For many students at Quincy University, The Kiosk can quickly become another mundane artifact that people learn during their time at school. Located at the central point at Main Campus, The Kiosk is the hub that connects students from their dorms to Penny Lane, their academic classrooms, and the HFC.

But The Kiosk is more than simply a ground to walk on, it has a tradition that keeps students on their toes until their final days at the university. 

I’m of course talking about the rumor on campus that you’re only allowed to walk around the kiosk on campus until you have finally graduated from school. There have also been reports from student groups that friends who disobeyed this rule often dealt with not graduating QU, or other bad karma events such as injuries in their sport or suspensions. While it can seem childish, the tradition has stayed alive for many students currently.

Current senior Kennedy Fleer shared how another friend’s misfortune ignited her fear into the rumor. 

“Way back in my freshman year, I became close friends with a girl joining in my nursing class… she explained one night after going out how she walked through the kiosk and thought it was no big deal. I don’t want to draw conclusions but six months later she was out of school and I never saw her around again,” Fleer said. 

Although some students have accepted the story of the kiosk’s bad karma, it has also created a piece of motivation for many students focusing on their graduation day.

Grad transfer Patrick Brunken has quickly learned about the rumor during his time, to avoid any last slip ups in his education.

“I heard about the bad karma from the kiosk probably the first month here. I often just laughed it off and said nothing could happen since I already graduated once at Benedictine. But walking around it doesn’t add any more stress to my day, so I have no problem not risking that,” Brunken said.

Even without seniors’ fear of the kiosk, the tradition also keeps new students in each class aware, and keeps another part of Quincy’s school culture in the back of their mind every time they walk on campus. 

With some students being excited to one day finally walk under it, like freshman Ethan Gunter.

“It’s for sure still way too far away for me to start thinking about graduation, but The Kiosk rumor is something I think about by instinct now whenever I walk to my classes. It’ll be exciting to finally get to the day I walk with no karma affecting me,” Gunter said.

Whether students truly believe in the mysterious stories revolving around the kiosk, or are just playing into the gag, the bad karma surrounding The Kiosk has reached the level of fame as the drunk bell, and will hopefully continue to be another hidden gem and how meaningful it is to be a Quincy graduate and move on to the next step in their life.

Related Links: “Cursed” Kiosk, Senior Checklist