Bristol

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Bristol
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Global Heritage Hall at Roger Williams University
Site Information
CollegeRoger Williams University
LocationBristol, Rhode Island
DatesSession 1: June 25 - July 14 | Session 2: July 16 - August 4
Years of Operation2001-present
Avg. Number of Students250 - 300
Courses Offered
Humanities Foundations of Psychology | International Politics | Logic: Principles of Reasoning | Macroeconomics and the Global Economy | Model United Nations and Advanced Geography
WritingCrafting the Essay |
MathCryptology | Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Paradoxes and Infinities | Probability and Game Theory | The Mathematics of Money
Computer ScienceData Structures and Algorithms | Fundamentals of Computer Science | Introduction to Robotics
ScienceExamining the Evidence | Fast-Paced High School Chemistry | Introduction to Astronomy | Introduction to the Biomedical Sciences | Marine Ecology | Principles of Engineering Design | The Physics of Engineering | Zoology
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Bristol is a CAA and Baby CTY site located at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Site Overview

While considered to be one of the stricter sites in the program, Bristol is still enjoyable for students. It rarely rains in Bristol, and the sun is always out, making it a pleasant 80 degrees most of the time.

Bristol has all-site meetings, which have been weird ever since Baby CTY merged with this CAA site in 2014. The site director has attempted to make jokes and the Baby CTYers just annoy everyone when they perform their "skits". (Read below, 14.2 Notable Occurrences for more information on that.)

Stonewall Terrace I-IV

The four Residential Halls. Stonewall 1 & 2 are the boys' dorms and Stonewall 3 & 4 are the girls' dorms. There are no more kitchenettes on the dorm floors; you have to ask your RA to go down to the staff lounge and heat food in the microwave for you. A kitchenette was removed from a dorm building before 13.1 and replaced with useless shelves. Stonewall I is is home to the CTY offices, including the nurse. All Stonewall buildings are constantly lacking paper towels in the bathroom. Don't be surprised to find mold in Stonewall Terrace. Being that close to the ocean, it is everywhere. In 08.1, two girls' halls on the first floor had to move up two floors to get away from it. The RAs strongly recommend that CTYers keep windows in the rooms closed because of the humidity. Later on, most floors in the residential halls had microwaves again, which are not to be used after 10:00 at night (but some RA's let that slide). RAs patrol the buildings after lights out - the rules are enforced strictly at this site. Closing the blinds and plugging in the door with a towel allowed one room in 08.2 in Stonewall II to keep desk lamps on, however.

The Quad

The Quad has an actual name, but nobody refers to it as anything but The Quad, so knowing it is completely useless. The Quad is home to social time, meals on the Fourth of July when the Commons is closed, and many activities. The Quad used to have a lovely ocean view, but the addition of a new research facility has almost completely blocked it. The Quad has a statue of Roger Williams on a giant rock, but no CTYers are allowed to actually go on the rock.

The Frog Pond

Many classes choose to take their breaks, or even have their classes, here. It is approximately halfway between Stonewall Terrace and the Commons. All students pass the pond a minimum of six times a day, but students are all but forbidden to go near it unless brought there specifically by a faculty or staff member. Frog watching, an activity that pops up now and then, takes place here. During 12.2, Plasma swam in the Frog Pond!

The Couples' Rock

The Couples' Rock is a common place for the CTY couples to hang out and not get punished for PDA during social time. While no one is technically allowed on the Rock itself, all campers are allowed near or around the rock. The Rock sits in front of Stonewall III and in front of the Frog Pond. The Rock is surrounded by a few picnic tables and is the location for social time five nights per week.

Dining Hall

The cafeteria's food quality is good, although the variety is low. The salad/fruit bar has a wide variety of healthy options for those looking for it in dorm food. The fries or onion rings with the cheese sauce are quite good together. "Home-made" mac & cheese, which is adding the cheese sauce from The Grill to the macaroni from La Cucina, is good.

Other Locations

  • Recreation Center (AKA The Field House): Home to the gym, a small billiards room and the swimming pool. Most assemblies (e.g. talent show, opening ceremony, all-site meetings) and dances occur in the gym.
  • The Commons: Home to the Dining Hall and Bookstore.
  • CAS: Where the humanities, writing, and math classes are held. The only science class held here is Whales.
  • The School of Engineering: Where some of the classes are held, including Engineering and Astronomy.
  • Marine and Natural Science: Most commonly abbreviated as MNS, it is where most of the science classes are held, including Biotech, Zoology, Chemistry, and Anatomy.

Student Life

Dances

Dances occur on the first and second Fridays and the third Thursday. CAAsino Night happens on the first Saturday. The Talent Show normally is on the second Saturday. Normally, Water Day is in the afternoon on the afternoon of last Saturday or Sunday. Other activities take place on the first weekend, for example, a carnival, trivia day, Harry Potter Day, a scavenger hunt etc. In case of inclement weather, alternative activities are offered to those who signed up for outdoor ones. The alternate activities may include board games, arts and crafts, a movie or an open gym with a bunch of random sports equipment.

Sleepovers

Sleepovers are held Friday nights after the dances and Saturday nights as well. In 11.2, most of the guy halls were permitted to have sleepovers every night as long as the RA was not able to hear them and their lights were out. This caused many problems with staying awake in their classes. In 19.1, one dorm hall tried to have a sleepover in the lobby with mattresses on the couches, but that was disbanded after the SRA said that having sleepovers in the lobby violated the fire code.

