The Dining Hall Debate

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Today I will address a very serious and controversial matter: which University of Iowa dining hall is the best? 

You may hear the propaganda online that Hillcrest is superior to both Catlett and Burge in every aspect. While Hillcrest may have some advantages over its two culinary competitors, it still falls short in certain categories. Here is the number one pro and con of each campus dining hall, from my expert dorm resident opinion. 

Hillcrest–

Pro: Hillcrest definitely has the most variety in options. I assume this is because it is the only west side dining hall, so it needs to include in one what Catlett and Burge include combined. I personally don’t think there’s a difference in food taste, but you certainly get more food to choose from. 

Con: the location is inconvenient if you live in an east side dorm or have east side classes (and many classes are on the east side). When the winter weather hits, you probably won’t think the panini bar is enough to justify the trek across the river–unless you’re ready to grip your sandwich with frostbitten fingers. 

Burge–

Pro: The seating options in Burge are by far the most spacious and varied. Hillcrest is pretty cramped and Catlett only has a few different table sizes. Burge, on the other hand, has tables for one, two, four, and six. Plus, since it’s often labeled the “worst” dining hall, it tends to be less crowded than Catlett. 

Con: Opposite of Hillcrest, Burge probably has the least variety in food options from day to day. The menu stays fairly consistent with only slight variations, so you do have to really enjoy the food stations they have. 

Catlett–

Pro: Catlett has the most options for the east side location, blending convenience and variety. Plus, on weeknights, you get access to Fire Up Grill to satisfy your cravings while cramming for your next test. 

Con: Though Catlett has more options than Burge, it tends to have blander options. Instead of mixed steamed vegetables, there is just plain broccoli or carrots or green beans. Rather than a waffle bar, there are just bagels. 

 

While each dining hall has its own strengths and weaknesses, you may still be wondering: which of these factors matters the most? Which one is actually the best? 

Well, you’re just going to have to try all three of them and decide for yourself. 

Until next time! 

 

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An Ohio Odyssey Back

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On January 17, I returned to the icy clutches of the Midwest. Whatever rejuvenation the break at home had given me was quickly stripped away during the drive from Virginia to Ohio, and then another trek from Ohio back to Iowa City. I was hoping that a bright start to the new semester would overshadow the negative temperatures and burning gulps of freezing wind, but the beginning’s been a little rough so far. 

I woke up on the first day of brand-new classes with a sore throat and the knowing dread that I would be sick for that entire week. Then, in addition to the feverish aches and pains my cold brought on, I received a few rejections from programs and opportunities I had applied to earlier. While I had ended my first semester feeling fulfilled, and with plans on how I wanted to spend the next one, those plans were no longer going to be a possibility. I stared out at the frozen river, wondering what I should do now. 

Not every part of the college experience is going to be lively or glamorous, which can be especially discouraging when you imagine it as being so. There may be those quiet moments where you question what you’re doing, how you ended up here, or if you’ll ever figure any of “it” out. 

But at least you have three or four years to really investigate that “it.” 

Tomorrow’s a new (and hopefully warmer) day. 

Until next time! 

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Favorite Monthly Memories

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Happy New Year’s, current and prospective Hawkeyes! Since homesickness and nostalgia have been overshadowing my appreciation for certain college experiences lately, I’ve decided to use this blog to recognize some favorite moments from my first semester. 

September 

Following the homecoming game, my friends and I got Dairy Queen from the old-timey stand because it was one of the last nights before it closed for the season. Consoling ourselves with dilly bars and blizzards after the disheartening Hoosier victory, we talked about everything from crazy roommates to hermit crabs. Between the vibrant neon sign lighting up the dark sky, the muggy air from the Iowa river, and the gentle breeze of summer weather trying to cling on, this was the kind of simple yet fun night I always pictured having in college. 

