Everything Iowa students need to stop doing

For the love of God, please stop clogging traffic to touch the brain

Everyone has pet peeves. No matter how small, there will always be a few things that really grind your gears. There are some things that people do, though, that go beyond pet peeves and simply don’t make any sense.  Below is a list of things you’ll see students do in Iowa City that really need to just end.

Not crossing the street when there isn’t traffic

I totally understand that crossing the street when you aren’t supposed to is technically jay-walking, but downtown Iowa City is a maze of oneway roads, and that means if there’s no traffic, you’re free to walk across the street. If you don’t, the rest of us have to wait behind you until the light turns. Please, for everyone’s sake, just cross the street.

Crossing the street when there is traffic

On the other hand, if there is traffic, please do not walk. If I’m driving and have the green light, but have to stop because you decide to text while walking in front of my car, you’re endangering both of us, and pissing all of us off in the process.

Touching the brain rock for good luck

The brain rock, located in the middle of the busiest walkway on campus, is honestly just a rock, yet some of you find it necessary to clog up traffic on the walkway to stop and touch it before an exam, or take a picture in front of it to post with the witty caption “forgot to study, but this will do!” News flash: you probably still failed the exam, and stopping to touch a rock didn’t help you in the slightest.

Handing out flyers on the T. Anne Cleary or Pentacrest

I get that you have to spread the word about your event or organization somewhere, and I’ve actually been one of those people handing out a small slip of paper advertising an event, but if I have to hold five flyers in my hand as I collect them within two minutes from separate organizations or have to make small talk with someone at a booth just because I made eye contact with them just to wind up “having to think about it”, we’re wasting everyone’s time.

Wearing other school’s apparel on campus

Not everyone is from Iowa, and I understand that you may have an old Indiana t-shirt in your closet that you got on your campus tour senior year of high school, but you go here now, and wearing another school’s apparel is just like cheating, particularly if it’s another Big Ten school. A Hawkeye shirt is $5 at the Hawk Shop – if you run out of clean laundry, please just go buy one of those rather than sporting another school’s clothes.

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University of Iowa