $300 math textbook your class opened once.
Source: settleforbutterflies.tumblr.com. Taken from: giphy.com.
10. First-year dorm pride lasts beyond the Res Hall Games.
There’s nothing like painting your faces and mattress surfing during the Res Hall Games. You may think your surge of dorm pride will only last a few hours, but the Naugle, Bittner, and Witmer legacies live on. Sports and Rec Editor, Ashlyn Miller, says first-year dorm pride really does stick with you for all four years. You may even find the popular and insanely catchy, “Naugle ain’t never been scared” chant stuck in your head for weeks after the Res Hall games.
Last year, Witmer won the first-year residence hall games. Here, students show off their Witmer pride.
Messiah has its quirks, just like any other school. It’s easy to get bogged down with responsibilities like schoolwork, friends, relationships, family, and that scary thing called the future. However one day you’ll wander down to the Breeches and remember exactly why you chose Messiah in the first place. You made a great choice in Messiah College, don’t forget that.