October 

I usually spent Halloween curled up with a book and a bowl of candy or working as a scare actor for haunted houses and trails, but I knew this year was going to be different–everything else was, after all. I was only partially correct, though, as the days leading up to the 31st proved to be a blend of past traditions and new experiences. I convinced my friends to go through Eclypse Haunted Attraction–which I would definitely recommend–with me. I also did the same “Mad Hatter” makeup look I’ve done before, which I always think is so fun to do. There’s a special kind of confidence you feel when you’re pretending to be bludgeoned in the head by a playing card. I wasn’t used to the stressful workload I needed to complete right before–and even on–the holiday, nor was I prepared for the blistering cold of walking to a party in Iowa in October. Still, it was a very happy Halloween. 

November 

Ignore the pretentious English major stereotype here, but it truly is very serene to sit outside in a black turtleneck and write poems or stories beneath the autumn sun. The fall season in Iowa was pretty blissful, the trees shedding burnt orange and russet-colored leaves.

December 

Before I knew better, I was fascinated by the Midwestern winter. The crunchy sheets of snow lie so bright on the ground that they take away the darkness of night. The calming flurries swirling outside the windows as I worked on my essays. The rhythmic pulse of the wind lulls me to sleep like white noise. 

Of course, this was all very enchanting when I didn’t need to leave the warmth of the dorm building. When I had to actually brave the icy cold and walk to class, my opinion of the weather certainly changed. The violent wind dried out my hands to the point where they were perpetually cracked open and bleeding; my knuckles looked like I was getting into bar fights every night. My cheeks often went numb if I was out for longer than ten minutes. Still, I can’t help but find the snow and ice charming–so long as I’m looking at it from the climate-controlled indoors. 

I hope you have a great start to your 2026!

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A Virginia Voyage Home

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I didn’t really blog in December because I kept waiting for something climactic to happen after completing my first semester of college. My friends and I did celebrate with Insomnia Cookies, but there wasn’t any big punctuating event to end what I thought was a major milestone–only some aggressive Iowan winds, a final few essays, and an hour-long exam. 

I suppose the most significant feature of my December was my journey to get home for the holidays. A flight from Iowa to Washington, D.C. is only a couple of hours, but I wanted to avoid the price and mental anguish of airport travel. Fortunately, I have a friend who drives from Iowa City to Ohio every school break, and he was willing to let me conquer the passenger side of his car. All we had to do was survive frustrating Chicago traffic and surrender an hour to the time zone barrier. From Ohio, my parents picked me up and drove me back to our hometown. 

I haven’t been home since I originally moved onto campus last August, and it’s honestly been a bit surreal being back. Every street and building is viewed through a lens of distant, bittersweet nostalgia: I’m not used to seeing these familiar sights in the context that they’re not really my permanent “home” anymore. I feel like the part of me who knew this area so well–the part tied to my childhood and teenage years–now exists mostly just in the past, vaguely dulled by the very beginning of a new life in Iowa. So many places here prompt a memory that can never be replicated or continued ever again; they’re unreachable. This feeling, which I’m sure will only grow more prominent as time goes on, was what I was terrified of after graduation. 

I was worried that I’d lose my “home” in Virginia, especially if Iowa City didn’t start to feel like “home” right away, either. But this is not necessarily something to resist. Part of the early college experience is to say goodbye to childhood and welcome new possibilities, to grow as a person as you grow up. I can’t deny the ache I feel when I’m reminded of an old friend whose family doesn’t live here anymore, nor the pain of reuniting with my familiar bedroom while knowing I’ll have to leave it again in only a couple of weeks. But I can enjoy reminiscing about the past without letting it stop me from being excited about the future. 

Maybe I don’t really need a big punctuating or climactic event, after all. I think what I really just needed was the simplicity of relaxing at home and remembering what it meant–and still means–to me. 

Until next time!

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A Foggy, Frantic Thanksgiving

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Happy November, Hawkeyes!

Though fall “break” hasn’t proven to be as much of a break from schoolwork as I had hoped (I still need to write that essay and finish that project!), it did allow me to see my parents again for the first time since August. While I suppose it’s only been a few months, I feel like I’ve been separated from my family for way longer and am very thankful that they were able to visit me. 

