Every school has its features that make it unique– that’s why you chose that university after all! HC Wake Forest and HC Cincinnati swapped fun facts about each school and found out that both schools have more in common than we might think! Check out some of these gems at each school!
Thursday Night Hot Spot:
Wake: If you’re looking for the move on Thursday night, you can’t miss Last Resort AKA LR. It can best be described as “a more dressed up frat party.” The party doesn’t really start until 12:30 am Friday morning so people have plenty of time to get ready and pregame.
Cincinnati: Starting at 9 pm on Thursday nights, a Bier Bus picks up students from campus and taking them to Hofbrauhaus in Newport for a night filled with $6 bier liters, delicious soft pretzels, and bier cheese. Hofbrauhaus is famous for its live music, dancing on tables, ski shots (8 people take shots from glasses that are glued to the same ski) and it’s ability to bring out the desire to travel to Germany in anyone.
Friday’s: Wake: After classes (or before classes because you do you), those who are legal grab some friends and head to Shorty’s for pitchers on the patio. It’s a fun way to relax after a busy week and chill with friends.
Cincinnati: Murphys: If darts, pool, trivia, jenga, free food (who would pass up food?) and $3 drinks are for you, then Murphy’s is the place to be at 5 pm on a Friday. From the outside, Murphy’s looks like a small pub you’d imagine people from the song, “Piano Man” hanging out in. But the inside tells a different story; one of college students eating too many hotdogs and laughing until they’re dizzy (or maybe laughing because of it).
Most Photographed Spot On Campus: Wake: During a picturesque sunrise or sunset, pretty much everyone you follow on Snapchat will post about how stunning Wait Chapel is. Anyone can spot this landmark from almost anywhere on campus. Other nicknames for Wait Chapel include “Mother So Dear” or “The Northern Star” to guide you home after a night out. At five o’clock every evening, someone plays the bells to signal the end of the school day. You may just hear a favorite Disney song played on the bells!
Cincinnati: When you type the “University of Cincinnati” into Google Images, inevitably one of the first images you’ll see will be of McMicken Hall, standing tall and proud at the front of UC’s campus. McMicken is the building of English, Languages, and Journalism, and it’s rare for any student going to UC to not have any classes in the building throughout their college career. Rumor has it that at the top of the tower, there’s a book that people can sign their names in if you’re dedicated enough to find the entrance and sneaky enough to find a way in.
Fall Parties:
Wake: Every other year, the President of Wake Forest, Nathan O. Hatch, throws President’s Ball. It’s like a grown up Homecoming Dance. Everyone dresses in their finest and dances to bands and DJs in the basketball stadium.
Cincinnati: Every year on the Thursday before Homecoming, Sigma Phi, a woman’s honorary society, hosts Fall Ball. Like Wake’s dance, this is also a homecoming dance for grown ups. It’s hosted in Bogart’s, which our closest off campus concert venue. A band takes over the stage, scholarships are given out and the homecoming court makes an appearance as everyone shows off their best (or worst) dance moves. There’s a price to get in, but there’s always pizza and cookies to make up for it.
Football:
Wake: We don’t call it “football season.” It’s “tailgate season!” On a hilly lawn, fraternities pitch tents and furnish their space with couches, elevated surfaces, kegs and food. Ladies show up wearing fashion-forward dresses, and sorority women fasten on their “(Name of Sorority” Loves Our Deacs” pin. The guys wear preppy outfits from Vineyard Vines. It’s a darty (day party) before the game. Eventually, everyone heads inside the stadium for a bit to cheer on our Deacs!
Cincinnati: Football is not our strong spot, and it’s pretty much common knowledge on UC’s campus. However, that doesn’t prevent the student section from being jammed pack with people decked in spirit wear from head to toe. While our designated tailgate spot is Sigma Sigma Commons, students are usually getting their game on at Fraternity houses, Murphy’s or Woody’s (depending on whether you’re legal or not), or at a friend’s house. We don’t dress up in our cute preppy clothing; instead, you’ll find UC students sporting anything from cheerleader style skirts to leggings and a t-shirt.
Programs Known For At Each School:
Wake: A huge portion of the school is on the pre-med track or in the business school. Wake’s b-school is ranked 13th in the US. Those who aspire to go to Medical School tend to be Health and Exercise Science majors or major in the sciences such as Biology or Chemistry.
Cincinnati: While you’ll probably find the greatest amount of students either in Business, Criminal Justice, or Nursing, UC’s top programs lie in the colleges of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), or the College Conservatory of Music (CCM). People from all over the United States seek out Cincinnati for degrees in fields such as Architecture, Interior Design, and Industrial Design, along with programs in Musical Theatre, Ballet, and Acting.
Dance Marathon:
Wake: Right after Spring Break in March is one of the most beloved events Wake throws: Wake ‘n Shake! This 12 hour dance marathon raises money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. Wake students can dance for either six hours or the full 12 hours. People usually dress up in funky outfits complete with tutus, bright colors, and fun leggings.
Cincinnati: At the beginning of November every year, Bearcathon takes philanthropic dance marathons to the next level. It’s a 12 hour dance marathon to raise money for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The fundraiser has numerous things to do during the 12 hours, including cornhole, henna, bouncy houses, face painting, and giant jenga. Greek Life participants usually wear their letters to #represent, but other students wear a designated Bearcathon shirt.
Panhellenic Greek Life:
Wake: Recruitment is during the Spring semester so sorority women come back to campus a week early from winter break, and guys rush during the first week of Spring semester classes. We have eight sororities: Alpha Delta Pi, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Beta Gamma, Tri Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta and Chi Omega.
Cincinnati: Panhellenic recruitment is a 2 weekend event sometime in the middle of September each year. There are four rounds during recruitment: two days of Open House, one day of Philanthropy, one day Sisterhood, and one night of Preference Round. Rho Gammas are affiliated sorority women leading a group of interested women through their recruitment. We have ten different sororities: Kappa Delta, Phi Mu, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Theta Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Theta, Gamma Phi Beta, Pi Beta Phi, and Phi Rho.
Fun Facts About Each University:
Cincinnati Fun Facts: Frank Gehry, one of the world’s most famous architects known for outrageous designs, designed the Vontz Center for Molecular Studies on UC’s Med Campus.
Wake Forest Fun Facts: Arnold Palmer, Chris Paul and Tim Duncan are Wake alums!
Cover photo courtesy of: https://www.artwithimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/Cincinnati-1.jpeg