Union College-Schenectady Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Jennifer

Being a smaller school the policy on greek life is that rushing/pledging occurs delayed- the fall of your sophomore year. However, after Freshman year most people who are not in sports or heavily involved in organizations on campus do tend to join greek organizations. Nevertheless, you do have all of your freshman year to try out and dable in various sports, academic clubs, intramural, newspaper organizations, social clubs, and minerva events. You come on campus in the fall and you join tons of those groups during Fall Club Expo. Then you receive a plethora of emails inviting you to attend club events. You go to some, skip others, and then you make tons of friends and realize what areas are of interested to you. Coming back for the Winter term (2nd trimester) you get back into the rhythm and continue with the clubs you liked, getting back with the friends you made in the groups, or you go ahead and join in on more different groups to make new friends. You've got the Spring term (3rd and last trimester) to enjoy the warm weather, and meet with even more people since everyone tends to spend spring term studying outside and being more friendly and social. Then coming back your Sophomore year you are more than acquainted and comfortable deciding if you want to go greek or if you are happy with where you stand.

Jennifer

Being a smaller school the policy on greek life is that rushing/pledging occurs delayed- the fall of your sophomore year. However, after Freshman year most people who are not in sports or heavily involved in organizations on campus do tend to join greek organizations. Nevertheless, you do have all of your freshman year to try out and dable in various sports, academic clubs, intramural, newspaper organizations, social clubs, and minerva events. You come on campus in the fall and you join tons of those groups during Fall Club Expo. Then you receive a plethora of emails inviting you to attend club events. You go to some, skip others, and then you make tons of friends and realize what areas are of interested to you. Coming back for the Winter term (2nd trimester) you get back into the rhythm and continue with the clubs you liked, getting back with the friends you made in the groups, or you go ahead and join in on more different groups to make new friends. You've got the Spring term (3rd and last trimester) to enjoy the warm weather, and meet with even more people since everyone tends to spend spring term studying outside and being more friendly and social. Then coming back your Sophomore year you are more than acquainted and comfortable deciding if you want to go greek or if you are happy with where you stand.

Jaclyn

As far as athletics go, hockey is the big seller. Students come out in full force for hockey games and the team is fantastic. Greek life is present but a delayed rush system (starting in sophomore year) allows students to get a feel for the campus and explore their options. Even though Greek life does compose a large group of students, it is not an overwhelming majority and Minervas provide a great alternative. There are a ton of clubs on campus and there is something for everyone- and it is easy to start a new group. There are always speakers, concert, meetings, and movies going on so it is pretty hard to be bored. Students are friendly and it isnt uncommon to see doors open at 2am and people hanging out in Minervas or academic buildings studying. There are a lot of things to do off campus as well but the best thing to highlight are the local restaurants which are awesome.

Tristan

The hockey team is probably to biggest sports team on campus. Greek life is pretty prevalent and it does control a majority of the social life on campus, but if someone did not want to involve himself or herself in it then they do not have to and can still find many things to do to entertain themselves.

Emmerson

There are many clubs for people to try out different things. I am pretty sure that everyone is involved in at least one club or a varsity sport team. Minerva system is also great because it provides an alternative scene of Greek Life. 7 Minerva Houses hold different events every week. There are always things going on during the week and on the weekend so no one can get bored.

Omar

We have SO many clubs. In the winter, Ski Club is pretty popular. The frats are popular on the weekends. We have many sports teams, varsity and club. The club level is much more relaxed and fun, but competition is still fostered. My closest friends are from my program or the people I lived around my freshmen year.

Caitlyn

There is always something going on on campus. Greek life is really big at Union. There are a lot of students involved with either fraternities or sororities. There are also a lot of students involved with the Minerva system. These houses hold events throughout the week and many students attend these events. This is a great way to get involved with campus life with if greek life isn't for you! Sports teams are also a popular thing to get involved with. Many students are on a team of some kind whether its for a varsity team or just club sports. The most popular athletic events are the football games and hockey games. There are really big turnouts for both and they are a lot of fun. Theres a lot of school spirit when it comes to hockey especially! There are also other activities to get involved with like a cappella groups, ballroom dancing, and clubs (as far as clubs go, if you can think of it we have it) Meeting people on campus is really easy. Everyone is really easy going and everyone wants to meet new people. Once you start getting involved with something on campus, finding a group of people to be friends with is even easier.

