Seattle
| Seattle | |
 | |
| Site Information | |
|---|---|
| College | Seattle University |
| Location | Seattle, Washington |
| Dates | Session 1: ? | Session 2: ? |
| Years of Operation | 2012-2015, 2017-2022 |
| Avg. Number of Students | 220 |
| Courses Offered | |
| Humanities | Cognitive Psychology | Logic: Principles of Reasoning | Foundations of Psychology | Philosophy |
| Writing | Fiction and Poetry | Whodunit? Mystery and Suspense in Literature and Film |
| Math | The Mathematics of Money | Paradoxes and Infinities | Cryptology | Fundamentals of Microeconomics |
| Computer Science | Fundamentals of Computer Science |
| Science | Fast-Paced High School Chemistry | Chemistry in Society | Principles of Engineering Design | Zoology | Introduction to Biomedical Sciences |
Seattle (SUN) is a CTY site located on the Seattle University campus. Formed in 2012, Seattle is one of the least developed tradition-wise. Both CTY and CAA courses are offered at this site.
Site Overview
Seattle is one of the smallest CTY sites, which creates a tighter community, but also makes dances arguably more awkward. Despite being in Seattle, a city known for its never-ending rain, the weather is usually nice (though it can get very hot). Any rain in the summer tends to be occasional showers to mild rainfall. After being closed for a year and replaced by San Rafael, California, Seattle returned for summer 2017!
Seattle University, founded in 1891, is a Jesuit Catholic university located on 50 acres in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. More than 7,900 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools and colleges.
U.S. News and World Report's "Best Colleges 2012" ranks Seattle University among the top ten universities in the West that offer a full range of masters and undergraduate programs.
From SeattleU.edu
Seattle University sits at the heart of the Northwest’s largest and most dynamic city. Founded in 1891, Seattle University today is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the West by U.S. News & World Report. Its elegantly landscaped 50-acre campus has been designated a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary. It offers excellent academic facilities and recreational spaces, and its food service specializes in serving fresh, seasonal, and regional products. Residence halls are clean and comfortable, and each room has a sink and vanity. Approximately 225 students and 60 staff are expected to attend each session.
From the CTY website, cty.jhu.edu
Campion Hall
This twelve-story building is used as housing for all CTY students. All seven floors occupied by CTY are identical except for the color of the walls. Each room has either two single beds or a single and bunk bed, two desks, two closets, one sink, and one refrigerator. There is enough space between the top of the closet and the ceiling to climb on it, though for your safety, this is not recommended. The alignment of the rooms makes it possible to talk to CTYers on other floors, and on some occasions throw things from floor to floor. Depending on what side of the building one is on, it is either extremely hot or annoyingly cold. Campion doesn't have air conditioning. Bring a fan, or you will die from the heat. The window blinds are also fairly thin, so if you don't want to wake up with the sun, bring long, thick towels and duct tape to cover the windows. The dorms may be a little dirty.
The twelfth floor is also known as Club Twelve. Some activities may occur there. It has a big open space with tables and chairs and a kitchen.
The Campion Ballroom is used as the rain alternative to the normal activities' meeting places, and for some dances and Casino Night.
There will always be a line for the elevator. Girls, being on the upper floors, take the elevator, while boys are stuck with the stairs. You can't take the elevator without an RA or other staff member.
Bellarmine Hall
Instructors and TAs were housed here in 17.2 and maybe other sessions.
Student Center
The Student Center is the location of the dining hall and most of the dances and indoor activities. Despite the fact the distance from the Student Center to Campion is short, CTYers are not allowed to cross James Street, making the walk to meals much longer and full of stairs, but less hazardous. The first-floor rooms used included one, slightly cramped room used for dances and for movie watching, and another which usually has a movie playing and board games during dances.
The Cherry Street Market
The Cherry Street Market is the dining hall and is located in the student center. It has an "Okay" food rating, which is a little worrying (it has a lower food rating than Subway), and often gives off a strong odor of tater tots, which fills the entire student center. Many CTYers and staff members find the smell nauseating by the third week.
The food is decent, but it really depends on your opinion. Cut fruit is only available in the morning (in the salad bar), but there might be whole fruit in the afternoon and evening. Since it's not a buffet and there are restrictions on conferences (CTY is a conference), your options are limited to one main dish, one dessert, one salad or soup, and one drink. There are other items available, such as ice cream, but you must pay for them with your own money as they are not included in the meal plan.
Chicken tenders are usually an option at dinner, and they aren't bad. Scrambled eggs is an option at breakfast, but they're scarily chewy, tasteless and are overall disgusting and should be avoided. There are also donuts at breakfast. The salad bar is extensive - it has salad, of course, but also various toppings ranging from olives to carrots to mini roasted potatoes. Remember there's a second salad bar line; the first one gets really long but the second one is often shorter since people forget it's there.
