I was going to talk about autumn (my favorite season), but then it occurred to me, autumn doesn’t just happen in Rochester, so you probably know what it’s like. Changing leaves, crisp air, and you ladies pack away the sundresses (Barney Stinson is crying somewhere). So I decided maybe I should talk about something else, but I forgot what I was doing and took a nap instead. I woke up about an hour later and after about 10 minutes of sitting staring at my wall it occurred to me that you may be wondering what happens when you leave the bustling U of R campus. Sure, there’s a lot to do on campus and you can occupy all your time (and then some) with just on-campus activities if you wish, but assuming you don’t stay here forever, you only have four years to take in all that goes on here in the Flour City (or Flower City since we don’t produce flour anymore).
One of the off campus things I love doing is going to my gym. Yes, our gym on campus has the full run of amenities and whatnot, but my gym isn’t your average gym. My gym is an MMA gym, where we learn boxing, muay thai, jiu jitsu, judo, and sambo. Sounds like way too many things, but combining it into different classes makes it all make sense. I’m so glad I decided to go there, because the things I have learned are totally different from anything I’ve ever done and puts me way out of my comfort zone, which I enjoy doing. Also, I get beat up by girls regularly (no offense ladies).
There’s also RIT. Right down the road from us and full of fun things to do. For those of you interested in ASL and Deaf culture you can also bet you’ll be there at least once to go see a play. Luckily for me, my fraternity (Sigma Nu), decide to re-colonize a chapter there, which means I got to make a few new friends and practice my ASL with them. They also have this event called the Mud Tug. It’s basically exactly what it sounds like, you and 9 other people play tug of war over a giant mud pit and dirtiness ensues. This was the first year we had ever gone and it turned out to be the most fun I’ve had this semester. Unfortunately, we got paired off against the RIT basketball team, and then against the baseball team. Needless to say – they were all pretty tall and strong. At least I got to play in the mud.
Don’t forget the plentiful amount of things to do in the city. There’s an amateur hockey team, amateur baseball team, and amateur soccer team. There’s nightlife just a bus ride away. Highland park is within walking distance from campus, and there you can go to the Lilac Festival every spring or just spend a day in the park. And of course, Eastman has plenty of musical programs to offer that UR students get into for cheap. There is so much to do off-campus that is readily accessible (a mere bus ride away). All you need to do is decide how to get there and go see it!