Jesse

Union gives various opportunities to engage in clubs, groups, and organizations. From the concert club to the black student Union, students always have something exciting to engage in. Not to mention the amount of student activities on Union's campus lets the students acquire a full Union experience and never feel left out. The fraternities and sororities are a great way to meet new people and engage in exciting activities/community, but students that do not join fraternities/sororities never feel left out. Greek life does not take over Union College and there are plenty of ways students can explore new options at Union.

Jordan

our hockey team is DI and insanely good. thats where most of our school spirit lies. uprogram/ozone is very popular. the concordy (newspaper) is my favorite, and does a great job relaying info to the student body. yes, students typically leave their doors open unless they are seriously trying to get work done. the dating scene is mainly awkward weekend hookups that maybe sometimes lead to relationships. if youre awake at 2am on a tuesday you are cramming for a test or at some kind of minerva event.

Kayla

You will never be bored if you come to Union. Everyday, yes everyday there is something going on around campus. From our clubs, to sports teams, to Minerva system, you will never without something to do if you wish. There are speakers, workshops, concerts, games, and any other activity you could think of going on on this campus. Weekends usually consist of pregamming in the dorms, and then venturing out to the frats. The frat scene is prominent on campus but it is presented with Union's own twist. Kids here love to dance! Letting lose with your friends on the weekends is a favorite here at Union. People go out Friday and Saturday nights as well as Wednesdays if you are 21. Wednesday night is usually "bar night"so it's usually upperclassmen out on Wednesdays. If the drinking, partying scene is not what you're into there is plenty of events going on on the weekends. If you do not drink you will never feel left out. Kids have just as much fun if drinking is something they do, or if it's not.

Courtney

When you think of college, the first thing many think of are parties. Are they fun, can you get in, where are they, do people get super drunk all the time, etc.? I must start off by saying that Union is unique in that there are always events on the weekends that do not pertain to drinking. I personally do not drink and I still manage to have a GREAT time. There are frats open every weekend as well as weekly free movies at Reamer and general events, one of my favorites being U Bingo, that are organized by the UProgram. They do a great job of keeping students entertained and providing alternatives for underage drinking. As any college, there is always something going on in the dorms as well. It is not uncommon for someone to have their door open and for someone to walk in and say hi. Many students at Union are involved in extra curriculars and have a rigorous amount of work so many students find their amount of sleep at a minimum, not going to bed until late morning. My closest friend is my roommate. We get along amazingly and I could not ask for a more easygoing person to room with. Off campus there is always movies at Bow Tie Cinemas or a play at Proctors. Many fine dining restaurants are located down-town as well. Trust me, you'll never be bored!

John

At Union, there are an absolutely ridiculous amount of things to do. The Minerva program contributes SO much to the College and really enhances the experience. Every single night, there is ALWAYS something to do in at least one Minerva. The worst thing about this is deciding between events to attend if you can really call that bad. There are over 100 clubs on campus, whatever you want to do, there is a like minded group of students. I am involved in the orchestra, Best Buddies, and my Minerva house council. These all give me a lot of opportunities to apply myself and be a leader. At Union, a lot of kids pursue leadership opportunities; kids are very ambitious. Kids are also friendly, dorm room doors are always open. Small residence halls allow for a very close knit community feeling. This leads to a lot of social opportunities. Everyone knows everyone, it's really nice. I met my closest friends on the pre-orientation trip at the beginning of the year. The college holds a lot of ice breaking activities to help people make friends. If I were to be awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I am most certainly doing homework or studying and anyone else who is awake is most likely doing that too. People party a lot, its definitely the thing to do here, but its not the only thing. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday are party days. Greek Life is extremely popular on campus, something like 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of kids pledge. Luckily the Minerva system offers an amazing alternative. Last weekend I went to one of our Division I hockey games (which we won, were #9 in the nation) and then to Spa Night. Basically the college hired spa services to come and massage and pamper students. It was great. On a Saturday night, the college always makes sure there a fun things to do. Some popular things are iPad/iPod Bingo, Game Show Night, Psychic Fair, comedians, bands, and many many many others. They always provide things to do and this is on top of what Minervas host. Off campus is not really somewhere students go just because of the neighborhood around Union. It's not always safe. However there really is no reason to leave campus, it's self sustaining.