You can't take food for yourself (unless you're at the salad bar or dessert table). Instead, a dining hall staff member will scoop the food into your plate. Because it's loud in the dining hall, speak clearly when ordering food as your requests can be misheard and/or completely misinterpreted. The staff members are very nice, though, and are completely willing to concoct plausible mash-ups of the food they're serving if it is requested.
The card-swipers can be either distant, polite, or so enthusiastic and nice that they suggest things you can do with your food to make it taste better (e.g. what you should put on your oatmeal the next morning) and jovially shout for you to have a nice day. Make sure you've taken all you are going to eat because once you've had your card swiped, there's no going back. You can sneak back in, but you then run the risk of being yelled at by cafeteria staff and annoying people in the vicinity.
The Cherry Street Market is small. This means you have to get your food fast, because when there are other camps the lines get really long and you literally have to fight your way through massive crowds to get anywhere. It's not very well lit, but there are windows up high on the walls so there's a little more natural light coming in.
There are vending machines, which are often mobbed by CTYers. By the second week, CTY staff are sick and tired of waiting for students to stop using the vending machines and get to their classes or activities, so if you want to stay on their good side, it is best to avoid the vending machines.
Classrooms
Classes are held in a variety of places, including Chardin Hall, the Bannan Building, and Pigott. Chardin Hall is mostly used for its computer lab. The talent show is also held in the auditorium of Pigott, and dances may occur in its main entrance area.
Union Green
Used for Mandatory Fun, activities, and as a break place for classes in Pigott and Bannan, Union Green is a medium-large grassy field. It is also a popular place for other people to play with their dogs, making breaks considerably more interesting as many owners are friendly and will let you play with their pet(s). If you bring equipment such as balls or Frisbees, be careful with enthusiastic dogs. They can shred the balls and bite holes and/or considerable dents into the Frisbees.
Logan Field
Logan Field is a large football field with a track surrounding it. It is used for some large full-site active activities, such as Field Day. The field is made of astroturf which, while extremely fun to throw at your friend, gets stuck in everyone's shoes and ends up shed all over the buildings used by CTY. The track is sometimes used for morning runs organized by RAs. There is an opening off to the side, and if one feels particularly rebellious, they can step off campus without the RAs noticing. This, however, is not recommended.
Seattle U Campus Store
Up to and during 17.2, the campus store was grey, dusty, and overall not very attractive. It lacked windows and was lit entirely by artificial lighting. A new one was built during the 2017-18 school year, and it is brightly painted and looks a lot nicer and inviting than the previous one. It also has giant windows, which let in a lot of natural light.
Classes visit the bookstore for textbooks and any missing school supplies, and halls go to buy junk food and Seattle U apparel.
Student Life
Strictness
The administrative CTY staff at Seattle U originally kept an extremely tight set of rules. The staff was not flexible yet and required constant RA supervision of students beyond that of any other site. On the first day of 13.1, some students were not allowed to go to the bathroom without an RA waiting outside the door.
Ninja was banned at this site during 13.1. A computer science student had received a concussion on the second day playing Ultimate Frisbee. A few days later, his head was accidentally hit during a game of Ninja. At the exact moment of impact, the academic director was watching. Later that day, it was announced that Ninja was banned.
Another major injury in 13.1 occurred during Ultimate Frisbee, when two students collided. The taller one's teeth ripped open the forehead of the shorter.
By 2017, the site administration was more lenient than in the site's early years. Students are still herded everywhere by RAs, however.
Off Campus
On weekends, students can visit Starbucks (less than five minutes from the Student Center), the market, and IHOP, all of which are extremely close to normally traveled parts of campus.
During 17.2, no off-campus trips were allowed unless you requested to attend a religious service.
Tips / Advice
- You aren't allowed to wear old lanyards (might be a defunct rule)
- You aren't allowed to wear your lanyard anywhere besides your neck (and it must be forward, not backward), though you can turn it into a sash.
- Bring a water bottle
- The best water is from the cafeteria and the lobby of Campion. The fifth floor water fountain didn't work in 2015, and in 2017, the 6th floor water fountain was extremely sputtery and inconsistent in terms of water pressure. Basically, many of the the water fountains are not to be trusted.
- Social time at night is very short and in a rather small space in front of Campion.
- Bring insect repellent; there are mosquitoes at night
- Laundry times tend to be during the week, sometimes at weird times so be ready to get up really early if you're unlucky enough. A few halls had to wake up at 5:00 AM.
- Have fun!