But there’s a catch to my fall break: I get to spend Thanksgiving with my parents, but not in Virginia. Thus, last Friday began our first-ever time celebrating Turkey Day–or in this case, Turkey Week–in the state of Iowa. I figured I would share both what I am grateful for and not grateful for about this experience:

Grateful: Molly’s Cupcakes still having a location in Des Moines 

For those who never toured Iowa City in the olden days (last August) before “Molly’s Cupcakes” shut down, their rich brown butter frosting and decadent desserts were a sweet staple of campus. Fortunately, we had time to go to the Des Moines shop on our way to the city. Biting my sweet tooth into one of those long-awaited cupcakes was a delicious reunion that I doubt any slice of pumpkin pie can beat.

Not grateful: the gloomy fog & looming winter storms

I have never encountered something quite as moody as Midwestern weather. One minute will be a sunny 70 degrees, and the next will have a frosty, knifelike chill. The wind gusts these past couple days have been vicious enough to slam car doors on their own, apparently reassuring my mom–who is originally from Indiana–that she made the right choice moving to the temperate East Coast. The forecast is also predicting single-digit temperatures and thick blankets of snow starting soon. So, even though my parents were initially intending to stay a full week and even travel with me to Kansas City for the Christmas lighting, all of those plans have been wiped out by the weather. They will now be heading home early, and I’ll be back in the dorm early. I won’t lie, the solemn mask of fog over the world makes the idea of being in a nearly-empty building feel especially lonesome. Hey, I guess I do have those essay deadlines to keep me company, though.

 

Grateful: That exciting Hawkeye win over Michigan 

Part of my parents’ motivation for coming to Iowa rather than having me travel to Virginia was that they wanted to see Big Ten football live. Our final home game of the season proved to be a riveting finale, with Iowa breaking a tense tie in only the very last few seconds. I have recommended the Kinnick experience before, as I think being immersed within a stadium of bustling energy and school spirit is a distinct perk of being a Hawkeye. Plus, we were treated to another of the state’s vibrant, powder pink sunsets. 

 

Not grateful: Midwest rights of passage 

I used to wonder why my Iowan friend’s car was always splattered with mud or why the catchphrase seemed to be “it’s not the cold, it’s just the wind that gets ya.” Until we got out of our car after driving on dirt roads, and standing in the blustery wind, I found myself saying the exact same sentence so many Midwesterners repeat to me. Maybe I’m worried about becoming too different from my hometown roots, or just don’t want to give my friends the satisfaction of saying that they were right, but the Midwest might be beginning to take hold of me. Before I know it, I’ll be telling people that their Carhartt gear will last them a lifetime and start dumping ranch on everything I eat.

Grateful: Our trip to Des Moines & Roseman Bridge 

Since we were no longer going to Kansas City, we decided to explore Iowa instead. The Hotel Fort Des Moines was like stepping into the past: chunky, old-fashioned keys were displayed on the wall, sleek copper patterns decorated the elevator floors, and the lobby held a rustic elegance. The only problem was that the heater in our room exclusively spat out cold air–and refused to turn off. While the Arctic feel of the suite docked it on some points, I still found the hotel pretty charming.

What stole my heart more, however, was the Hessen Haus. I’m a big fan of German food, as I have mentioned in my blogs before, so I was already expecting to enjoy the meal. Then I stepped into the warm restaurant, made especially appealing after a long rainy walk, and stood beneath the blood-red glow of the ceiling. Krampus stood next to a crimson Christmas tree, his yellow eyes flashing and his gnarled fingers swinging back and forth. The Hessen Haus was immediately endeared to me, and the savory flavor of its food only reinforced my good opinion of the place. I would certainly recommend it to those wanting a hearty dinner in Des Moines.

 

Roseman Bridge is most known for its presence in the 1995 film, The Bridges of Madison County. After crossing through the dim, musty interior and stepping on its creaky wooden boards, I was not surprised to learn that it’s also the location of a supposed haunting. Even though the relentless wind prevented us from looking at the bridge for too long, it was an interesting sight to see–especially with the stories surrounding it. 

