Haverford Slang

Know the slang, know the school. The following is a list of things you really need to know before coming to Haverford. The more of these words you know, the better off you'll be.

The Bi-Co

Short for the Bi-College News, Haverford and Bryn Mawr's main student newspaper.

Barclay Beach

Green area south of Barclay dormitory which borders the duck pond.

The Blue Bus

Free bus that runs between Haverford and Bryn Mawr for students of both colleges.

The Code

The Honor Code.

Confrontation

The act of confronting a person for actions or words that make you uncomfortable. Disputes are designed to be resolved through confrontation.

Customs

The week-long orientation program for freshman, closely resembling summer camp.

Breaking the gate arm

Exactly what it sounds like. The path that connects HCA to the rest of campus is guarded on both sides by red wooden gate arms that are snapped off weekly by drunken students. This is one of our dumber, more destructive traditions.

DC

The Dining Center.

‘Fords

Used to refer to individual students, but mostly used as a sports team nickname. The official mascot is the Black Squirrel, however.

Founders Common

Large room on the first floor of Founders building which hosts dances, plays, and receptions.

Go

Student-run Web site (go.haverford.edu) with news, event information, useful links, and message boards.

Haverfest

Year-end Woodstock-esque party weekend full of food, liquor, and music.

HCO

Honor Code Orienteer who explains the Honor Code to Customs groups during freshman year.

KOP

King of Prussia, a nearby town with one of America's largest malls. “I'm going to KOP” typically implies that one is going to the mall. Kosh– Nickname for Koshland Integrated Natural Science Center.

The Mawr

Short for Bryn Mawr, Haverford's sister school.

Mawrters

Nickname for Bryn Mawr students. Alternate spelling: Mawyrters.

Pastabilities

Each Friday at dinner, the DC offers a pasta bar where students select pastas and sauces of their liking.

Plenary

Campus-wide meeting held in the Field House twice a year where the student body approves, amends, or rejects the Alcohol Policy, the Honor Code, and/or the school constitution.

Purple Pimple

Gest Hall, an oddly-shaded academic building. “Pink Pimple” is also used.

Roach's

Short for Roach and O'Brien, a neighborhood bar. ‘Strar– The registrar.

Swat

Short for Swarthmore College, arch-rival school.

The Swat video

Soft pornography film shown to freshmen in the fall as a component of sexual education program. The film was made at Swarthmore.

Tommy T

Nickname for school President Tom Tritton, who also goes by Tom.

Tunneling

Crawling through the underground maze of old tunnels. Some have been sealed off, others have not.

Wawa run

Late-night trip to local convenience store.