Traditions

  • The Game, as at most sites, is prevalent at Bristol.
  • The carnival/fair, "Colombian Fathers."
  • Castles (It was the best when Jay Ben was in charge)
  • In 14.2, "Mr. Brightside" was added to the Canon.
  • Bristol tried out Color Wars in 19.1, except no one wanted to watch.
  • Water Day is a common tradition, but it was not upheld in 14.2 because of rain.
  • Spirit week is during the last week, but students are not required to participate. In 15.2, spirit days included Twin Day and Jersey Day.
  • There are staff versus student games. The first weekend was a basketball game but we ran out of time to play the staff so it was just students. The second week was soccer, and it was better organized. There were rotating student teams against one staff team.

The Fourth of July Parade

During Session 1, students attend the July 4th parade and Carnival in Bristol. (Bristol held the first July 4th Celebration in the United States.) This tradition, for no apparent reason, was not upheld in 2008 or 2010. Students in 12.1 were not taken because of a big chance that it would rain; it never did. In 13.1, there was a petition that the majority of the site signed; Tracy (or another nevermore) wrote the letter. During a hall meeting, students received the response of the Site Director: there weren't enough staff to supervise CTYers. At night, students skipped class and watched a movie on the grass. Lots of couples had the time to make out, but RAs would walk around and cock block with a flashlight on. Fireworks were being shot on the other side of the bridge. In 19.1, the July 4th parade was not upheld.

The Yachtsman

The Yachtsman is an urban legend told by the RAs to explain and enforce Bristol's strict rules. The story goes something like this...

In the summer of 2003, CTYers at Bristol were allowed to take kayaks out into the water near RWU. CTY was always careful about which students they would allow on the outings. For one thing, you had to be able to swim and your parents had to sign a release form. However, one student, whose name has been lost through retellings, managed to bypass this rule. The waters in the bay were a little rough that day, so the chaperone called the students over to finish for the day. Most of them did without a fuss, but the one boy who didn't have a release refused. Eventually, he fell out of his kayak and (seeing that the boy wasn't swimming) the professor jumped in after him. The professor managed to get the boy back in his kayak, but hit his own head in the effort. The professor passed out in the water and was announced dead at an all-site meeting later that day.

For the next few days, life at CTY went on as planned. Students went to class, meals, and activities like they always had and eventually, talk of the professor's death faded. However, this didn't last long.

The same male student who had weaseled his way onto the outing went missing a few days later. The site tried to pass it off as an expulsion for breaking such an important rule and, again, life went on at CTY Bristol. Rumors began to crop up all over the place until the entire site was dominated by one story: The drowned professor had left a warning that he would be handling misbehaving students in his own manner, and he was the reason for the boy's disappearance.

Activities

Bristol is an athletic site, so sports are an important part of activities and general site fun. Popular sports include Foursquare (yes, it's a sport), basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee and soccer. Most sessions, a student versus staff sporting event is held. In 13.2, there were two: a soccer game and a basketball game. In 14.2, it was an ultimate frisbee game.

Weekly:

  • Ultimate Frisbee - a popular activity at Bristol
  • Cloud Watching - the most popular activity at Bristol since it does not involve any physical or mental activity or participation. It is like another social time in which most people play cards, talk, or play Four Square
  • Four Square - a classic for students during 19.1
  • Soccer Four Square- created by RA Joe in 11.1
  • Swimming - in the Rec Center but in 11.1 and 11.2 it was changed to a daily (in 15.2 it was changed to a weekly)
  • Boot camp - extreme work out
  • Hunger Games - Training, rules and the Games. For more information, see below Notable Occurrences of 14.2.
  • Volleyball - at the outdoor volleyball court outside the Baby CTY dorms on the north side of campus. Normally a terrible experience for anyone who actually wants to play volleyball. However, if you don't want to play volleyball, cloud watching will be allowed.
  • JD's Hip Hop - activity led by computer programming instructor JD; this activity performs at the talent show on the second Saturday of the session.
  • Tabata- An exercise course in which the RA doing it will make you literally work out.
  • Gallon - A replica of "Keep The Balloon Up in the Air", but the balloon is replaced with a gallon can. This activity was created by RA Jon

Daily:

  • Absolute Abs - what was supposed to be an assortment of "ab" exercises was soon famously labeled "LEGitimate legs" by RA Sara's girls in 16.2.
  • American Sign Language - created by RA Myles, one learns the way of making sign language.
  • Castles - writing poems, playing Monkey-in-the-middle, and getting rolled up a hill.
  • The Best Activity ever - will either be the worst activity ever or the best activity. No one knows.
  • The Worst Activity Ever - like The Best Activity Ever, this will either be the worst activity ever or the best activity. No one knows.
  • Not Swinging Your Lanyard - anything but swinging your lanyard.
  • Braveheart - invading other activities.
  • Espionage - spying on other activities, which basically lets you join them.
  • Pokemon GO! - sometimes referred to as Pokeman Geo and created by RA Aric in 19.1, one walks around the campus catching em' all!
  • Zumba - actual Zumba dances with the RAs.
  • Latin Dancing - you dance cumbias - RA Ali!
  • Absolutely Nothing - literally, one is forbidden to do anything.
  • Hulu Appreciation - exactly how it sounds, you appreciate episodes on Hulu.
  • Gordon Ramsay Appreciation - like Hulu Appreciation, except more censored.

External Links