Hamilton Slang

Know the slang, know the school. The following is a list of things you really need to know before coming to Hamilton. The more of these words you know, the better off you’ll be.
AA– Adirondack Adventure; a fabulous outdoor opportunity for pre-frosh that definitely is worth taking advantage of.
Commons Catwalk – When Commons is full during lunch and dinner hour, students must navigate their trays down the aisles, searching for friends or an empty table. The entire dining hall appears to be watching these unlucky people, evaluating their fleece jacket and choice of friends. It has been enough to turn some into McEwen converts; upperclassmen learn to ignore it.
Darkside – The old Kirkland campus, rumored to have earned its name from repeated blackouts, although the huge ‘70s concrete dorms are the more likely cause.
Depot – An evolution of “tool” as in, that person is such a tool, but to an even greater degree.
Hamilton Cool – The acquired behavior prevalent among students that involves not acknowledging acquaintances when passing on campus, which is difficult to tell if it is caused by the cold weather or bad manners, although it is sometimes used to describe students that don’t participate in class.
G-Road – Griffin Road (applies to apartments, as well as the actual road, often used as a 4–5 mile run).
Lightside – The old “ivy” side of campus, with beautiful 1800s architecture and old brick buildings. Insulation in the winter can be a problem for many of the older dorms.
Ol – Orientation Leader, helps with freshman orientation week.
Sketchy – Not to be trusted; shady. “Locals are sketchy.” Sketch-Ball – A person who is not to be trusted; “That boy is a huge sketch-ball. I heard he has three girlfriends and is looking for more.”
Weirds – Used to describe people that are strange or go against the grain. “The weirds hang out at that restaurant.”
Wicked – A term used to denote something being extreme. “This class is wicked cool.” or “It’s wicked cold.”