Rachel
- Clubs and Greek life are very popular here at IUP, there is something here for EVERYONE!!! Any interest that you would have, I am sure there is a club for it!
- Athletic events are pretty popular, the football games are usually full so are the Basketball games which are very popular!
- We just had a new BEAUTIFUL convention center built, (The Kovalchick Center) which got a really big celebrity to come for homecoming. This is continuing to get more popular as it gets established since it is brand new!
- IUP is currently starting the Hawk Rock which is a 24 hour dance a thon which will benefit many! This is the first year that IUP will be doing something like this thanks to our beautiful convention center finally being able to house all the people here!
Brie
Greek life is pretty popular at IUP. We have a decent number of sororities and fraternities and they seem to attract a large percentage of the student body. If you're like me and hate the idea of being forced to be friends with a group of girls (or guys), there are some professional and social co-ed fraternities. Along the same lines, there are clubs for every major, minor, and interest you could possibly imagine. Wait, you're dream club doesn't exist? Make one! Lets say you're into something obscure like... ice fishing, and all you want more than anything else is to meet other people who share your affinity for sitting in a cabin with whole in the floor for hours on end. You come to IUP and you realize this club doesn't exist. The beauty of college is that you have the power to make it exist. I know two people who have created clubs and it is a lot easier than you would think.
I am co-president of one of the professional co-ed fraternities on campus, Kappa Delta Pi: International Honor Society in Education, Beta Gamma Chapter. We are an organization dedicated to the field of education who welcome the top 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the education department from early childhood through secondary education and even speech pathology. We have socials, workshops, professional development, community service, meetings, and mixers with other co-ed societies.
There are so many cool things to do at IUP. There are clubs that take trips on the weekends all around the east coast, clubs with organized activities, movies, ice skating, bowling, shopping, visiting Pittsburgh, or just relaxing. There are always parties on the weekends, but if that's not your thing, don't fret. Residence Halls often show screenings of movies or have programs and game nights on the weekends. There is a live theater performance almost every weekend as well. Many places around the community sponsor events that are either free or reduced price for students if you bring your iCard.
At homecoming we have a huge parade where all of the sororities and fraternities create floats. Then we have Pregame in the Oak Grove. At Halloween be sure to stop down at the Yarnick's farm and check out their haunted house or catch the IUP bus trip to Kennywood Fright Nights. During finals week the local church has Midnight Pancakes (also known lovingly as "Jesus Cakes") for students. This is a student favorite! The Entertainment Network (TEN) and the Black Emphasis Committee (BEC) present live concerts, tournaments, comedians, and debates every semester. Some recent events include We the Kings, Bruno Mars, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Brian Posehn, Keven Hart, Bo Burnham, Louis Black, and more. Every Monday a speaker comes to campus as a part of the Six O'Clock Series to talk on varying topics. The topics have been issues such as legalizing marijuana, creationism versus evolution, and the ever popular zombies versus vampires.
Jesse
Everything is fun at IUP, yes it sucks when it rains or snows but thats just weather. All the parties, football games and other activities to do are really fun and anyone could love this school! VERY FUN LOVING :)
Allie
I. Usually. Party.
Frats are usually pretty common for big parties, sororities aren't necessarily the best girls on campus. Regardless, we all have a good time together.
Mark
There are a variety of concerts, student organizations, athletic organizations, both intramural and collegiate, and fraternities and sororities. However, there probably are not enough organizations to keep you busy all the time. Your level of boredom at IUP depends upon your level of involvement in organizations and study groups. One slightly unfortunate thing about dormitory life here is that most people keep their doors closed and do not interact with neighbors very much. However, if you come here and live on campus and are not shy whatsoever, you can help to change that on your floor.
Andy
AS IS AID ABOVE THE IUP ACTIVITIES AND THE SOCIAL LIFE ARE PART OF WHAT MAKES IUP A HEALTHY AND WELL BALANCED INSTITUTION, AND AFTER GRADUATIMNG YOU WILL KNOW THAT YOU GAINED THE GREATEST EMPATHY AND ARE READY TO TACKLE THE WORLD!!!
KJ
I don't know any students who leave their dorm rooms open and I also don't know too many people who are dating.
Jennifer
as far as sports go, football is probably the most popular. As for as non-sports, frats and the greek system is very popular at IUP considering it is a really big party school. If your in the regular dorms the students usually leave the doors open and usually everyone is friends in a halway. as for the suites, they don't really keep their doors open.
Jenna
The sports at IUP are great, there are so many teams from football to tennis. The dorm life is prety nice, everyone gets to know their neighbors and for the most part everyone is friends.
Crystal
Being a sister of my sorority did grant me a wonderful social life, however, I joined my junior year and had a wonderful social life prior. There are always activities going on promoted by various groups. A weekly email is sent to all students outlining all campus recognized activities for the week. Many times professors offer extra credit for attendance.
