Discover the Top 9 Quirky and Fun Facts About Colgate University You Never Knew!

1. Eco-friendly Pioneers

Feeling hot under the collar from all the tree-hugging: Colgate University boasts a perfect sustainability score, making it one of a select 24 out of 861 schools on the Princeton Review's Green Honor Roll. The university primarily heats its campus using wood chips—quite chipper, eh?—and powers up the party with electricity from Niagara Falls' hydroelectric dam. Dining services dish out organic and local food options while dishing up compostable take-out containers, and for a whirlwind ride, the Green Bikes program encourages students to pedal away from car dependence.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Name-juggling University

Talk about going through an identity crisis: Colgate University began its life as the Baptist Education Society of the state of New York in 1819 and tried on different names for size until landing on Colgate University in 1890. All thanks to the Colgate family's generosity and eventual begrudging approval, despite not being too keen on having their name associated with higher education, they agreed "to assent rather than embarrass its advocates."
Source => buckys5thquarter.com

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3. Thirteen Moneybag Founders

Once upon a 1819, a throbbing throng of thirteen moneybags misplaced their dollars to change the course of education forever: These daring folks each chipped in one greenback to form the backbone of what we now know as Colgate University, complete with a seal that fittingly honors the baker's dozen of founding fathers.
Source => colgate.edu

4. Expanding Smiles Beyond Toothpaste

Who needs a toothpaste factory when you can build a university expansion instead? Colgate's evidently making room for more than just bright smiles: Colgate University is proposing a new mixed-use development in the Village of Hamilton, featuring 39 apartments for faculty, staff, and professionals, along with retail, commercial spaces, and parking. This project is driven by the Hamilton Initiative, a for-profit organization formed in 2000, mainly funded by university alumni and is known for their partnerships with local businesses.
Source => thecolgatemaroonnews.com

5. Rise of Academic Robots

Forget about R2-D2 and Wall-E, Colgate University has its very own star-studded robot cast: LASR and Gryffon are taking academia by storm, and they're not here to make coffee runs. Behold the robotic marvels: LASR, the three-story-tall library savant, retrieves any of the 550,000 periodicals, media, and other items from the university collection, while Gryffon, the chemistry prodigy, handles precise liquid measurements to the nanoliter, equating to about one thirty-millionth of an ounce.
Source => colgate.edu

6. Dancefest Extravaganza

When the beats drop and tutus twirl, Colgate swaggers like Cyrus the Virus on a Hamilton stage: Annually, Colgate University's Dancefest showcases 20+ dance groups, captivating audiences with diverse styles from ballet to hip-hop and demonstrating the dedication of their immensely talented student performers.
Source => thecolgatemaroonnews.com

7. Green Graduates Supreme

If "going green" were a college major, Colgate University would surely be graduating summa cum laude among Mother Earth's most ardent scholar: Colgate is a beacon of sustainability, boasting energy efficient buildings, a bike-sharing program, and a dedicated student-led council committed to promoting eco-friendly practices as well as the university's rich tapestry of diversity and inclusion.
Source => colgate.edu

8. Carbon Neutrality Champs

Colgate University: cleaning up the environment, one carbon at a time! In 2019, this toothpaste-sounding institution proved that change is mint to be, becoming the first higher education establishment in New York State to achieve carbon neutrality: A feat achieved through campus initiatives that cut their carbon footprint by over 40% since 2009, and a commitment to invest in off-campus carbon reduction projects to keep their net carbon footprint squeaky clean at zero.
Source => colgate.edu

9. Artistic Toothpaste Titans

If you're looking for a major work of art, turns out there's more to Colgate than just the toothpaste aisle: Colgate University's Department of Art and Art History boasts a teaching gallery called the Clifford Gallery, featuring handpicked exhibitions curated by the university's faculty to reflect curriculum topics, and hosts guest artists, film screenings, museum and gallery exhibitions, and lecture series.
Source => colgate.edu