Post-IUPUI split, the first cohort of Purdue University in Indianapolis (PUI) students have been welcomed onto campus, with first-year students participating in a decades old tradition: Boiler Gold Rush (BGR).
BGR was created in 1993 and was originally titled the Collegians Orientating Residential Newcomers (CORN) Camp. The original group consisted of 100 first-year students. By 1995, the program had expanded to include all first-year students.
Now, BRG is a five day long orientation experience that works to get students acclimated to campus prior to the beginning of the semester. New PUI students moved in on Aug. 13, the first official day of BGR.
Students living in university housing either moved into the third through six floors of North Hall, an on-campus dorm or the first through fifth floors of the LUX on Capitol, an apartment complex located slightly off campus.
After move-in, the first shared activity among PUI students involved taking Purdue’s new Campus Connect shuttles to West Lafayette for the BGR Kickoff Ceremony. The shuttles are meant to provide easily accessible commuter transportation for students and faculty who will be sharing their time between West Lafayette and Indianapolis.
The idea of shared participation across campuses was emphasized in a statement made by Purdue president, Mung Chiang, at the BGR Opening Ceremony on Aug. 14.
“I want you to be able to hold two thoughts at the same time. One is that you are part of one Purdue. There is only one Purdue main campus, and it starts in West Lafayette and comes all the way down here, including Indianapolis,” Chiang said. “I need you to also be able to hold another seemingly contradictory thought. There are unique things that you can only do in Indianapolis.”
Chiang emphasized that PUI students should take advantage of the urban environment and access to internship opportunities. The same will be expected of Purdue students who are centered in West Lafayette.
“Some of your siblings starting in West Lafayette may also come down here to do learning while working, to do an internship, to do a co-op. It’s going to be one big family here, taking advantage of what Indianapolis has to offer you now,” Chiang said. “All the different programs in West Lafayette over the coming years will be coming here in one way or another.”
BGR functions similarly to Bridge Week, a program that involved both IUI and PUI students prior to the split. Both Bridge Week and BGR place a heavy emphasis on student leaders. 42 PUI students serve as Team Leaders (TLs). TLs are responsible for assisting with move-in and supporting first-year students through their first week on campus.
Kelsey Black, a member of the Recruitment and Retention subcommittee under Purdue’s Student Orientation Committee (SOC), discussed the roles that TLs play within BGR during the Opening Ceremony.
“Team Leaders are the students who you will be spending the majority of your time with this week,” said Black. “Their role is to guide you around campus, teach you about different traditions and inform you about all the different campus resources we have that are available to you. As of a few months ago, Team Leaders were IUPUI students and transitioned into Boilermakers just like you.”
After hearing from other speakers at the Opening Ceremony, including senior vice provost and chief academic officer David Umulis, and assistant vice provost Sharon Miller, students and TLs participated in two BGR traditions: Freezone and the Common Bond dance.
Freezone was created as a diversity initiative during BGR where students could share stories related to their life experiences or important topics. The theme for 2024’s Freezone is “Own Your Unknown.” At the opening ceremony, three PUI students shared their monologues on their experiences of coming to Purdue, and the things that they struggled with.
“Our goal is for all of you to feel comfortable being unapologetically yourselves, form deep connections, and be supported by those around you,” said Varun Kamble, a member of the Orientation Initiatives subcommittee.
The ceremony officially closed with TLs leading BGR students through the Common Bond dance. Every year, a new dance is created to new music so that students can “collectively dance together and form one common bond.”
Team Leaders participate in the Common Bond dance
Ashley Wilson (she/they) is a senior double majoring in Creative Writing and Journalism with a minor in Classical Studies. She is the Culture Editor of The Campus Citizen. In their free time, they can be found crocheting and crying over TV shows.
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