More Than Traditions. Moments That Shape Life on Bison Hill
From your very first walk across campus to the moment you cross the graduation stage, OBU traditions connect generations of students through faith, friendship, celebration and belonging.
Your First Moments on Bison Hill
Before classes begin, students at OBU are already becoming part of something bigger. Welcome Week traditions help strangers become roommates, roommates become friends and campus quickly begins to feel like home.
The Beanie: Joining the Herd
For generations, the freshman beanie has marked the beginning of a student's journey at OBU. More than just a tradition, it's a visible reminder that every upperclassman, faculty member, and alumnus once stood exactly where you are now — excited, nervous and ready for what's next.
Receiving the beanie symbolizes your official welcome into the Bison family and your connection to the students who have called Bison Hill home for decades.
Go With Ka-Rip!
Every campus has a cheer. OBU has Ka-Rip.
During Welcome Week, new students learn the famous spirit chant that echoes through athletic events, campus celebrations and Bison traditions throughout the year. What begins as a fun orientation activity quickly becomes a shared language that connects students to generations of OBU alumni.
Ka-rip Ka-rap Ka-riplo typlo tap
Oh! Oh! Rincto lincto hio-totimus
Hopula scipula copula gotimus
Chink-to-lack Chink-to-lee
Ka-willa, Ka-walla, Ka Victory
Oh! Oh! Hoogula choogula choogula can.
Ragula tagula melican man
Let'er go rip, let'er go ruse
Tingula Tangula, turn'em a-loose
Zip! Bang! OBU!
The Walk: Stepping Into the OBU Story
One of OBU's most meaningful traditions takes place during Welcome Week.
Known simply as The Walk, this tradition symbolizes a student's transition into the OBU community and the beginning of their college journey. Surrounded by classmates, student leaders and campus traditions, new students participate in an experience that generations of Bison have shared before them.
The Walk is often the moment when OBU begins to feel less like a campus and more like a community.
What makes the tradition especially meaningful is that many students will revisit this same journey years later as graduates — reflecting on how much they've grown academically, spiritually, and personally during their time on Bison Hill.
Traditions That Bring Campus Together
There’s something special about shared moments. Whether it’s cheering in the student section, gathering for The Weekend Homecoming, or celebrating milestones together, OBU traditions create memories students carry long after graduation.
Homecoming: Coming Home to Bison Hill
Every fall, generations of Bison return to campus for one of OBU's most cherished traditions: The Weekend, our annual Homecoming celebration that brings together current students, alumni, families and friends for athletic events, reunions, worship, concerts and campus celebrations. Whether you're experiencing The Weekend for the first time or returning decades after graduation, The Weekend is a reminder that once you're part of the OBU family, you'll always have a place on Bison Hill.
Athletic Traditions
From football Saturdays to basketball games and championship celebrations, cheering on the Bison is part of the OBU experience. Students pack the stands, sing the fight song, shout Ka-Rip and rally behind their classmates in competition. Win or lose, athletics provide opportunities to celebrate school pride, build friendships and create memories that extend far beyond the final whistle.
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The Fight Song
Fight on, fight on for OBU! On to victory!
Sons and daughters strong to the end; Faithful we will be.
Raise the standard of green and gold, loyal, always true;
Make our stand on Bison Hill. Fight on, OBU!
Ka-rip Ka-rap Ka-riplo typlo tap;
Ka-willa, Ka-walla, Ka Victory, fight on, OBU!
Fight on, fight on for OBU! On to victory!
Sons and daughters strong to the end; Faithful we will be.
Raise the standard of green and gold, loyal, always true;
Make our stand on Bison Hill. Fight on, OBU!
Faith at the Center
At OBU, traditions are more than celebrations — they’re reminders of the community and faith that shape life on Bison Hill.
Chapel
Twice each week, the OBU community gathers in chapel to worship, learn and grow together. Chapel is more than a scheduled gathering—it's a cornerstone of campus life where students hear from pastors, faculty, missionaries and fellow students while exploring what it means to follow Christ faithfully. These shared moments encourage spiritual growth and remind students that faith is woven into every part of the OBU experience.
Worship Gatherings
In addition to chapel, students gather throughout the week for student-led worship nights, Bible studies and special services across campus. These opportunities create space to seek God alongside friends, celebrate together and encourage one another in faith. Whether in a residence hall, classroom or packed auditorium, worship is a natural rhythm of life on Bison Hill.
Learn more about Spiritual Life
The Traditions You Earn
Some traditions mark a beginning. Others celebrate who you’ve become.
Graduation Walk
The journey that begins during Welcome Week comes full circle at graduation. As seniors make their final walk across campus, they reflect on the friendships, challenges, growth and calling that shaped their years on Bison Hill. It's a powerful reminder that while their time as students is ending, they'll always remain part of the OBU family.
Alumni Legacy
Graduation isn't the end of the story — it's the beginning of a lifelong connection to OBU. Alumni return to mentor students, celebrate Homecoming, cheer on the Bison and invest in future generations. Whether you graduated five years ago or fifty, the traditions that shaped your college experience continue to connect you to the OBU community for a lifetime.
Continue the Legacy
Alma Mater
OBU all hail thy name! Sons and daughters honor thee;
May thy standard green and gold Lead eternally.
Proudly stand on Bison Hill 'Neath the wind-swept sky;
Alma Mater we will praise thee As the years go by.
When the shades of evening fall, Through the hush of fading day,
Silent voices praise thy name, Hearts look up to pray.
May thy spirit guide thy sons, Keep thy daughters true,
Loyal to our Alma Mater, God bless OBU.
Experience It for Yourself
Traditions make more sense when you experience them. The best way to understand life on Bison Hill is to step onto campus yourself. Attend a campus event, visit during Welcome Week or Homecoming, and see why generations of students call OBU home.