Ask any Palmer alumni. Time on campus goes by fast.
Before you walk across that graduation stage, take some time and make some memories that you’ll never forget. The Palmer Bucket List guides you on an unforgettable journey across the College’s vibrant and engaging community.
This challenge, filled with traditions compiled by Palmer College alumni, invites you to seize every moment and create lasting memories. Whether you’re attending sporting events, joining clubs, discovering new study spots, or snapping a photo with a Palmer celebrity, there’s something for everyone.
See a College tradition or event missing here? Let us know!
Now, let the Palmer Bucket List Challenge begin, and the memories unfold!
1. Get Adjusted by the One and Only D.D. Palmer
Ever wish you could go back in time and see D.D. Palmer perform the first-ever chiropractic adjustment? Now, thanks to an incredible act of generosity, you can!
In 2019, Juanita Thompson made a $500,000 contribution to Palmer College to celebrate the life and career of her late husband, Homer Thompson, D.C., a graduate of Palmer. Juanita’s generosity made possible a pair of interactive statues featuring D.D. himself. On both the Main and Florida campuses, visitors can pay homage to the founder of the chiropractic profession and snap a picture as they get their own “adjustment.”
Palmer is inseparable from its history. Students, alumni and friends hold the College’s traditions close. The generosity and passion of people like Juanita make sure the history of Palmer — and the chiropractic profession — remain vital and accessible to everyone.
2. Participate in the annual Palmer College Giving Day and give back to the College you love.
3. Stay active and try something new by participating in an intramural sport.
4. Share the love — write a thank you note to a Palmer graduate who influenced your decision to come to Palmer.
5. Give (correct!) directions to a first Tri on the first day of their classes.
6. Bake cookies for your entire class and decorate them purple and gold.
7. Visit the Osteological Collection
There are 206 bones in the adult human body. There are more than 25,000 in Palmer’s osteological collection! The collection was started by D.D. Palmer and remains an attraction for visitors from across the globe.
8. Say hello to Vickie Anne Palmer during a special event or gathering.
9. Get your entire class to dress like one of your professors (and see how long it takes for them to notice).
10. Try all the flavors at Whitey’s Ice Cream.
Born in the Quad Cities, a long history (founded in 1933), a tradition of innovation (the first chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream!) and a commitment to excellence all make Whitey’s a must-go for anyone in Davenport.
11. Head over to Houligan’s (aka Palmer Florida’s Building Five) after class.
12. Get philosophical under the Philosophy Tent during Homecoming.
13. Memorize one epigram a month for one full year.
14. Grab a selfie with Dennis Marchiori, D.C., Ph.D., or William Sherrier, M.S., D.C.
15. Make your voice heard by joining a student leadership organization.
16. That’s the spirit! Attend a SPIZZ Night.
What’s SPIZZ? The term comes from B.J. Palmer, who felt it described the spirit of chiropractic — the spirit-enthusiasm-zest-sizzle-fire-electricity-gumption-pizzazz and love of life and living.
Palmer College celebrates SPIZZ Night each term. It’s a lecture-based program that brings together alumni leaders to present on philosophy, practice success, and community involvement. It’s an opportunity for students to gather, hear from practicing chiropractors about their real-life experiences and generally celebrate the fantastic spirit that binds us all.
Events like SPIZZ Night are made possible by the Chuck E. Gibson, D.C. Endowment for Philosophy and Practice Success. The endowment provides vital and perpetual support for programming and the enduring traditions that help make Palmer what it is.
The events supported by the endowment allow students to experience educational programming aimed at providing them with their own foundation in these essential principles. Other events include Big Tent Philosophy Night, a featured event of Homecoming, first started nearly a century ago by B.J. Palmer. The Fund supports additional events centered around philosophy, practice success and highlight the spirit of chiropractic.
17. Chat with the security staff at the front desk.
18. Be a Campus Guide and share your love for Palmer with the next generation.
Since 1959, Palmer Campus Guides have acted as ambassadors and mentors for thousands of visitors and prospective students. “Serving as a Guide helps develop public speaking, communication and leadership skills,” said former Campus Guide president Faith Swartzendruber (’21). “You can be a part of creating a strong Palmer community as you share your pride with new students.”
