University of Kansas Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Jackson

The most popular student activities are probably athletic events. Nothing beats going to historic Allen Fieldhouse with 16,000 of your closes friends and experiencing the best home court advantage in college basketball. The vibe of the university kind of rises and falls with athletics. However, many students enjoy other things as well. Notorious speakers are brought in and can be viewed by students for free. There are also $2 movie nights in the Union, a popular student activity. If you are looking to watch a movie, there is free cosmic bowling Friday and Saturday night at the bowling alley in the Kansas Union. This is just a handful of the many opportunities that KU presents to their students!

Jackson

The most popular student activities are probably athletic events. Nothing beats going to historic Allen Fieldhouse with 16,000 of your closes friends and experiencing the best home court advantage in college basketball. The vibe of the university kind of rises and falls with athletics. However, many students enjoy other things as well. Notorious speakers are brought in and can be viewed by students for free. There are also $2 movie nights in the Union, a popular student activity. If you are looking to watch a movie, there is free cosmic bowling Friday and Saturday night at the bowling alley in the Kansas Union. This is just a handful of the many opportunities that KU presents to their students!

Ryan

The weekend begins on Thursday night for a lot of people when students usually go out dancing. A lot of people go to "Dollar Night" at The Hawk on Wednesday too. The Hawk is the most popular bar that students go to and a large amount of students have fake ID's to get into the bars before they are 21. Many students go to house parties or fraternity parties on Friday nights. People flock to Mass Street to see a music performance, eat dinner, hang out at a coffee shop, or go to a bar. Alcohol is pretty much embedded into campus life, but if you do not drink there are always a lot of activities going on. Students like to bowl or watch movies at the student union. The student union also hosts fun events like KU's best dance crew and speed dating. The Lied Center on west campus attracts renown speakers and broadway shows. Athletic events are huge at KU. During the fall everyone goes to the football games. During the winter basketball games are insane. KU has one of the nations top college basketball programs and students camp out for hours and days before games in hopes of getting the best seats. The atmosphere at Allen Fieldhouse is incredible. Singing the alma mater and rock chalk chant with the student body before games is a tradition unlike any other in college sports. Greek life is fairly big at KU. I believe around 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are involved, so Greek life isn't so big that it dominates campus social life. The people I know in fraternities and sororities enjoy them. I have met friends in classes and at random places like in line for something. The majority of my friends I met in my dorm freshmen year. Each dorm has its own perks and the rooms vary greatly from dorm to dorm. Everyone keeps their doors open and has an open policy for coming in their rooms. Regarding relationships, people seem to either be in a serious connected to the hip kind of relationship or just randomly hooking up. There is not a lot of casual dating that goes around. More juniors and seniors are in serious relationships than freshmen and sophomores.

Jesse

The weekend begins on Thursday night for a lot of people when students usually go out dancing. A lot of people go to "Dollar Night" at The Hawk on Wednesday too. The Hawk is the most popular bar that students go to and a large amount of students have fake ID's to get into the bars before they are 21. Many students go to house parties or fraternity parties on Friday nights. Many students go to Mass Street to see a music performance, eat dinner, hang out at a coffee shop, or go to a bar. Students also like to bowl or watch movies at the student union. The student union also hosts fun events like KU's best dance crew and speed dating. The Lied Center on west campus attracts renown speakers and broadway shows. Athletic events are huge at KU. During the fall everyone goes to the football games. During the winter basketball games are insane. KU has one of the nations top college basketball programs and students camp out for hours days before games in hopes of getting the best seats for games. The atmosphere at Allen Fieldhouse is incredible. Singing the alma mater and rock chalk chant with the student body before games is a tradition unlike any other in college sports. Greek life is fairly big at KU. I believe around 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are involved so Greek life isn't so big that it dominates campus social life. The people I know in fraternities and sororities enjoy them. I have met friends in classes and at random places like in line for something. My closest friends I met at my dorm freshmen year. Each dorm has its own perks and the rooms vary greatly from dorm to dorm. Everyone keeps their doors open and has an open policy for coming in their rooms. Regarding relationships, people seem to either be in a serious connected to the hip kind of relationship or just randomly hooking up. There is not a lot of casual dating that goes around. More juniors and seniors are in serious relationships than freshmen and sophomores.