Homecoming is a huge deal; I will probably drive across the state every year to be apart of it. The bars have kegs and eggs during the parade, and many alumnae come back for the football game and other alumnae events. My Favorite tradition was the Senior Bar Crawl. You don’t have to be a senior to go but if you are, you won’t miss it. There are about seven bars all in walking distance on Philly Street, still walking distance to campus. The last day of finals all of the seniors try to make it to all of them. They even make there own t-shirts for this. It is my last memory, which is why it is probably the fondest.
Meghan
Again, as a music major, any activities/social events are usually either music related or with people in my major. Athletic events are pretty popular, as it is with guest speakers and theater productions. The dating scene is somewhat foreign to me. All I can tell you is that my boyfriend and I met because we are in the same major. Same with my closest friends. Parties are always happening if you're looking for one, but you'll probably have more luck on the weekends. Soroities/Frats usually do their own things on Thursdays, and that's also a big bar night uptown. But various student organizations are always sponsoring events if you're looking for an activity that's not drinking related.
Samantha
Most popular-fraternities and sororites
Phi Sigma Pi is a national co-ed honors fraternity which embraces leadership, fellowship, and scholarship. Therefore, we do things like have fundrasing events, social events, scholarship events, service events, and interchapters which are a lot of fun. In addition, the fraternity stresses academics and requires that you maintain a 3.0 Q.P.A. Rugby, another organization that I am involved with. Its a sport with a great group of girls. We get to travel and play other schools and its a lot of fun. Model United Nations, we just participate in assimilations with other schools on international issues like the U.N. would do.
Dorms-I do not know if students leave there doors open.
Athletic events-popular
Guest Speakers- every week from various & prestigous backgrounds
Dating scene- very difficult
Closest friends- from varios classes, parties, or from organizations
2am Tuesday, what am i doing-usually writing a 10-20 page paper or partying(most likely writing a paper though)
Trad. events-Homecoming weekend
Duration of people partying- depends, some party 4-7 nights a week and others 1 or twice a week(like me)
Importance of frats and sororities- Very important because its a great way to make friends unless the chapter's intentions are different and its only about drinking
Last weekend-worked
Saturday night & not drinking- hanging out with friends & watching movies or a phi sigma pi event(we can't drink at any of our events)
Off campus- work or shop
Rachel
Most of IUP's students are involved in more than one type of school activity, which suggests that they like to keep busy and open-minded. However, a lot of them also like to involve themselves in non-academic activities, such as using one of the fitness centers, going to parties, and amusing themselves at local bars.
Jesse
You can find a party any night of the week. Greek life is huge, and even if you aren't in a fraternity or sorority, you can find yourself at their parties every night. generally wednesday through saturday are the biggest nights and its calmer sun, mon and tuesday. but not always!!!
As far as the dorms, most of the older dorms are being torn down and i am being told that the new ones are much more open and safe. Alot of people will leave doors open to the dorms and it doesnt really matter.
On campus, there are more clubs and organizations than you can even wrap your head around. there are a milllion ways to get involved.
Casey
I remember the guest speakers, i came around the time of where the elections were going crazy, i think its more hyped up in the USA than the UK. It was exciting though! I remember seeing Bill Clinton, the energy coming from everyone around me, was an experience to remember.
I spent most of my time with my friends, talking outside on the 'smoker benches' socializing, playing 'brawl' and 'guitar hero' til the early hours of the morning. Wasting our time as the elder would probably say. But no, these times i will cherish most, the bonding, being a student, talking.
People at IUP love to go out and party or they don't! If they dont, we'll stay in and party!
Find the right one and its great! Good company, good deals, good dancing!
When i'm off campus, i go to friends houses, cinema out to eat.. or random trips to Walmart!
Recently in the warmth, a bit group of us would go down to 'The Lake' somewhere outside Indiana. The most beautiful lake, we would jump in the cold water, make a fire, and share eachothers company.
Fraternities/ soroities.. CRAZY. They can be taken so seriously, and individuals will go to such lengths to just become a part of a frat! Kind of ridiculious, but it is a commitment.
Tate
There are a lot of groups and activities you can join through the school. But there isn't very much to do around town on weekends but drink.
Robin
My closest friends are my family. I live in a house with 4 other girls. Which I all met in my dorm. We all lived on the same floor freshman year and we all became very close. We decided to move in together into an off campus house the following year.
Hah if I am awake on a Tuesday I am doing homework that I forgot to do the day before.
People party every weekend. Even if you don't know of anything going on, someone else is always partying. But you can choose if you want to go out or not. I remember freshman year, I would go out every weekend, because there was something to do and I wanted to meet more people. My sophomore year I didn't go out as much. I was over the whole frat scene and I had my close friends with me at my house and we would always have people over anyway.
Owen
Most popular groups on campus are the Greeks. Dorm doors are usually left shut from my experience. The football games are usually a fun event. There is always something going on, a concert, a lecture, a game, a rally, something! The Homecoming parade is most likely the biggest event of the year. There is a decent sized mall, a million places to eat, two movie theaters, a mini golf, parks galore, a camping site near by.... tons of stuff to do.
Shane
IUP is nightlife. All anybody does is drink.