Not grateful: the chaotic indoor tunnel system of Des Moines

Wanting to escape the freezing chill, my family and I attempted to navigate the above-ground tunnels of the capital city. The confusing maze added an unnecessary hour to our voyage to dinner, entering abandoned hallways with exposed wires dangling from the ceilings and pulling on the locked knobs of mysterious doorways. I truly felt like I was in a liminal space, and the horror movie fan in me kind of appreciated the feel of it. Though the wasted time on an empty stomach did make the experience pretty frustrating. 

Grateful: a successful last-minute Thanksgiving reservation change

With the cancellation of our original plans and restaurant reservations, we needed to find out where else we could get some turkey and cranberry sauce. This sparked a panicked slew of phone calls to various restaurants, hoping to snag an open spot at a holiday buffet. After several rejections, we were beginning to surrender to the reality that we were not going to get a true Thanksgiving meal this year. Yet my dad insisted that we try to call this one restaurant again and just see if there was maybe availability since the last time we asked. And, somehow, there was.

We now have a reservation at the Ox Yoke Inn for Turkey Day, in the Amana Colonies. Ironically, the same place that ruined my Oktoberfest saved my Thanksgiving. The love-hate relationship I have with Amana continues to evolve. 

Hopefully, you’re reading this after eating a plentiful serving of stuffing or mashed potatoes, or whatever your favorite Thanksgiving dish is.

Until next time! 

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An (Ankle) Pick-Me-Up

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After wrestling with midterms the last few weeks, I decided I needed a break to watch the actual sport. Fortunately, November 6 was the first home Wrestling event of the season against Bellarmine. Though I suppose I bought tickets because of nostalgia just as much as academic fatigue. 

In high school, my best friend and I covered a wrestling match for some last-minute journalism credit. I was a casual fan; I couldn’t ref the sport by any means, but I knew enough to be able to write a quick article on it. School had been delayed that morning because it was an icy 11 degrees outside–which, for us east coast winter rookies, is too cold to bear–but we pushed through the nighttime wind that pinched our cheeks and chilled our bones. The bleachers were nearly empty, probably due to a combination of the weather and the fact that a lot of tests fell during that week, but we were directly on the sidelines more so than in those bleachers anyway. My friend brought her fancy camera, but it died before we could pin down a good action shot. 

I recall how my itchy-eyed exhaustion from a long day of classes and the shivering touch of the outside wind made me question if it was truly worth it to go to this match. But now I’m glad I did. While I can remember the camera’s mortality, I can also remember my friend and me laughing about how she forgot to charge it. While I can remember the winter’s wrath, I can also remember what it was like to have such a close view of the sport–the swift sprawling, the reflexive reversals, the reverberating smack of an opponent landing on the mat. While I can remember the looming Calculus quiz I had the next day, I can also remember the infectious excitement when the small but devoted audience cheered at our school’s dominant victory of 56-13. 

I didn’t realize how nostalgic this seemingly insignificant high school evening was until I went to the Bellarmine dual. This was my first time going to a Big Ten Wrestling event, and I enjoyed the exhilarating screams of the sizable crowd, the bright flashes of fire on the sidelines, and the thumping entrance music. Iowa was victorious with a whopping 40-0 win. Yet what made the experience so much richer for me was how I could, just for a moment, sink back into the memory of last year. 

As a freshman, I love how everything feels so new here in Iowa. I have been to wrestling matches before, but going to a Hawkeye one felt like such a distinctly unique experience. However, as my college friend and I left the stadium–buzzing with energy from the victory–I couldn’t help but shoot off a joking text to my high school friend: “Hey, at least my camera didn’t die this time.”

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Fall Food in Iowa City

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Iowa City’s quaint charm has become very apparent in these remaining few weeks leading up to Halloween. Coming from a metropolis like Washington D.C., I am used to impersonal shopping complexes and giant department stores. While my hometown decorates for holidays–though noticeably less so in the last couple of years–it does not have the same close-knit, cozy feel as here. The trees are dressed in gowns of glowing lights, and local shops are putting out handwritten chalkboard signs advertising their spooky season specials. 

