All the things about BU that make absolutely no sense

Boston University is not your typical college campus. The buildings are casually spread across a mile-long strip of Boston, making them almost indistinguishable from the cityscape.

Students quickly learn to love their campus (or lack thereof), but there are still many things about the school that leave freshmen and seniors alike seriously confused.

The West Campus pumpkin

Behind the Nickerson Field bleachers, right near BUPD stands a lit up, is a stone statue of a jack-o-lantern. No context, no plaque explaining its significance, and no information about it anywhere on the Internet.

BU isn’t known for Halloween rituals or fun student activities (sorry SAO), so this pumpkin is terribly out of place. Furthermore, anyone I asked had no clue why it was there.

Our lack of a football team

This may be a stretch, but I blame BU’s lack of school spirit to its loss of the football team many years ago. BU is a huge school, but it’s also kind of lame. I see my friends at wild tailgates, covered in their school apparel and I feel slighted.

Sure, we have plenty of other Division One sports to keep us occupied, but none of them really unify us like football could.

We have the numbers and definitely the funds to have a team, so why we don’t is still a mystery.

Warren Towers

No offense, but Warren kinda sucks. It looks like a prison because someone who built prisons actually designed it.

The rooms are small and outdated, the bathrooms are nasty, and the dining hall low key gives me acute food poisoning every time I eat there.

And although it’s super convenient location-wise, it takes an L in every other category.

StuVi/West Campus

Why is it that arguably the nicest part of campus is also the farthest from everything?

My theory is that BU doesn’t want everyone fighting over living in StuVi and West, so they placed them as far away from the rest of campus as possible. Living in StuVi 2, it takes me at least 20 minutes to walk to class every day in good weather. And once winter hits, I can add at least another five to 10 minutes on my commute.

It is pure torture.

Claflin, Sleeper, Rich and 1019 aren’t too shabby either. I may be partial, but I think any of these beat living in Warren. The rooms are brighter, the bathrooms are a little bit nicer, and the greenery adds a nice, comforting touch to the area.

And, although it is not a permanent living solution, 1047 is pretty sick (hello, free laundry).

It’s definitely a conspiracy.

The BUS

Why is it that every single BUS (BU Shuttle) I see is “out of service?”

It’s not like they have 30 thousand students they could be transporting around two campuses… Oh wait. They do.

I really don’t get it. The app is also never accurate, so don’t bother checking it. Buses always say they’re “five minutes away” when they’re all on the Med Campus. And even though the buses are late, that doesn’t mean you can be too. They don’t wait for anyone. This I find especially confusing, since they never stick to their schedule anyways.

Because it seems they’re low on buses, the ones that are actually in service are stuffed like clown cars. I see students get the bus doors closed on their bodies while they try to squeeze their way in. The drivers don’t care, they’ll cut off your arm without a second thought.

The BU Beach

This one is talked about a lot, but it still remains a point of confusion for many BU students.

Everyone knows the lawn behind Marsh Chapel is called the BU Beach. But please, someone tell me where they see an actual beach. When I look at it, I see what other universities call a quad or a common.

People partake in very typical “quad” activities on the BU Beach. They play frisbee, hold events, study, and hang out with friends. However, I’ve never seen sand, beach towels or bathing suits there.

And no, the passing cars do not sound like the ocean. Trust me.

Under the trees may be shady, and the lawn is green and the sculptures make for great snapchats, but it’s still not a beach.

The guest policy

If you live off campus you cannot get into any BU dorm without a guest pass. Why are some BU students considered “guests” on their own campus? Why isn’t a valid BU ID enough to have access to University owned buildings?

It’s a serious inconvenience and a waste of time. It also deters off campus friends from visiting, which isn’t great for students’ social lives.

Every time you enter a dorm you have to be signed back in. Otherwise, you have to use a three-day guest pass. And guess what? You only get three of those a semester.

And even if you live on campus, you can’t get into anyone else’s dorm after 2:00 a.m. without getting signed in. So, you can’t even get your late-night “freak” on or steal a slice of your friend’s late-night T Anthony’s run without the judgement of the security guard.

The law library

Quite possibly the weirdest thing about BU is the fact that regular undergrads (which make up over half of BU’s student body) cannot use the law library.

It’s absolutely beautiful, and would definitely come in clutch during the study period before finals when every other study space is swamped.

But, for whatever reason, only law students are allowed to use it during finals week and after 8 p.m. And yeah, it’s nice, but what makes it so elite that students are barred from entry?

It just doesn’t seem like a smart use of space. During finals week people actually fight for spaces in Mugar, but can’t even get into the library next door. Opening up the law library to everyone during finals could help alleviate the undeniable stress we feel during finals week.

It’s seriously messed up.

Even though we complain about all the quirks of BU, they definitely makes our college experience more interesting. We have great stories to tell our friends back home and that makes us look sorta cool, so it’s fine.

I guess at the end of the day, even though it sucks to BU, it really doesn’t.