You most likely remember getting a Traditions Challenge booklet either during summer orientation before your freshman year, or when you first moved onto campus your first semester at UNI. Most students, myself included, threw that book into a desk drawer and proceeded to forget about it. You may still have it in that same drawer, and it’s just collecting dust. 

As my senior year is coming to a close, I have been trying to complete the Traditions Challenge and get that sweet medallion. While trying to complete the challenge, I have looked back on old photos and Facebook posts to see what I have already done. In doing that, many amazing college memories have come back. Memories from my first time trying Four Queens, to seeing the Blue Man Group my freshman year and going to some amazing UNI sporting events. 

The Traditions Challenge is something that many students do not take seriously. It is not a life or death goal to finish, but you can gain many things from doing the challenge. 

In the newest Traditions Challenge booklet, there are new things to do including experiencing Waterloo and participating in the “Reaching for Higher Ground” events. 

There are also great traditions like participating in events during Black History Month and Women’s History Month, or trying to go to one of every sporting event on campus. 

Many of these traditions not only get you more situated to campus, but make you more likely to call this place your home. By getting involved through these challenges, you become more knowledgeable about campus life, as well as what is going on in the Cedar Valley. We all know that Scratch and Jokers is on Main Street, but have you actually shopped on Main? There are some wonderful shops on Main that you can visit. In Waterloo there are amazing restaurants like the Screamin’ Eagle and Newtons, as well as great places to visit and explore. 

The Traditions Challenge is much like a scrapbook. I bet, if you are a junior or senior, you can finish at least half of the challenges by going through your Facebook and finding old photos. You can relive memories of your first outdoor CAB movie, or your first semester in the halls. Other traditions, like going to the UNI planetarium, are more of a challenge but are well worth it if you go. 

To complete the Traditions Challenge is a very difficult task. What I think is the best part of it is the “Make Your Own Tradition” section. Every student has a different experience at UNI. Adding your own traditions makes the challenge your own.

For me, some of my added traditions include participating in Dance Marathon, going to the capitol in Des Moines on behalf of UNI,and meeting Senator Chuck Grassley (he’s here almost every weekend, if you go to any basketball or volleyball game you can find him). 

These make your own traditions are great because they make you feel even closer to UNI, and, who knows, maybe they will put one of your traditions into a future edition. 

Overall, the Traditions Challenge is not a necessary thing to accomplish, but finishing it will surely make you feel closer to UNI and the community at-large. Plus, you get an awesome medallion, and who doesn’t want some awesome graduation bling?