A lot has happened on Oakland University’s campus this past academic year. Some of it has been good, some bad, and some has been downright weird.

Here is a look at just a few of the stranger things to happen to Oakland and its students.

The reply-allmageddon

One such event drew so much attention because students simply couldn’t avoid it: the email reply-allmageddon.

On Sunday, March 9 a student sent out an email to the entire undergraduate student body requesting they take a quick survey for the student’s WRT 160 course. It is unknown how the student gained access to this mailing list, which is not posted in Oakland’s public mailing list website.

That one email gave over 15,500 students the power to “reply all” and message the entire mailing list simultaneously.

The responses steadily streamed in throughout the night, ranging from angry to humorous to enterprising. Students argued, joked, posted memes and links to business and personal websites.

“So… since we’re all acquainted now, how is everyone’s weekend going?” wrote Sam Harris.

“I, for one, believe this will bring us closer together as a family,” wrote Brian Figurski. “I hope this thread lasts until they delete my OU account.”

Many students posted on the Oakland University Facebook page as well.

“It is COMPLETELY unacceptable that students have access to mailing lists containing the entire student body,” Kathryn Elizabeth wrote on the page. “Please secure these lists so this sort of thing does NOT happen again!”

The student who sent the original email declined to comment.

The car of Bear Lake

On Wednesday, April 6, a red Sebring was pushed into Bear Lake by a white van in neutral that had been unhitched from the trailer towing it. Students gathered around the bridge and lake to watch the four-hour towing of the totaled car.

“I went to class and then I came out of class and my car was in a lake,” graduate Shauna Hazime, owner of the Sebring, said. “Nice end to the year.”

The man responsible for the accident left the scene as soon as he had spoken with the Oakland University Police Department, and Hazime said she has never seen or spoken with him in person.

His insurance covered everything, however, which left Hazime with enough money to get another good car, start paying back her parents and a little more.

Hazime said the whole thing turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Because of this, Hazime said she finally has enough money to follow her dreams and move to Los Angeles. She will be moving in with her best friend in six to eight months, after she has worked at home to save up a little more cash.

“I can’t believe it turned out the way it did,” Hazime said. “It turned out pretty nicely and I’m a strong believer that everything happens for a reason.”

A major change

This academic year also saw the introduction of many new majors and classes. One major of note is the Post-Apocalyptic Survival Studies (PASS) major.

“Beginning in fall 2014, Oakland University will be offering an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students for what some believe is the inevitable – the end of the world as we know it,” Oakland’s website reads. “The PASS program will provide the necessary skills to not only survive as an individual in an apocalyptic aftermath, but to contribute in a meaningful way.”

One of three concentrations can be chosen for the degree: Back to Basics, Rebuilding a 21st Century Society, or Health and Wellness.

The school site says that although there may not be an apocalypse in our time, the degree still provides “valuable insight into prehistoric conditions, literary and cinematic trends.”

It can also qualify students to write, produce or direct movies and TV shows for the next 100 years, survive in extreme conditions and win The Hunger Games or an upcoming season of Survivor, according to the website.

While most other majors were introduced at the beginning of the year, this one was showcased across the different OU media platforms on April 1 –commonly known as April Fools’ Day.

Yes, this new major was a hoax – much to the dismay of apocalypse enthusiasts everywhere – but students and staff still had fun with it.

“Nice April Fools’ joke, but seriously when can I enroll?” Bevan Lindsey said on the OU Facebook post.