Emma

Everyday, there is something happening on campus. Minervas, clubs, organizations, houses, all host events ranging from guest speakers to tv/movie nights to broomball. The variety of different events/activities really show the range of interests of the students here.

Rachel

We have a very involved student body. Most students are not only juggling several classes but also extracurricular activities, volunteer projects, work, sports, and internships. We like to keep busyyy. Athletic events are very popular especially HOCKEY! I have gone to almost every hockey game and love it. The student section is always filled and flows into regular seating. Kids of alumni are usually running around in Union attire. Hockey games are a blast. I am involved in the theatre and dance program and love it. The shows are fantastic and often sell out. Union does have a lot of parties. Our fraternities and sororities are very prevalent but if you are not in one that doesn't affect your social life at all. You can't rush until sophomore year anyways so that allows freshman to get used to the school first. Most parties are in frats and are on friday and saturday nights. Wednesday night is also a time some Union students will go out. Many people drink but if you don't no one pressures you or makes you feel uncomfortable. There are also other opportunity to do things on Saturday and Friday nights that don't involve drinking. U programs brings comedians, hypnotists, bands, psychics, and other activities almost every weekend. There is also a movie playing at Reamer campus center Friday through Monday night. Overall Unions social life is really fun. There are lots of opportunities to get involved and enjoy yourself.

Sonia

There are always other things to do on a Saturday night that don't involve drinking. For example there was bingo a few weeks ago where you could win prizes like the ipad, ipod, more declining balance, and other big things. There are also comedians every wednesday night at 10 and there was a spa night last saturday with massage beds, mani/pedis. There are also always speakers and things going on at least once a week somewhere on campus that a lot of students attend.

Gene

One of the most popular things on campus is hockey. Lots of people go to the hockey games to support their friends on the team and get a little loud, showing their school spirit. We have a bunch of clubs here and there is always something to do. Each weekend has a handful of events. This past year we have had Ralph Nader come to speak and many different top notch music groups.

Jessie

Popular groups or teams??? what? at Union? absolutely not! the social life involves getting trashed every friday and saturday night at the same frats that hopefully at the very least have a different theme every week. On wednesday night, bar night, the entire school can be found at either Rupsis, Geppettos or Chets so bring your fake ID, you'll need it! And if you're awake at 2 am on Tuesday your definetly only awake if your smoking pot or doing a few too many lines because otherwise there is NOTHING to do. The frats are ESSENTIAL to our school and there would most likely be no one attending Union if they didn't exist, they are the social life. Any cool traditions the school might have had the administration WILL destroy them untill the alumni complain enough. Ps no one gives a f*ck about theatre or any other shit like that at Union, unless your one of them. And if you think people leave their doors open your certainly wrong.

Kat

clubs and teams are popular... all sports, students leave their doors open, theater is not too popular but theater/dance is growing, meet closest friends throughout freshman year via other people, people party 2-6 nights a week (depending on the year and time of year, i.e. senior spring and freshman fall are crazy), frats/sororities are very popular but it is not necessary to be a part of one to have fun, Saturday nights there are shows, performances, but most people drink. Off campus people shop, eat, go to Saratoga

Eric

Party lots, party often.

Allison

Greek life is definitely most important on the weekends. Most students attend these parties even if they are not Greek. There is some pressure to pledge a fraternity or sorority sophomore year. Weekends usually revolve around drinking and there isn't too much to do off campus if you aren't interested in partying. Friday, Saturday and Wednesday are popular drinking nights. Doors in dorms are typically left open, especially in freshman dorms where it is a great place to meet people. I met my closest friends in my hall freshman year.

