Located two miles away from campus, the Prindle Institute of Ethics is one of the hidden gems of DePauw. On Saturday, freshmen were encouraged to attend Prindlepalooza to learn more about the facility and what it has to offer in their four years at DePauw.
The second annual Prindlepalooza included guided nature park trail walks, a scavenger hunt, as well as guided classes in meditation and yoga. Two documentaries, "No Impact Man" and "Waiting for Superman" were also shown in the auditorium. A shuttle provided freshmen and their mentor groups with free transportation to Prindle throughout the afternoon.
"The biggest goal of the event is just to get the freshman out here and get them acquainted with the building and feel comfortable so they'll come out and study and come to events," said senior Chrissy Wildt, the head Prindle intern.
Over the summer, Wildt worked alongside Linda Clute, the director of Prindle, to plan the details of the second annual event.
"Before we started doing Prindlepalooza there were people who graduated and had never come out here," Wildt said. "We just want to get that exposure right when the freshmen get here."
While many students have heard of Prindle and the Nature Park, providing easy transportation for the afternoon activities showed them accessibility of the institute while introducing them to Prindle's ethical mission.
Even though ethics can seem like a daunting and intimidating subject, Wildt does not want that to prevent students from visiting the building or attending the events.
"Prindle is an extremely open place...we want people to feel comfortable and excited to come back."
No in-depth ethical conversations were scheduled for Prindlepalooza. Instead, students bonded over cotton candy, popcorn and a break from homework.
"I think it was a good way to introduce people to the facility and have fun," freshman Lisa Salazar said.
While Prindlepalooza was planned for the freshmen, other Prindle events are open to the entire student body. On the second Sunday of every month, a documentary will be shown at 5 p.m. as part of the "Sunday Cinema" event series. A short discussion will follow the showing.
Other upcoming events include a visit on Tuesday, September 11 from Delbert Tibbs, who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death. Tibbs, who was freed by The Innocence Project, will read his poetry and speak about his experience. Events and discussions surrounding neuroscience and ethics of the brain are also being developed for the semester.
Already, there are a variety of Prindle events planned for the upcoming semester. However, the staff is open to student feedback.
"I wish that students would know that they can influence what events are here," Wildt said. "You don't have to be an intern to do something out here."
- Margaret Distler contributed to this story