Alaina

I am involved with the Multicultural Scholars Program, which not many people know about, but its a program that you apply for and if accepted they give you a scholarship, so it's really nice. Plus, you get support from your peers and you apply to the school you are in. For instance there is a journalism part of the program and a math and sciences part along with about eight-ten more sections, so when you are with your group you can all really relate to each other on classes that you're taking or have taken and you all offer each other advice and support - it's a great program to be a part of.

Xavier

Kansas Basketball is the most celebrated athletic program in the city. You can usually tell when there is a home game because traffic is ridiculous. After we won the national championship in 2008 pride in the university has never been as hardcore as it is now. This year we are the number ranked basketball team in the nation and that is all that needs to be said about KU sports. I am a member of the Hispanic American Leadership Oraganization or HALO. We provide a home away from home for all the Latino and Latina students on campus. We are like a family and have meetings every Tuesday where we plan events around campus, the City of Lawrence and in the mid-west. We do a lot more than just promote our heritage, we do community service and bring big name key speakers to campus. In the early 90's our organization brought Cesar Chavez to campus to talk about civil rights. We have about 40 members are aside from school events we just like to hangout with each other and talk about how Latino we are. Drinking is a very large scene at KU along with some major drug use. That doesn't mean that you have to drink to have a good time. My friends and I get together and play football at the local parks, go downtown and eat, grill out or go dancing. Granted we usually are drinking when we hangout with each other but we are all of age. My girlfriend and I can have good time without booze. In reference to girlfriends, don't try and meet people at the bars because its just bad news bears. Try getting involved in student groups you are passionate about because usually you will find another who has the same ideals as you. That's how I found my lady, in HALO, and we have been together ever since. Honestly it is hard to find a cool girlfriend up here who is someone that you can grow with. There are hookups all over campus but if you find someone who likes you for you than I would do what I could to keep them.

Andy

Athletics are very popular, especially Mens basketball though football is growing.

Megan

There are a lot of popular things on campus; many people are involved in student senate and things like that. Others like to do intramural sports. I am one of those who is involved in the sports; I like to play ball and stay active. I also am a part of the pre-pharmacy club so that I can get an idea of what I'm up against in the next couple of years. Athletic Events are tres tres popular!! There is a big dating scene...lots of boys to choose from. My friends and I met through our schol hall...it's great! At 2am on Tuesday I'm either talking with friends or doing homework...usually talking with friends. Frats/Soroities are over-rated. Last weekend I went dancing at the club and then had a girls night with friends and had some fun. On a Saturday night you can go bowling or dancing...you can also see a movie or just go over to another person's hall to hang out. Off campus I usually go out to eat, go grocery shopping, go dancing....things like that.

Sarah

Going to basketball and football games is probably the most popular activity to do. Specifically within the scholarship hall system, there are so many different social events that help you meet people. Almost any time of the day or night, you can find someone to talk to if you're sick of studying.

Torry

KU offers so many social activities that it's impossible to go to them all. SUA (Student Union Activities) is a great group that makes sure there is always something happening for students to take advantage of. In the residence halls, people often leave their doors open unless it's finals week. During that week, everyone is couped up and focused on studying.

Brittany

The scholarship halls at KU are very unique as compared to many other colleges in the U.S. You must be selected to live in the scholarship halls, so the community is really close knit. What I love about it is that different halls have different events all of the time! Since I don't drink, this is very useful because I can have fun and be with my friends without getting intoxicated and watch people make fools of themselves!

Emma

It all depends on who you are but everyone can find a party secene, especially if you go to veggie lunch.

Emma

It all depends on who you are but everyone can find a party secene, especially if you go to veggie lunch.

