Traditions

Barton is one of the few residences on ISU’s campus heralded as a “returner” dorm. As opposed to other campus buildings that house freshmen year after year, Barton residents tend to return for their second (and sometimes even third and fourth) year. Because it is occupied by returning students, Barton has developed an extensive list of traditions handed down over time. The following is the current makeup of Barton traditions with an emphasis on Anders house. As research on Barton’s past continues, “new” old traditions will be added.

These are all Anders House traditions unless otherwise noted.

## Avalon

Avalon is a social deduction card game designed by Don Eskridge. With its randomly-assigned hidden-role format and easy to learn rules, it became very popular within the dorm since 2016-2017. Originally, it was played on a homemade set of cards (as was Secret Hitler). Notably, in 2018-2019, a special edition (Andersalon) was produced with Anders people and things on the cards. The game is a favorite house activity. It has its own set of traditions including names for all of the unnamed characters, special roles and playstyle.

## BASWSSE

The Barton Anders Secret Winter Solstice Spirit Exchange is an annual gift exchange that occurs in December. It is meant to represent the winter holidays and beliefs of all residents, bringing them together for gifts, jokes, and cocoa. The exchange works much like a secret Santa event, wherein participants are randomly assigned someone to gift and another to be gifted by. At the party, all gifts are distributed and opened, and a game is made out of guessing who brought which gift. From 2018-2020, two people were accidentally assigned the same person to give gifts to, and one person was not assigned to receive a gift. In the spirit of the holidays, the twice-gifted resident split the presents between them.

## Camping Trip (Jischke Lockin)

In the fall of 2014, Theo Hartman (Vice President of Anders, Room 270) organized a house camping trip at Ledges State Park. Thereafter, the trip became an annual event until the 2018-2019 academic year. That fall, flooding persuaded residents to move the event to the Jischke Honors Building for a game-intensive lock-in. The Ledges camping trip resumed in fall 2019, but was replaced by a Ledges hike during fall 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions. (Johnnie Papineau)

## CHAOW (Dumpling Party)

During the 2018-2019 polar vortex, classes were cancelled midweek due to the extreme cold weather. Residents used their newly-freed schedules to host CHAOW: “Creating Happy Andersians on Wednesday.” CHAOW was a dumpling party originally imagined as a Saturday event named CHAOS in honor of the Chinese New Year. Despite the change of plans and the frigid temperatures, everyone happily worked together to eat and make a massive amount of dumplings.

The following year (2019-2020), the event was repeated as CHAOS, and sesame balls and other foods were fried and steamed in the kitchen. In the fall of 2020, the kitchen stove was removed for fire concerns, leaving residents temporarily unable to continue the tradition.

## Crumpets

Crumpets is a sport played at Anders since 2006. It originated in Kansas and was brought to ISU in the late 1990s. From there, it has existed as a club, band activity, and intramural in addition to being the official Andersian sport. Additionally, at least for the last few years, it has existed as an event in the BLF Olympics.

## Dead Week Door Decs

Before Dead Week, those interested sign up and are randomly assigned another participating person. They then can create creative door decs for each day of dead week.

## Dead Week Activities

During Dead Week (aka Prep week), ISU dorms have 23/7 quiet hours. The singular hour during which sound levels can rise is commonly called “Rowdy Hour” and is used as a study break from 9:00-10:00pm. For Barton, this period of time is dedicated to the Anders Olympics.

Traditionally an event hosted by Anders, all dorm residents are invited to participate. The event began in the spring when the ice rink was full and residents were itching for one last fun activity before the grueling stretch leading up to finals. Modeled after the Pythian held at ancient Delphi, the Anders Olympics test physical and mental prowess to include the abilities of all residents. The line up of events change each semester with the whims of the Vice Presidents, but past events include:

* Hallway High Jump
* Hallway shuffleboard
* Swivel Stack
* Speedy Sexy Sniff
* Ultimate Spoons
* Flying 52s
* Bowl Bowling Bowl
* Anders Branch Relay
* Water Pong
* PVC Archery
* Four-legged Race
* Dan Quayle Poetry Slam

In the spring during dead week, the Anders Olympics has occurred, both in the form of a one day event on the Saturday prior to dead week and on the nights of dead week.

## Formal

An essential wrap-up event for student organization: the formal. Rather than spend yet another evening in the dining centers, all residents dress up and get their pictures taken on Barton’s front steps, followed by an evening of fine dining.

Until its closure, Olde Main was a go-to restaurant in recent years. In 2021, residents carpooled to Ankeny for pasta, steak, and rolled ice cream. While at dinner, House Awards are presented by the presidents (not to be confused with weeks awards voted on during the weekly meetings or the former name for the “Angel Award”).

## Finals - Kicked Ass/Ass Kicked

Among many signs posted on the 2nd floor parlor door, it has become tradition to tape a sheet of engineering paper to the front with a simple request: “Finals: Kicked Ass or Had Ass Kicked?” Anyone is invited to share their triumphs and flops for that year’s finals week.

## Friendsgiving

The week before Thanksgiving break, usually on a Thursday, residents eat a meal of traditional Thanksgiving food together. This meal is often assembled by the residents themselves. Even in fall 2020, when Thanksgiving break and the kitchen stove were ripped away, Barton residents used the neighboring Birch-Welch-Roberts kitchen to prepare turkey (chicken), green bean casserole, pie, baked vegetables, rolls, and accompanying sauces and goodies.