I have written about this before, but I usually take walks when I need a break to refresh my mind or want to explore more of my new surroundings. During one of my walks the other day, my curiosity (and appetite) was intrigued by all those chalkboards and their seasonal food items. So here are my recommended fall-themed treats in the area. 

Prairie Lights Cafe–the Headless Horseman 

For literature lovers such as myself, Prairie Lights Bookstore is a staple. I usually prefer tea, but the sea salt promise of their cafe’s “Headless Horseman” piqued my interest. The smoky taste of the autumnal flavors added a distinct flair to the ordinary bitterness of coffee. The Headless Horseman has a classic flavor with only a slight alteration, noticeable but not overbearing. Plus, an unintentional bonus is that carrying the steamy drink will warm your hands against the blustering chill of Iowan wind. 

La Tea–Pumpkin Spice Iced Tea

The icy drink was a sharp contrast to the toasty sips of the Headless Horseman, yet its refreshing chill was certainly not a downside. While the sweetness was a little overwhelming in such a large portion, the tea’s earthy flavor felt like the embodiment of autumn. There was a vaguely oaty aftertaste to the drink, boosting its unique spiced palate. If you ever get tired of the typical pumpkin spice latte, try an iced tea variation instead. 

Insomnia Cookies–Pumpkin Chocolate Chip & Apple Cinnamon Cookies 

Between the two cookies I tried, I would recommend the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie over the apple cinnamon one. The former had a satisfyingly soft middle with melty chocolate chips, bordered by crispy edges. The latter, on the other hand, was disrupted by the overly chewy apple chunks that offset the cookie’s crumbly texture. The pumpkin cookie also delivered its distinguishable fall flavor, whereas the cinnamon in the apple one was buried beneath the apple’s fruity taste. However, both were delicious desserts that broke through the fatigue of a late-night study session–especially since October is midterm season. 

T’spoons–Apple Cinnamon Muffin & Pumpkin Sugar Donut 

Similar to Insomnia Cookies, I ended up trying two different items from here, with one emerging as the winner. This time, apple cinnamon comes out victorious, as the muffin was a delightful treat during a gloomy fall day of overcast. Biting into the top was a delicious textural blend of soft cake and crunchy sugar granules. The apple tang and cinnamon spice were subtle, but sufficient. While the donut held a rich pumpkin flavor, it was dimmed by the cake’s dryness. Next time the gray, cloudy abyss of sky gets you feeling demotivated, consider popping into Tspoons for an apple or pumpkin pick-me-up. 

 

Until next time!

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An Anaphylactic Oktoberfest

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Happy autumn, Hawkeyes!

As the midterm season winds down, I am able to admire the actual season as it hits Iowa City. That crisp fall scent is in the chilly breeze, the leaves are tinted russet, and paper ghosts are haunting storefronts. Though my enjoyment of October is evident now, the beginning of the month did start off a bit rough for me. 

After four years of high school German classes, I have a personal commitment to celebrating Oktoberfest (or at least the American version of it). So I of course jumped at the opportunity to go to Amana Colonies–a quaint, old-timey village with rich ties to German history and culture–with some friends from my dorm floor. One of our first stops was at a bakery, where I bought a “monster cookie” that truly lived up to its devilish name. 

I almost always carry an Epi Pen and Benadryl in my backpack because I have a nut allergy. However, our group of five was already crammed tightly in my friend’s car without the addition of another bulky bag, so I opted for a small purse with my wallet and a couple of other bare essentials. The most glaring essential that was missing was the Epi Pen and Benadryl. This real-world foreshadowing was unintentional on my part. 

I asked two employees if the cookie had nuts (as is routine for those with an allergy) and, reassured by two “no’s,”  I happily bit into the giant, M&M-speckled dessert…

Almost instantly, my taste buds set off alarms, a spell of knowing dread prickling down my spine, and the ominous itch forming in my throat. I rushed back inside the store and asked again if the cookie contained nuts. The shocking plot twist: the cookie “did not contain nuts, only peanut butter.” 

