The A to Z of everything that’s great – and not great – about William and Mary

There are so many things we love about William and Mary. From the beautiful campus, to being the nicest college in the USA, we love our school.

The question is, can we name something for every letter of the alphabet? Yes. Yes we can.

Animals Galore

Since William and Mary is so close to forested areas, it is home to plenty of squirrels, deer, and various birds. You can often get pretty close to them without startling them, but be warned–they may seem docile, but these animals are very crafty. No one is entirely sure what they might have planned.

Banner Registration

The first trial we face at College. You can meet with your advisor several times prior to registration, plan out the perfect schedule for the semester, develop several backup plans, memorize every single CRN, wake up hours before registration goes live and still end up with less than 12 credits. All exaggeration aside, it is very easy to get screwed over by Banner due to crashes or overloaded servers. Twice a year, students across campus angrily shake their fists in empty skies as they curse the name of Banner.

Crim Dell Bridge

One of the College’s most recognizable landmarks, the Crim Dell Bridge is a place of photo-ops, superstitions, and the occasional proposal. Legend says that if you cross the bridge with friends or significant others, you will be together until the end of time. If you kiss a significant other here, then you two will inevitably be married. If you happen to walk the bridge by yourself, you will spend the rest of your life alone.

Daily Grind

On the edge of the Sadler Terrace, you’ll find a delightful coffee and sandwich shop. It’s a definite hot spot for students and a great place to catch a quick bite with friends. And their pesto chicken sandwich is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten on campus. It’s rumoured to be the heart of W&M’s revolutionary spirit

Echo Wall

This can be found in front of the Tyler Family Busts outside of Blair Hall. If you stand at a point between the busts and a wall and speak, you will hear your own voice echoing back to you. It’s a bit eerie, but the acoustics here are actually pretty nice.

Forest Trails

These meandering pathways cut through the greenest and liveliest parts of campus. A walk through the forest trails on a nice day is one of the simplest, yet relaxing things you can do at William and Mary – at least until you catch a whiff of the Grim Dell.

Grim Dell

The Grim Dell is basically the polar opposite of the Crim Dell. It’s not very pretty or scenic bridge. Instead, there’s a thick film of algae on its surface and a horrible odor that lingers around it. If you ever find yourself in these murky depths, I suggest that you burn whatever you were wearing, take a long bath, and go see a doctor.

Humidity

During the warmer months here, the air can become so thick with moisture that you’ll have to practically swim to your classes. You won’t be able to differentiate between your own sweat and the water in the air around you. Wearing few layers helps a little, but in order to survive, it’s best to just spend as little time outdoors as possible.

Inspirational Alumni

Graduates from the College go on to do great things in the world. Our list of prestigious alumni includes the likes of political comedian John Stewart, award-winning actress Glenn Close, NFL coach Mike Tomlin, and founding father Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson Statue

This bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson is actually a gift from UVA. It sits next to Washington Hall on the Sunken Gardens. TJ has been known to don costumes to celebrate different occasions throughout the school year, and yes you need to know all about it.

 

Kaplan Arena

Kaplan is home to some of the College’s indoor sporting events, namely basketball and volleyball. In addition to that, Kaplan occasionally hosts a concert every spring for students to enjoy. Whatever event is going on, students always try to #PacktheKap whenever they get the chance.

Lots and lots of rain

There’s an old saying: “When it rains, it pours.” This could not be more accurate at William and Mary. At times, it seems as if the school simply was not designed with precipitation in mind. Whenever it rains, you’ll find that there are puddles of various sizes throughout the entirety of campus.

Fields of grass transform into marshes, staircases become cascading waterfalls, and the streets and sidewalks turn into rivers. It’s often unclear whether or not a puddle is relatively shallow or deeper than the Marianas Trench. It’s best to avoid them completely so you won’t risk drowning. Whether you like them or not, rain boots are a necessary investment.

Matoaka

The Matoaka Amphitheater hosts several major events throughout the year, including the Welcome Back Concert during the first week of classes. Behind the concert stage is Lake Matoaka. Students can often be spotted kayaking there.

NoVA

Northern Virginia, aka NoVA, seems to be home to approximately 98% of William and Mary’s students. If you are in a group of more than six people, there is a very high chance that at least one of them is from here. There’s nothing particularly wrong with NoVa – sometimes it just feels like every student that comes here is from some part of this area. As a resident of southeastern Virginia, I can’t help but feel like I’m missing out.