## Harwood Rivalry

After Honors housing was instituted at ISU, the first two floors of Barton (Anders) became home to honors students. Behind Barton, just across Carrie Lane Ct., Lyon Hall gained the Harwood honors house. Anders and Harwood traditionally vie against each other through Honors competitions, the KURE radio challenges, and miscellaneous pranks. The animosity has decreased in recent years as Harwood has had fewer returning students to carry on the traditions of the house. Harwood sucks.

## Historian (Scrapbooks)

Though not a part of the governing cabinet, the Anders Historian plays a vital role in preserving the integrity and history of the house. The Historian is tasked with recording the year’s events and jokes as well as pictures of all events. These recordings are then compiled into an annual scrapbook, which have become some of resident’s best sources of history. The Barton collection of scrapbooks goes back over fifty years, alongside a book with meeting minutes going back to the 1930s.

## Holiday Decorating

Decorating the parlor for the holidays is a staple of the winter season. Yearly traditions included that you weren’t a true Andersian unless you had put together one of the janky two trees.

## Hoop Group (15-16, 16-17)

This was a group of Andersians that met and played basketball every week. (As told by Angela Ignarski)

This makes it sound more formal than it really was, it was more people would want to go play basketball so we'd go play basketball and called it hoop group. I'd say hoop group really only existed in 15-16 led by Dineh Bohan (Rm 218) and the house still played basketball the following 2 years.

## House Awards

Started long before the Honors House era, the Angel and Dork award are given each house meeting to a person who does something good and someone who does something mean or dumb, respectively. The rest of the information here refers to their current implementation. Nominations are given for each one and then one person is selected for the meter. They use their arm to indicate clapping loudness for the voting section and select the winner. The previous week’s winner then presents the trophy to the next winner and announces their name for it (which is written on a sticky note on it). These sticky notes are collected and included in the scrapbooks each year. Additionally, honorary nominations can be given to people not in Anders, but they cannot win.

* Angel Award - The actual trophy is a cast bronze solid angel.
* Dork Award (House Award) - The trophy is a lopsided chalice. Unique from the angel award, roommates cannot nominate each other and after nominations each person gets a chance to give a rebuttal. Additionally, people can not be nominated for what they did during QK or KQ.
* Crumpets MVP Award - Known by several different names (Joy’s Broken Glasses (2018-2019), Brian’s Broken Face (2018-2019), and Colin’s Meat Crew (2017-2018)) - Begun in 2017-2018 school year, this award is given by the former recipient to the next every week for exceptional play and/or significant injury. The name has been updated over its existence to reference a current resident.

## House Dinner

As of the 2018-19 school year, House Dinner is enjoyed every day at 5:30 PM except for when this conflicts with Crumpets. Tradition was to go to Conversations Dining Sunday through Thursday and to go to Seasons Dining on Friday and Saturday, but with Conversations going virtual for the 2020-2021 school year, this could not be continued.

Additionally, on the second floor Campanile painting, the clock is painted at 5:30 to signify the house dinner time.

## House Meetings

* Cabinet positions
	+ Presidents - Designated to sit on the North heater during meetings.
	+ Vice presidents - Male vice president has a shirt that is passed down that says “Character Counts in Yankton.” As the last announcement in the official portion of the meeting, they remind everyone that character counts. This shirt was first worn by Theo Hartman (Rm 270) during the 2014-15 year. In 2020-2021, both vice presidents alternated in wearing the shirt and the announcement.
* Questions
	+ Originated during the 2015-16 school year. Started by Dineh Bohan and Conor Duffy (218), originated as "Questions for Martin" (Martin Asama, 2?? (Hector's old room))
* Awards - See House Awards

## Kaleidoquiz/Quickykwiz

KURE, ISU’s student radio, hosts an over-air competition each semester. Fall semester is a 6-hour extravaganza of obscure trivia, individual challenges, sound clip recognition, and puzzles known as QuickyKwiz. The spring semester version, Kaleideoquiz, is a whole 26 hours and often includes a travel component. Anders traditionally engages in indirect battle with Harwood during the event, gathering in the parlor and kitchen with computers and projectors for the glory of victory. Anders has done very well in this competition in recent years, and Tappan did very well in the past.

## Olympics, Anders

Started by Jack Wannarka (Rm 203) during 2016-17 school year. Ryan Rigabar (Rm 263) was first champion representing Ukryan. See Dead Week Activities.

## Partner Tag

A game that combines wrestling/grappling and tag.

Brought by Connor Hammons (263) during 2016-17 school year

## Pranks

This is an incomplete list of pranks that have happened in Anders:

* That one time Harwood stole the crumpets bats and had the police called on them
* That one time Tappan removed all the furniture from the parlor
* That one time Landon stole the weather board
* That one time the stormtrooper was stolen by old Anders and returned encased in Jello
* That time Bread man struck

## Stooping

“Stooping” refers to sitting out on the steps in front of Barton at night and talking and/or listening to music. The rules of stooping require your feet to be at different levels of the steps. It is usually an early fall and late spring activity, though people have been known to bundle up in blankets for a chilly night time conversation.

## Room 243 - height measuring tradition

From 2018 to 2020, every January 30, residents of room 243 would mark their height, name, and the date on the door frame.

## Room 218 - leaving things behind tradition

When the residents of Room 218 pack their bag for the last time, tradition dictates they leave an object for the next generation. Past objects have included a plastic bird of prey, a Pokemon plush, and a caricatured wooden domino.