Amanda

Mostly centered around greek life. A "minerva" sub-culture is growing though.

Tiffany

The most popular groups on campus would be the frats and sororities, football, hockey, lacrosse, and other student groups. I am on the softball team and I was in a sorority until I could no longer afford it. The sorority I was in was Tri Delta and it was great. The girls are amazing, they contribute to the St. Judes Children Hospital on many occasions and are involved in the Kenney Center which is the children center for Schenectady youth. Doors are always open in the dorms, unless it is finals time of course. Events at Union are huge! They are widely publicized and attract much of the student body. I met my closest friends through my softball team and through my neighbors freshmen year. Partying at Union is always fun, the frats are a blast and everyone is always very nice! There are many events on campus that do not involve drinking - movies, comedians, magicians, speakers, etc. Off campus there are a lot of nice restaurants, a movie theatre, a mall closeby, Proctor's Theater.

Matt

Drinking, drug (ab)use, sex, alcohol, Minervas SUCK, Greek Life=Good (but the school is suppressing it majorly)

Kate

Fraternities and sororities dominate social life. A significant portion of the student body is Greek. Multicultural groups struggle with membership. Men's hockey games are the most popular, and big name guest speakers such as Maya Angelou and Mike Huckabee were enormously popular. The dating scene is limited; students hook up with one another on weekends (anything from making out to casual sex). Many people in relationships are those students with significant others from high school. Actual dates are rare; hooking up is the norm. Drinking is a significant part of the social scene, at frat parties and pregaming with friends. The biggest drinking nights are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

scott

really only the football and hockey games are good to go to. Hockey is division 1 and the only D1 sport on campus, so they are very popular. Frats and sororities are very big and people party quite ofter: wednesday, thursday, friday and saturday night.

Greg

greek life is definetly present

Dearon

There's a pretty big greek life on campus. Frats are open on fridays and saturdays, and the parties are usually a lot of fun. People party on wednesday, fridays, and saturdays. The reason they party on wednesday is because most people don't have class until either 11 or 2, and some don't have it at all. Lots of rooms have open doors, and most people don't care if you just walk in. There are seven traditions at union: Smoking in the gardens, naked Nott run, sex on the U (which is having sex on the 50-yeard line), walking through the tunnel, peeing on the pyramid, painting the Idol, and drinking a beer at every fraternity. From what I hear, spring term, though it runs late, is the best time of the year. The weather is beautiful, there are so many parties, there's springfest, party in the gardens, the lobster picnic (which is when everyone on campus gets a lobster, and there's a big bbq). I'll put it this way- I haven't heard anyone complain about this term.

Louise

The social life here is that of a major University packed into a student body of 2,500. Most students go out Wednesday night to a bar (Gepetto's and Rupsis are the most common hang outs for Union kids). On Fridays and Saturdays there are mostly off campus house parties or major frat parties. There is definitely something going on every night. Students in the dorms here often leave their doors open and unlocked. The campus community itself is pretty trustworthy. Just the other day I left my iPod in the gym on a machine and it was still there when I came back hours later. There are seven major traditions at Union, and once you are a student here you can learn more about them. Let's just hope that you don't mind getting naked, or breaking some rules.

Morgan

There are a lot of events on campus at Union (speakers, comedians, cultural events, clubs etc.), so you will never be out of things to do, however the amount of students that actually attend the events is somewhat pathetic; Union could definitely use an increased level of student participation in their planned events. This year we had Maya Angelou and Huckabee as speakers, and Gym Class Heroes and Eve 6 as performers. Frat parties are usually fun, but they get boring after a while, as they are all usually the same. I find that parties at off campus sport houses are usually fun. Fraternities and Sororities are pretty prevalent; most people go to frat parties on weekends, there is not really that much else to do at night. The minerva houses put on a lot of events, but sadly, they are poorly attended. They are fun to go to sometimes though, and the minerva houses are sometimes just fun to hang out in.