Emily

The most popular groups are the religious ones, especially those affiliated w/ Christians, the gay/lesbian groups/supporters, and anything politically left. I live in a scholarship hall and we have girls leave their doors open all the time. Athletic events are EXTREMELY popular. They are a very big deal at KU, to the point that we have to plan ahead for many days to get a seat. We have guest speakers all of the time. Theater is not as popular. Students more often go because of a homework assignment. Dating is harder today than for the past generations. One, we have to differentiate between if the person is gay, straight, or taken. Then, since our generation is very technological, many people are a lot more hesitant to ask people out face-to-face, so they do it over the internet or through texting, which makes it more impersonal. I met my closest friends through my house and classes. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I am doing homework/studying for a test. People party all of the time. We have a saying, "Thursday is the new Friday and Wednesday is the new Thursday." So basically the bars are hopping during the nights of Wed-Sat. And if there a big celebration or event occuring, the more parties there are. Those in fraternities/sororities think they are extremely important. But those who are not in them could care less for them. Last weekend I celebrated the NCAA Championship. A Saturday night w/o drinking: you could go bowling for free on campus, watch a movie on campus for $2 or go to a movie theater.

Emmerson

Definitely the most popular people right now is the basketball team. We love KU basketball, and are beginning to love KU football. People will camp out weeks in advance to get good seats at Allen Fieldhouse. People do not leave their doors open in the dorms. The only exception is to the scholarship halls, where I live. There are 50 of us that live in each "dorm", so we know each other a lot better than the 600 people in each regular dorm. I met my closest friends through classes and through other friends. One of the coolest traditions at KU is to walk the hill for graduation. Another is doing the rock chalk chant and the alma mater before every game and after any game we win. The Greek system is huge here, but many people feel like you have to be rich to rush. They do many things for the community, including giving money to the KU cancer research center in KC.

Charlie

i study a lot during the week. political groups are pretty popular on campus, but people play a lotttt of intermural sports. ku puts on tons of events and social activities so there is something to do literally every weekend. dating is fun, and there are always lots of options. i met my closest friends through my scholarship hall. frats and sororities are big, but most people just stereotype them. they really aren't that cool and we all know it. last weekend i had a girls night with movies, ice cream, dinner, and friends. i also went to a KC wizards game with the KU club soccer team since lawrence is so close to KC. i don't drink, never have. there are PLENTY of non-alcoholic options. friends can always find fun things to do.

Amanda

A lot of students are involved in activities for their housing--Greek life or scholarship hall parties, shows, and volunteer work. Multicultural groups also get a lot of participation. I've never lived in a dorm, so I don't know too much about the experience there--I've heard theft can be a problem in certain dorms, but if you're careful, you'll be fine. In the scholarship halls, we have number pads and codes for all the entrances, so within the hall we can leave our doors open. I met my closest friends through the scholarship halls. If I'm awake at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday, I'm either up late talking with my roommates or working on a big project. Athletic events are insanely popular, because KU sports rock! I would like to see more support for women's athletics, though. Guest speakers often present to full audiences; KU brings in speakers of great interest to students, many classes encourage students to attend these events, and the general public is often welcome to listen as well. KU has a renowned music program; students and community members come to concerts. The Lawrence community strongly supports the arts, including theatre. KU has more traditions than I can even think to list here. Some of them are shared with freshmen on Traditions Night during Hawk Week. I don't know how often the average person parties--some people go out every weekend, starting on Thursday night. Fraternities and sororities aren't very important--you don't have to be in one to "be" someone. The sororities have some of that rich, ditzy, shallow stereotype, but this certainly doesn't apply to all members of every sorority; I know many individuals who belong to both sororities and honors programs. The fraternities don't have quite as bad a stereotype. On a Saturday night, you can see $1.00 campus movies, go out to eat downtown, or see one of countless concerts or shows.

Steven

There is always something social going on at KU. Between sporting events and tailgating, concerts and plays, house parties, the bars and Greek Life, there is always something going on and somewhere to be.

Paul

Being an athlete, I spend a lot of time around athletes, and I also am not involved in some things that other students are. I don't know a whole lot about the night life, since I am in bed by 10:00 or 11:00 most nights. I am involved in a local church as well as some on campus Christian groups, and that is how I have met most of my best friends that are not on the track team. The greek community is huge and very active. Athletic events are the center of activity for most students, though the music and theater departments flourish as well. Downtown is the hub of social life, and you can find people doing anything from bar-hopping, hanging out at coffee shops, and volunteering to help the homeless.

