<p>My friends from NSLC and I were talking about the oddest and most intriguing things they heard about colleges, and I was wonder what else you've heard...</p>
<p>**Middlebury College* banishes English from be spoken on campus during the summer</p>
<p>**Deep Springs*=26 students, 50,000 acres of desert land, only 10 courses offered a term, only core requirement is mandatory hard labor and field work!!!</p>
<p>**Marlboro College* - On top of being an isolated community of 380 students in Vermont, the school stresses independent study? So is this a school of close to nature self-thinkers or loners who seek solitude?</p>
<p>**University of Vermont* has had over 400 ghost sightings reported and a handful of students have transferred since the 50's sight that the school was haunted</p>
<p>Any other interesting things you've heard about colleges, please do share...</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke College in Massachusettes is widely believed to be haunted, and many familiar ghosts are often sighted and considered "students". Rumor has that many years ago, a girl killed herself in her dorm room. The room was boarded up and closed off, but one year, during a housing shortage, the President insisted that it be reopened. Students agreed that if she could spend one night in the room, it would be opened again for residency. Scoffing, the President packed her bags and headed to the room. Around 3am, she ran screaming out of the room, immediately had it boarded up again, and it has never been lived in since.</p>
<p>At Knox College in Illinois, they have a tradition called Pump Handle. On the first day of the new semester all 1500 students and faculty all meet in the center of campus and shake each others hands one by one.
Knox also has "Flunk Day" in the spring --- all classes are unexpectedly cancelled without warning and students and faculty enjoy carnival rides, a picnic, and general cavorting. Knox is also the very proud owner of the building where Lincoln and Douglas debated back in the 1800's. You can sit in the same chair Lincoln did in the Lincoln room of the building, and admissions considers it one of the highlights of the tour.</p>
<p>Students at Centre College in Kentucky honor "Dead Fred" - a portrait of Fred Vinson, who graduated from Centre in 1909 and later served as chief justice of the US Supreme Court. Students take the portrait to all school sporting and special events and have even taken and photographed it abroad. (<a href="http://www.centre.edu/tjandfred/%5B/url%5D">www.centre.edu/tjandfred/</a>)</p>
<p>At Brigham Young, the bell tower plays "Come, Come Ye Saints" every morning and the national anthem is played twice a day.</p>
<p>At Hollins College in Virginia, they have "Tinker Day" every October. Bells ring, classes are cancelled and students dress up in outrageous outfits anc climb nearby Tinker Mountain where they eat Tinker Cake.</p>
<p>At the University of the South (Sewanee), the campus has 10,000 acres and honors students (called the "Order of the Gownsmen") wear academic gowns to classes.</p>
<p>Wells College in NY owns a restored Wells Fargo Stage coach. Seniors ride in it to their graduation ceremony.</p>
<p>At Earlham College in Indiana, everyone is on a first name basis - No "Professor so-and-so" or "Dr. XYZ" for students - just Alice, Joe and Nathan. Students even call Earlham's president "Doug."</p>
<p>Bob Jones University - For the sake of accountability, students MUST "check out" when they leave the campus. Posters of movie and music stars and fashion models are not permitted. Music must be compatible with the University's music standards:New Age, jazz, rock, and country music is not permitted., Televisions and DVD/videocassette players are not permitted in the residence halls; computer DVD players may NOT be used to view movies. Residence hall students may not watch videos above a G rating when visiting homes in town and may NOT attend movie theaters. Freshmen and sophomores may not use their vehicles to go to and from work. Students may not miss nightly prayer meetings on weekdays.......</p>