Order of Activities
13.2
- First Friday: Dance (Theme: Disney)
- First Saturday:
- The Princess Bride Movie
- Casino Night with favors from The Godfather (resided in a VIP room)
- First Sunday:
- Trip to IHop/Starbucks
- Carnival
- Second Friday:
- Dance (Theme: Heroes and Villains)
- Second Saturday:
- Pokemon Movie
- Book hunting and Tower building (Floor competition)
- Second Sunday:
- Talent Show
- Floor Competition
- Third Thursday: Dance (Theme: Masquerade)
14.2
- First Friday: Dance (Theme: Decades)
- First Saturday:
- Field Day
- Back to the Future Movie Night
- First Sunday: CTY Jumanji
- Second Friday: Dance (Theme: Superheroes and Supervillains)
- Second Saturday:
- Beach/Water Day
- Casino Night (Which for some strange reason, was both beach and Las Vegas themed)
- Second Sunday:
- Third Thursday: Dance (Theme: International)
15.1
- First Friday: Dance (Theme: IndepenDANCE)
- First Saturday:
- CTY Summer Olympics aka Campion Championship
- Casino Night
- First Sunday:
- Trivia
- Women's Soccer World Cup
- Second Friday: Dance (Theme: Neon Nights)
- Second Saturday:
- Kickback Day
- Taboo Tournament
- Second Sunday:
- Talent Show
- Spirit Week (Third Week)
- Tuesday- Wacky Tacky Day
- Wednesday- Twin Day
- Thursday- Love Tape Day
- Third Thursday: Dance (Theme: Bon Voyage)
15.2
- First Friday: Dance (Theme: Country)
- First Saturday:
- Casino Night
- First Sunday:
- Second Friday: Dance (Theme: Yule Ball from Harry Potter)
- Second Saturday:
- Second Sunday:
- Third Thursday: Dance (Theme: CTY Shooting Stars)
- Spirit Week (last week)
- Crazy hair day
- Pajama day
- Love Tape day
17.2
- First Friday: Dance
- First Saturday:
- Julyoween (Halloween in July)
- Casino Night
- First Sunday:
- Field Day
- Second Friday: Dance (Theme: Aliens)
- Second Saturday:
- Water Day
- Talent Show
- Second Sunday:
- Game Show followed by movie-watching (Inside Out)
- Spirit Week (last week)
- Tuesday: Goth Day
- Wednesday: Pajama Day
- Thursday: Love Tape Day
- Third Thursday: Dance (Theme: Zombie Prom)
Traditions
As Seattle is a fairly new site, there is almost no tradition of any kind, and canon is limited to American Pie. However, Casino Night and Water Day do happen. There is no royalty, no one knows what raving is, and Passionfruit tends to have a low turnout as not many students recognize its significance. For this reason, a session at Seattle is more focused on academics, with very little, if any, tradition. Some may not consider a session at Seattle a "real" CTY experience beacause of this. Almost all spirit days occur during the last week of the session, spirit week.
Cross Dress Day
Cross Dress Day never occurs, though it is discussed. The reasons for this are unknown.
Towel Day
Towel Day is practically unheard of and is never mentioned. It does not occur at this site.
Pajama Day
Pajama Day is apparently a thing at this site. It does not appear to hold any historical significance to the site or to CTY as a whole.
Love Tape Day
Love Tape Day happens during spirit week and is the last spirit day of the session. You must ask permission before taping anyone. Your RA will likely have some tape for you, but it is recommended that you bring your own so you won't be stalking them for more later on. Absolutely no tape rape jokes are permitted. Since RAs are allowed to both give out tape and tape CTYers and their fellow staff members, it's impossible to find a CTYer that is not coated in tape by the end of breakfast on this day. After breakfast, however, Love Tape Day is basically over, so if you don't have tape at breakfast, you're out of luck.
Goth Day
Goth Day is also during spirit week, and while it does happen, pretty much no one knows the reason why it occurs. It has an okay turn-out.
American Pie
American Pie is the only canon at Seattle. There are usually a few mess-ups in American Pie, but it's mostly limited to running in too early. Some RAs get mad when the students scream ORGY in American Pie, but you won't get in trouble. RA Owen's (17.2) method of discouraging CTYers was to scream alternatives to the word, such as "CORGIS!"
Passionfruit
Passionfruit happens on Club Twelve at 5:00 AM or 6:00 AM. Apparently the juice is disgusting. While RAs announce this tradition the night before during hall meetings and anyone can attend, the turnout is very low. Almost everyone decides to sleep in.
15.2 Traditions
- The Cult of Midori is founded. Among the chants are "I'VE NOT HAD DORITOS IN A VERY LONG TIME! NONBELIEVER NONBELIEVER NONBELIEVER RHYME!"
- Friendship Day: Take post it notes (optional: write, "Happy Friendship Day! Pass it on") and stick it anywhere. Also, give out Post-It note compliments.
- During Stairway to Heaven, students gathered in a circle and took out phone flashlights to sway back and forth
None of these traditions persisted into 17.2. Stairway to Heaven was never played at any dance.
Students
This is an alphabetical list of CTYers ordered by session who have attended Seattle. Please add only the years you have attended, not those you hope to go to.
- Ariel 12.1, 12.2
- Sienna Axe 13.2
- Claire Q. 14.2
- Dani 14.2
- Suzanna Graham 15.1
- Isabel Shih 15.2
- Marcello Ursic 15.2
- Rachel Aronson 15.2
- Anouk 17.2