Opening Convocation

This is the first major event of each academic year. The incoming freshman class is invited to Wren Chapel to hear a speaker, then released into the Sunken Garden to the applause of all other students. The freshies slap hands with the rest of the Tribe as they walk to the end of the Garden. Everyone leaves with burning and sore palms, but the experience is definitely an unforgettable one.

President Reveley

Taylor Reveley, the College’s 27th president, has been with us since 1998. He is one of the best parts of this school. We love listening to his solemn voice address the student body, we relish opportunities to take pictures with him on campus, and we certainly love plastering his face onto all sorts of paraphernalia. Life at W&M just wouldn’t be the same with anyone else in the President’s House.

Qdoba

Have you forgotten to eat dinner again? Are all the dining halls closed? Do you have a hankering for Chipotle, but don’t feel like walking all the way there? Well good news. Late night Qdoba is here to satisfy all of your quesadilla-based needs. Honestly, it’s pretty decent Mexican food. The combination of warm tortilla wraps and gooey cheese has helped me endure some of my most difficult weeks at the College. Seriously, take advantage of it while you have the chance.

Renovations

William and Mary is one of the oldest colleges in the nation. As such, some of its facilities are either outdated or nearing a state of disrepair. To remedy this, the College sometimes undergoes transitional construction stages, meaning that many parts of the campus will be closed off for improvements or completely knocked down. The recent renovations to the Integrated Science Center and Tyler Hall make the buildings look completely new and up to date.

Sunken Garden

You won’t find a single flower within the ironically named Sunken Garden, but you will find one of the most popular locales on campus. This is one of the picturesque scenes that’s constantly plastered on our school website as well as our admissions package.

When you pass by the Sunken Garden, you’re likely to see some other students practicing yoga, playing football or Frisbee, or even the occasional streaker if you go at the right time. It’s honestly one of the most beautiful places on campus, despite the lack of perfectly positioned floral arrangements.

Triathlon

Similar to an actual triathlon, this tradition requires a significant amount of endurance. But that’s where the similarities end. It combines three common campus traditions into one major event. First is jumping the wall in the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg. Next is swimming through the Crim Dell. Finally, there’s streaking across the Sunken Garden. It’s a difficult challenge that’s not meant for the faint hearted.

Uneven Brick Paths

The brick paths that run through campus are perhaps the most treacherous thing you will ever face in your natural life. There is a high chance that they will trip you up as you travel from place to place. The probability quadruples if you happen to be walking backwards while giving a tour.

If you manage to make it through your years here without at least stumbling, then you will have missed out on some necessary character building. If (and by “if” I mean “when”) you trip on a misplaced brick, make sure you try to stick the landing.

Varying Weather Patterns

The weather here is often very inconsistent. It is very possible that you can experience all four seasons in the course of a few days. It’s best that you keep at least one thick coat with you for the entire school year.

Wawa

Perhaps the most magical location on campus, the local Wawa serves as our students’ primary source of food between the hours of midnight and 4am. In truth, there’s really never a bad time to go to Wawa.

Nothing can help you through those late nights or endless study sessions quite like a toasted BLT or a bowl of mac and cheese. Fair warning: it’s very easy to blow through cash with too many frequent stops here. You must stay vigilant.

Student X-Change

This is the student store located in the bottom floor of the Sadler Center. The items there might be a tad expensive, but it’s the best place to go grocery shopping if you don’t feel like making the trip to Food Lion.

Plus, they have a constant supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream as well as assorted candies. Just try not to spend all of your Flex on junk food.

Yule Log

Yule Log is a time for reflection near the end of each calendar year. There’s torches, sprigs of holly, hot cider, fire, what more could you want? Bonus: Santa Clause (and definitely not President Reveley in a Santa suit) visits the College to read a classic Christmas tale to the students: How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

It sounds completely different when read with such a deep and mystifying tone. There are several speeches given by students and faculty that celebrate different holiday traditions. At the end of it all, everyone throws sprigs of holly into a fire to bring good luck for the coming year.

Zable Stadium

Zable Stadium is home to our school’s football games and track meets. Recent renovations have expanded the stadium’s capacity. With the extra seating, we hope bring even more fans of the Tribe to our events.