Starting your journey as a first-year student, some of the most memorable parts of campus aren’t in lecture halls—they’re the ones you discover by accident.

Picture your future self walking into the Social Sciences building and discovering a staircase unlike any other. As you climb, a painted frog begins to appear along the walls, one step at a time. This is Leon. He's been here since the 1970s, and his story unfolds as you make your way upward. At first, he seems uncertain, still finding his way. But with every step, his journey becomes a little clearer. In many ways, starting university feels the same. You arrive with questions, explore new places, try new things, and gradually find where you belong. Created by students decades ago, Leon continues to reflect that journey for every new generation of UCalgary students.

Then, just a short walk away, the atmosphere shifts. Outside Science Theatres, you’ll find a sculpture called the Zipper. At first glance, it’s simple—but during the semester, you might notice students stopping to spin it before exams. Over time, it’s become a tradition, a small moment of luck before something important. There’s even a twist—engineering students are often warned it brings the opposite. It’s a small ritual, but it says a lot.

It's details like these that make a campus memorable. The landmarks become more than places on a map—they become stories, traditions, and shared experiences passed from one generation of students to the next.