19. Share your passion for chiropractic by bringing a family member to campus for a tour.
20. Read an issue of Palmer Proud from cover to cover (and aspire to get your story told in a future issue).
21. Get loud and cheer on a classmate or faculty-staff member during a game of Pickleball in the R. Richard Bittner Athletic & Recreation Center.
22. Send a Palmer sweatshirt to a friend who chose to attend another (ahem, less superior!) chiropractic college.
23. Get business advice at the Palmer College Center for Business Development.
The Center’s programs on the Main Campus and Palmer Florida are uniquely designed to meet the needs of chiropractors and incorporate instruction, mentoring and hands-on applications. The recently remodeled NCMIC Center on the Main Campus, made possible by a gift from NCMIC, delivers the business skills and resources that students and alumni need to create a strong chiropractic practice.
24. Talk to a graduate at Homecoming about their career.
25. Take a moment to honor veterans on Veteran’s Day.
26. Prove your musical prowess at the annual Homecoming Talent Show (bonus points for writing and performing an original song about chiropractic!)
27. Don a vertrebra and represent Palmer in the Bix 7.
A long line of vertebrae is a common sight in Davenport. Every year, students sign up for the Quad-City Times Bix 7 and run the race as a full spinal column. It’s a fan favorite, to say the least.
Events like local races provide a valuable opportunity to give back and act as an ambassador for Palmer and the chiropractic profession. So put on your vertebra, get active and share your story!
28. Celebrate the season at the annual Wassail Bowl.
29. Count the number of belts on the ceiling in the Palmer Family Residence.
30. Observe Founder’s Day by reading philosophy by D.D. or B.J.
Palmer’s Campus Store has everything you need! Start with a classic, like one of “The Green Books” from Palmer’s archive, including writings by D.D. and B.J. Palmer.
Get adjusted by your favorite faculty clinician.
32. Support a cause you care about by volunteering in your community.
33. See your name in print and publish a research paper alongside Palmer faculty.
34. Pay homage at the site of the first chiropractic adjustment.
35. Visit another Palmer campus and meet the students there.
In 2022, Gabby Giordano, D.C. (’23) made the journey from San Jose to Davenport to attend the Homecoming Celebration at Palmer College’s Main campus. “It was both totally new and totally familiar,” said Dr. Giordano, reflecting on the experience. “The campus and the community were larger than what I was used to on the West campus, but there was this feeling of Palmer pride that made it instantly feel like home.”
Dr. Giordano received a warm welcome from Palmer faculty and students, and also talked with many Palmer Florida alumni, expanding her chiropractic network and making connections that have followed her after graduation. Today, Giordano practices at a family clinic in San Diego, California, and provides care to the San Diego Ballet.
“Palmer is one family,” Giordano says. “Each campus is different and has its own charm, but we all have the same goals and the same love for our College. Everyone should take the opportunity to visit another campus, making some connections with your fellow chiropractors along the way.”
36. Walk the brick alleyway from Vickie Anne Palmer Hall to West Hall at sunset (and snap a photo for your Instagram account — the sunsets are amazing!).
37. Wear all white to the White Coat Ceremony.
38. Try to identify the song on the bagpipes played during the procession at graduation.
39. Introduce yourself to a member of the Palmer College Board of Trustees.
40. Expand your network by co-presenting at an annual chiropractic conference.
41. Receive your diploma with a family member who graduated from Palmer.
42. Make plans to attend your very first Homecoming after graduation (experience it all on the Main Campus, Sept. 19-21 or Feb. 20-22 at Palmer Florida).
43. Take a walk across campus with your favorite professor.
44. Nominate a recent graduate for the Palmer 10 Under 10 Awards.
The Palmer 10 Under 10 Award goes to ten alumni who have graduated from Palmer in the last ten years. These early-career chiropractors are changing lives and carving their ways as future leaders in the profession. Nominate a colleague or mentor that’s helped you grow as a chiropractor!
45. Write Palmer in the sand at a beach and take a selfie!
46. Experience the expertise of Palmer alumni and visit with a guest speaker at a club meeting.
47. Compete for bragging rights at Palmer Games at the Main Campus and Student Olympics at Palmer Florida.
48. Admire the international flags on display and discover the global reach of Palmer alumni.
49. Take a moment to relax and unwind, either in Palmer Main’s Clinic Gardens or in a hammock by Palmer Florida’s pond.
50. Call one of your best friends from Palmer, check in with them, and share a favorite campus memory.