Devin

Greek life is a huge deal on campus. In addition, there is a new Minerva system to counter the popularity of the Greek system. Both have their benefits. Union has a host of traditions; there are 3 big ones that come to mind most often when Union students are asked: (1) Naked Nott Run (2) painting the Idol (3) sex on the U. A lot of partying does go on around campus - study hard, party hard applies to Union. However, students typically favor one or the other on a typical basis. Among the great things that come with spring term, are Springfest and Party in the Gardens which are great events to attend. In addition, Union has a lot of sports, intramurals, clubs, etc etc etc.

Emily

". Also it is pretty dominated by Greek life, which they try to downplay.

Cristi

You will never be bored at Union. There is always something going on whether it be a frat party, a minerva activity, a club event, or a campus sponsored event (which by the way are far from lame!). Students in the dorms leave their doors open if they are in the building. Hockey and football events are well attended. A lot of people are single here and like to party and hook up with different people, but there are also many people with girlfriends or boyfriends too. Party Nights are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday because some people don't have classes Thursday. Drinking is prevalent but not required to fit in or have fun. Social life is not dominated by greek life, but going to a frat on the weekend is one of the most popular activities. Minerva activities are one of the non-alcoholic options on campus. Last weekend I studied almost non-stop, except for the break I took to go to the mall. (I have a heavy courseload this semester). We dont venture into the surrounding areas of Schenectady much... its not the nicest part of town.

Andy

Union offers an enormous amount of activities for all interests. Many people only attend events put on by their sorority or fraternity, but there are events almost every night for those who pay attention to signs and emails. Most students are sociable and keep their doors open. For those who are more quiet, there is a focused-study dorm available. Most of the social life on campus is based on drinking, which is unfortunate. There are not many bars of campus, but Wednesday nights are normally spent at Gepettos dancing.

Kathryn

I'm invloved with the College Republicans. We put out our first magazine recently. At Uinon all of our sports are D3 except Hockey which is D1, so hockey gets the biggest turn out but football and lacrosse games are also highly attended. I know in my dorm, on my floor, everyone leaves their doors open and is in and out of each others rooms. It's a really big, nice, fun community. There are also a lot of traditions at Union. There are five particular things one is supposed to do before they graduate. People here do party a lot. Usually people will go out Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. If you don't want to drink on Saturday night or something like that there are always on campus events going on and in our campus center every weekend they play movies that have just left the theaters. The frats are where people go usually on the weekends because they usually have big parties.

Katy

The school has a large social budget and there are always events going on. Being a part of the Greek system and a partyer I tend to not engage in many of the campus activities, but the school does make a huge effort to provide activities for those who do not drink. We have a campus bar that is open every Wednesday, which is great for those who are 21 to drink together and has very cheap beer. Although we are a D3 school in sports (except hockey), there is a lot of school spirit for sports and we do have good teams. We have at least one guest speaker a week (mostly educational), we also have a comedian series and movies play in the campus auditorium. We have a radio and TV station, newspaper (serious and funny one) which are also popular. I've been best friends with the same 4 girls since freshmen year (we all lived in the same dorm), furthermore I'm still roommates with my freshmen year roommate and have been for the last three years. Although Union can be kind of cliquey, it seems that people have their core group of friends and then others that we see out or that are in the same social scene. I personally like it since I always know who I will see out at night when going to a certain place. On the other hand after four years it can get old.

Danielle

I'm in a sorority so a lot of the social events I attend have to do with that group. I think there is a pretty good social scene and there are some decent bars around Schenectady that have fun events like trivia.

Benjamin

Union activities are amazing. We have a student activities budget that rivals most large universities (for example, our budget is on par with Penn State). A great example of a Union event is Springfest, which is an all day concert. Last year, this consisted of the Virginia Coalition, Gin Blossoms, Catch 22, and The Roots. Student Activities puts on a number of events throughout the year. The Minervas typically hold over 500 events per year. Greeks and Theme Houses also hold a large number of events. In addition, there are 100+ clubs and student organizations and the academic departments also hold a number of events, as do different administrative offices. We also have active theatrical and musical groups that perform frequently. The bottom line: if you are bored on this campus you are not paying attention.