Alicia

SUA keeps us very busy, but when there is a day or evening when campus is quiet, it is guaranteed that Lawrence won't be.

Katie

The most popular team on campus is, of course, men's basketball, then football. Other organizations that are popular are mostly political. I am in the pre-pharmacy club, which gets together once a month, and usually has a guest speaker to tell us their experience with pharmacy, whether it is a pharmacist working out in the field somewhere, or even a current pharmacy student. Athletic events are quite popular, especially men's basketball and football. The rec center offers some intramural sports, which are great to get involved with as well. I met my closest friends by living in a scholarship hall. Otherwise, most of my friends are pre-pharmacy students, since we spend so much time studying for the same courses, or from work. People party quite often here, but depending on who you are, how demanding your major is, and other factors contribute to how often you yourself would be partying. The scholarship hall group parties, but not at the amount that greeks do. We like our sleep! Frats and sororities are a big thing on campus, but I feel like I have had a great experience without joining a sorority. This past weekend was the basketball game against UNC. Therefore, I went down to Mass St. and partied there. On a normal weekend, I usually just try to catch up on sleep after a hard week and just watch movies, and go out on occasions. On Saturday nights, there is plenty to do that doesn't involve drinking, such as watching movies with friends, going out to eat somewhere nice, or going to KC to go shopping or something like that. When I am off campus, it is usually for work. Otherwise, I am usually just hanging out with friends that live off-campus.

Alex

There are countless events on campus on any given day, and those that I have attended usually have good-sized audiences. I met my closest friends in my scholarship hall; most people are very friendly and inclusive. Partying in Lawrence is very frequent, and drinking is often involved. However, those who wish to avoid alcohol should have no problem doing so; movies, concerts, or socializing are always possibilities. There are plenty of things to do off campus; the town has plenty of unique shops, restaurants, coffee shops and more, and even walking around town with friends is a fun activity.

Katie

Drinking, especially under-age drinking, is heavily prevalent on this campus, even though it is a dry campus. Officials in on-campus housing tend to turn a blind eye to drinking as long as you are not making a lot of noise and disturbing others. The bars thrive on the weekends, and even on the weekdays. There is a definite culture of social drinking both in bars and at house parties. However, drinking is not the only option. Lawrence is a very music-based town, so there are always shows, plays, or other programs most nights of the week at places that card for ID. You can enjoy a band without drinking, even though many people around you might be. Also, KU actively offers programs on the weekends to combat drinking, such as free bowling and free movies.

Kara

There are lots of Sororities and fraternities at KU and they seem to only hang out with each other. Kind of a snooty crowd.

Renee

Athletics are pretty much the biggest thing here. I don't know if its actually possible to be a member of KU's student body and not attend a tailgating party before a football game or a game in the phog. The late night at the phog each october is a spectacular tradition that all sports fans must witness. Lawrence is probably the best college town there is because although there are plenty of parties and alcohol there are also other things to do each night of the week. There are always bands playing and art shows to be seen around town. KU also offers many lectures and programs in their unions and at the Leid center to involve students. I am unsure about dorms because I live in a schol hall but I can definitly say that doors are left open and its a very warm, open, and inviting atmosphere.

Eric

Students of Liberty started as an education advocacy group. Yes students leave their doors open - doesn't matter to me. Athletic events are very popular. Guest speakers are excellent. Theater is memorable. Dating scene is incredible. Met my closest friends in classes. Getting drinking a beer or watching movies. People party every day. Fraternities and sororities are not very important. Last weekend I work on my Student Senate campaign and made it a point to do nothing other than be existential. You can take a girl out, play some pool, go to a movie, go to a coffee shop, walk the town, drive the square. Hang out with friends. I live off campus, play in a band, make films, meet lots of people.

