"Oh my gosh," a friend says, "my friend has a friend who knows someone at another college whose roommate just died. And do you know what happened? This girl got a 4.0 for the semester because her roommate died!"
"Yeah," another friend says, "That happened to someone else too. I heard that all colleges do that."
Variations of this rumor that students receive a 4.0 if a roommate dies have been circulating for years, but they're not true. This is a classic example of an urban legend -- sometimes known as an urban myth -- or a false story that circulates widely among the population.
One tell-tale sign of an urban myth is that everyone seems to know someone who knows someone who had the experience in question, but no one has any verifiable proof. College campuses have more than their share of urban myths, some of which have been disproved at Snopes.com. Here are a few doozies that are in circulation.
Straight A's for the Semester if a Student's Roommate Dies
There are a number of variations of this tale. Sometimes students think they receive a 4.0 only if their roommate commits suicide, or if they find the body. However, there's no truth to this. Students will no doubt be offered counseling if they walk in on their roommate's body, but no free grades.
Drunk Student Becomes Victim to Organ Harvester
There are all kinds of good reasons to avoid binge drinking in college. However, the danger of losing vital organs is pretty low on the list. Urban myths about organ thieves who steal organs and then leave victims in an ice bath with a note to call 9/11 have been circulating for years, and the college variation (which, according to some, allegedly took place at the University of Texas) is no more true than any of the others.
Sorority Girl Dies From Too Much Time at Tanning Booth
Apparently she really wanted a tan for Spring Break, so she went to as many tanning booths as she could over the weekend, and bam, she died. This is another college urban myth that evolved from a more general urban myth. Originally, the story was about a high school girl who got herself overly tanned for her prom.
The School Library is Sinking
Since the 1970s, a myth has spread around many college campuses that the library is sinking into the ground because the architect forgot to factor in the weight of the books. The opposite (and structural even less plausible) myth has occurred occasionally that when books were discarded, the library began to rise. Overwhelming as the quest of knowledge may be, this is only an urban legend.
Sororities are Outlawed in Because of Brothel Laws
Some municipalities have old "blue laws" that prohibit large numbers of women from living together in order to prevent the establishment of brothels – and many municipalities have laws prevented large numbers of unrelated people from living at a residence. However, sororities (and other college residences) are exempt, as are other reasonable situations where lots of women might live together, like a dorm at an all women's college, or a convent.
Use Common Sense
Some crazy rumors are true, but many are stories that seem to originate out of nowhere to become wild urban legends. If you hear a tale about your campus that just doesn't seem plausible, check on Snopes.com to see if this rumor has been verified or disproved – or, just use common sense.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