John

If you walk down the hall of a dorm any room that has people in it will have the door open. There are always speakers or athletic events going on. If you are awake on a tuesday at 2am its normal, you are doing work for your wednesday morning class. People party very often(i.e. every friday, saturday, and wednesday). Frats and drinking dominate the social scene. I don't know what there is to do on a saturday night that doesnt invlove drinking because i never have. Almost nobody goes off campus regularly, except beer runs.

Nicole

Very fun, lots to do, lots of different things to do, lots of partying!

Hillary

I know and love almost everybody on my floor. People are generally very social.

Sam

most of the union sports teams are pretty fun to watch. Hockey is definitely the biggest. You usually are friends with the kids on your floor freshmen year

Eliza

Frats. Frats. Frats. But if you are not into that you can hang out with friends in the dorm, find something in Schenectady, or there are the occasional Open Mic Nights at ARTS House or the ODP (Ozone Dance Party) at Ozone House-- these are parties/events that attract a different sort of crowd that the typical Frat party.

Jessie

Social activities take away from partying, so they are generally neglected. It's difficult to start groups and clubs on campus. Athletics, especially hockey, are pretty popular, however, and there are popular vocal groups for men and women. Frats play a large role in campus life.

Alex

most people leave their doors open and feel safe on campus. the drinking social scene focuses around the fraternities, but there are many things the adm does that is good. guest speakers are always interesting.

Julia

I have always felt safe at Union. Schenectady is a city, and occasionally there is violence, but the campus is safe. Most people lock their doors when they leave their rooms, but at least in my dorm, people often leave their doors unlocked while they are around, but not in their room. There are often doors open, and people can wander in and out of others' rooms. I've met my closest friends by talking to people who have left their doors open. If you don't drink, the weekends can be a little hard. Not EVERYONE drinks, but the trick is just finding the kids who also don't drink. It's not impossible, but it can be a little lonely at first. Also, depending on who you hang out with, you can find people who won't pressure you to drink. And going to frat parties, doesn't mean you have to be a drunken mess. The frats only dominate your social life as much as you let them, and each frat has a different personality, which leads them to have different parties, some of which you may find more comfortable than others. There are also sororities, but they fill a much smaller role on the campus social life.

Kristina

There is ALWAYS someting to do on campus, every day and night. We've had great speakers come, such as Maya Angelou and Mike Huckabee, and had performers such as Gym Class Heroes. There's lots of comittees, clubs, and sports to get involved in.

Jaime

I'm involved with Hillel. In my dorm, people don't really leave their doors open if they aren't in the dorm building somewhere. People have a lot of fun at sporting events, especially the hockey games. I met my closet friends in an odd way. I met the guy who is now my ex-boyfriend at Hillel, and when I started to hang out with him I also started to hang out with his friends, who became my friends. I'm still friends with him, even though we broke up. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I am usually surfing the internet while in bed. The traditions and events that happen each year are Springfest, the Steinmetz Symposium, and I guess rush weeks. People generally party few nights a week, mostly Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Fraternities are pretty big on weekends, but Greek life isn't so big in everyday life. If you don't want to drink, there are plenty of activities to do at Minerva houses. Of campus, I like to go to the movies, or out to eat, or to the mall.

Annora

the social life is great at Union. There are FRats and Sororities on campus so they throw a lot of great parties, but also the Minerva houses organize events such as battle of the bands and one night there was a carnival with a mechanical bull to ride in our campus center. So there are always things to do especially spring term when spring fest and party in the gardens come. There are also free movies every weekedn in the campus center, movies that have not yet come on dvd.

Sarah

always something to do you can never be bored here

Sam

Union offers so many activities to do from Minervas, Theme Houses, Greek Life, Student Forum, Class Officers, etc. But they also have good sports teams, and offer club sports and intramurals, for those who do not play on the varsity level. Socially, Union is a big drinking and party school. Most students go out 3 days a week, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Going out ranges from going to the bar, to a frat party, or to an offcampus party. Even if you do not no anyone in a frat or at an offcampus party, students are accepting to let you in regardless.