Nathan

If your are a conservative Christian, I should say that the dorms are a scary place because you can find anything you want (or don't want) at KU. But if you hang with the right crowd there is PLENTY to do and plenty of friends to make if you don't drink. There are at least 10 different religious clubs run by students, most from Christian denominations but also Islam and Judaism and probably others. My group is a very close group of friends. We have scripture classes during the week, we have a congregation that meets on Sundays just for college-aged students, called the Lawrence University Ward. And a lot of times we will just call each other up and spend time together. This is a great place to be.

Brenna

I am part of Navs, but I dont think its the most popular. They don't leave the doors open in our hall. In others they do. If it babll is popular. I still have my close friends form home. I am doing homeowkr at 2 am. KU is full of traditon. Thursfay friday saturday party! To me they aren't important. I had RA interviews. Movies, mass, bowl, just about anything lol. I dont hardly leave campus. no car :(

Dale

There are a lot of frats and sororities, but they're not necessary to meet people. Most people watch basketball at least twice a season. Student Union Association has multiple events each semester and cheap newly released movie showings. We've had prestigious speakers, and our theater is pretty good, but these things are not quite as well publicized as the bball games. Stay in touch with the right people though, and you know when everything is. The school paper is pretty good about keeping people updated about what's going on. People who want to party will have no trouble finding a place to do so. There's plenty of things to do without alcohol. Homework, of course, then there's the more fun stuff, like movies, clubbing, bowling, just generally hanging out with people, eating out, etc.

Melody

There is probably a group for anything you can think of or want to get involved in on campus. Student Union Activities is responsible for a lot of the events that take place on campus, such as bands, plays, speakers. They also do several things within the dorms and sponsor cheap movies for students on weekends. Student Senate is also something to get involved in. Senate takes representatives from the different academic schools at KU, as well as the dorms and other areas. I'm very involved in Engineering Student Council (ESC), a representative group for engineering students. We do various things throughout the year and also have several social events. ESC gives money to other engineering student groups for trips and design projects. The big thing that ESC does is the annual Engineering Expo, a two day event that brings students of all ages to the school of engineering to see student projects and compete in competitions. There are two styles of dorms at KU, one is sweet style and one is the traditional dorms. In the traditional dorms, it is common for students to leave their doors open. In the suites, it is less common (the doors are hard to keep open; they're heavy) but no unheard of. Athletic events are VERY popular, particularly basketball games. Football was much more popular this year because of KU's success this year. Athletics are certainly a big part of KU, but it's not like you'll be shunned if you don't participate in the sporting events. They are a blast. There's lots of tradition at the athletic events, such as the rock chalk chant and waving the wheat. Basketball games are amazing, especially if you grew up watching them on TV. Being in engineering, my social life only happens on Friday and Saturday nights. One of them usually involves me getting some alone time and relaxing, but I also hang out with friends. We like to go out to dinner, play games (I highly recommend Catch Phrase or Cranium), go to movies, etc. Kansas City isn't far away either, but its more expensive. Its nice for a treat though (Melting Pot has cheap dessert!). There is certainly lots to do that doesn't involve drinking. Never underestimate the entertainment that just sitting around with a deck of cards or a board game can provide.

Sarah

The student senate is a big one, SUA, ESC, you will find something for you where ever you go. I am part of ESC, the Engineering Student Council. They actually do make changes because the assistant dean shows up to every meeting and he makes sure that everything is taken care of for us. Students leave their doors open all of the time. It's just really inviting to get to know your neighbors. Athletic events are HUGE! Guest speakers and Theater, not so much, but it depends on the publicity. It's pretty easy get a date when you make yourself available. I met my closest friends because they are in my major and we just spend way too much time together doing homework and what not. One of my friends lived on the same floor as me last year and we would DDR together every night for a semester. That was fun. On a Tuesday, it's because I'm doing homework or studying for a test. It might be that a friend and I are just hanging out too. I'm not big on the KU traditions, but the one that I do participate in every year would have to be the Engineering EXPO. It's simply amazing. People party from Wednesday night to Saturday night. It's a matter of who is able to when. Frats and Sororities are big, but you have many choices if you want to get involved. I helped out with engineering EXPO and then my friends and I celebrated the fact that it was over at our frat house. Then we did homework the next day. Go out dancing! Hang out at the frat house and there is always some other person looking for something fun to do. I go out clubbing, hang out with friends at their apartments, and various errands.

Liz

Men's basketball. I work for the student paper. It's completely student-run. It comes out daily. A lot of them, it depends on the dorm. Events are popular. People do a variety of date-esque things. Through the dorms and classes. Homework or talking to friends. Too many to list. Depends. People are usually pretty social. Not all-important. House party, rented a movie, worked, homework. Events on campus, movies, dancing. Shopping, dancing, eating out.

Alli

My friends and I love going to the SUA (Student Union Activities) sponsored movies at the Kansas Union on the weekends. They play movies that are no longer in theaters, but haven't yet been released on DVD. Tickets are really cheap and the movies are always great!

molly

There is always something to do at KU. i love sporting events here and i think the university does a good job planning activities for the students. Off campus, there are a lot of bars, clubs, coffee shops, and restaurants where you will ALWAYS see KU students. Lawrence is truly a college town that caters to the students.

Wendy

I am involved in Hong Kong & Macau Student Association for 5 years. I am also involved in Jayhawker Towers Tenant Association and Nation 2 Nation this year. I love the Late Night. Most of the time, I go to church and hang out with other friends.

Karen

I live in Douthart Scholarship Hall on campus. Apparently Scholarship Halls aren't available in most colleges. KU has a great scholarship hall community made up of eleven, soon to be twelve halls. The scholarship halls are a great place to begin your college years because they are geared towards academics and community. Some college students stay for all four years! To be eligible to live in a scholarship hall, you must meet GPA requirements and a shift or a chore must be done once a week. By doing a shift, you feel like you are a part of a community, doing your part. In return, the hall stays nice and clean and you respect those around you more as well as the building. Also, living in a scholarship hall is a great way to become involved. As a freshman, I ran for an officer position in my hall and became the programming chair for Douthart. My co chair and I were in charge of the events inside the hall. I am now president of the hall and have great experience to put on a transcript. The best part of the scholarship halls is the friendships you build. I know it sounds corny, but it's true. There are only roughly fifty people living in each scholarship hall, so you get to know your hall mates pretty well unlike in a dorm of over a 500 people. I definitely recommend checking out the schol halls if you are thinking about coming to KU.

Andy

Sports are popular. The Kansan is a great place to get started if you're a j major, although the current editing staff sucks. I wouldn't know--I live in the schol halls. But I leave my door open--mainly because it won't shut properly, but hey, at least I'm not paying out the butt like kids in the res halls. I met my closest friends the normal way, by introducing myself and saying hello. Nice concept, I know. I wonder how kids at other colleges do it? I'm always awake a 2 a.m. on Tuesdays. It's called a life, or, barring that, an early exam. I know this one kid in mi clase de espanol who drinks every day of the week. The party days are Thursday-Saturday, and all you have to do is take a walk down good-old Tennessee. Dancing or watching movies, hanging with friends and shopping are all great things to do that don't involve guzzling down large amounts of alcohol. Oh, and the KU Union has free bowling Friday and Saturday, 10-1.

Doug

SUA and Student senate are popular. I'm involved in SUA (Student Union Activities). Are purpose is to provide entertainment to students. We bring in great band like Ben Folds, we show awesome movies, we bring in comedians, we have lecturers come in to discuss issues, and we throw random fun events. SUA wants to provide an alternative to drinking and partying. In some dorms students leave their dorms open, but in others they don't. The nicer the rooms are, the more likely it is that students will keep their doors closed and not come out. Athletic events are extreemly popular here. I meet my closest friends by introducing myself to everyone in my residence hall. Last weekend I went bowling at Jaybowl and watched some moview in my friend's room. I am not awake at 2 am. Some people party very frequently starting on Thursday night and ending Saturday night. Their are a lot of people involved in greek life (about 18 perecent of undergrads are involved in greek life). The greek houses are nice, and they are very active. You can go bowling at Jaybowl, you can watch a movie at the Union, you can go downtown, or you can hang out with your friends in the residence halls.