I consider myself to have a milder allergy, but that’s when I have Benadryl with me. I have never not had Benadryl with me during a reaction. Little did I know how powerful an opponent this peanut monster could be, “the creature from the black legume.”

Amana’s charming old-fashionedness suddenly became its greatest problem. There were no pharmacies that had the kind of medicine I needed. The closest alternative was a Casey’s several blocks away. At this point, though, I was more embarrassed than worried. I had planned this outing for my friends, and now I was disrupting it because of a cookie. I could hear the faint tunes of the festivities beginning in the opposite direction of the Caseys, and I told them they could go without me while I quickly resolved this minor inconvenience. Let it be a testament to how loyal friends they are for refusing, especially since we’ve only known each other for a couple of months. 

As I booked it down the sidewalk, chugging as much water as I could along the way, the “minor inconvenience” was becoming increasingly less minor. The devastating reveal, once I finally burst through the doors of the Caseys’, was that they had no Benadryl, only children’s seasonal allergy medicine. I doubted it would be effective enough, but an antihistamine was an antihistamine. I downed the plastic shot of tangy medicine in a way that would make most Germans proud. Though, as I suspected, it didn’t alleviate the symptoms. 

I stood outside in the grass, bent over as vomit violently exploded out of my mouth and nose, stinging my throat and clogging my airway. I was between the distant parade of Oktoberfest and a cemetery that was next to Casey’s, which was a strangely symbolic setting now that I think about it. My friends (who are somehow still my friends after this) patiently waited until the final wave of bile passed, when I insisted we return to Amana and continue our day as if this hadn’t happened. 

My throat remained scratchy, and my eyes were still slightly blurry with water, but I thought the worst of it was over. I soon found out I was wrong. 

 We were browsing a local shop when the pink welts appeared on my body and demanded I scratch them until the skin was raw. As I frantically ran my nails along the swollen hives, my vision began to darken. Losing the strength to walk on my own, and with the nausea reemerging in my stomach, I had my friends lead me out of the store. I threw up in the grass for a little while longer, my sight reduced to an inky pool of black with swirls of purple. 

I was practically carried into the backseat of my friend’s car before we sped down the road to a nearby Walgreens in Cedar Rapids. At long last, I had the divine antidote that is Benadryl. Within two minutes of taking it, the allergic reaction stopped. The switch was turned off, and I felt a kind of relief I had never had before. 

I insisted–again–that we go back to Amana and try this for the third time. Fortunately for us, the third time really is the charm. We did some shopping and ate a heavy schnitzel dinner, which I think we all needed, given the stress of the day. I got a refund from that bakery, though the staff was very reluctant to return my $5.34 (I guess, even with inflation, a human life is only worth $5.33). 

Suffice it to say, this was not my most wunderbar Oktoberfest, considering the pressure I put on my friends and the heart attacks I nearly gave my parents when I called them about this. Yet it would be unrealistic to expect my college experience to be all joyous moments. I can appreciate the beauty of this season even more because of the not-so-beautiful features of it.  

Until next time! 

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A Laundry Lament

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That dreadful day of the week is here again. I’ll have to lug a heavy bin of dirty clothes and laundry detergent pods down five flights of stairs (because the elevator is out of order today, of course). Then I’ll have to balance the bin between my hip and the wall, fumbling for my key card to scan into the room of washers and dryers. I’ll do my best to separate the clothes based on color as other people push past me in the crowded space, before any more of my wardrobe becomes stained with burgundy red or pinkish blush. I’ll toss the sweet-scented Tide pod into the drum, hoping my clothes don’t pick up the stale mildew odor permeating the inside of the machine. I’ll wrestle with the key card scanners until it finally accepts payment and lets me start the cycle. 

My arms and back aching, I’ll head up the five flights of stairs like Sisyphus with a laundry basket boulder. I’ll set a timer, and once it goes off, I’ll make the trek yet again down to the washers. I’ll toss the clothes in the dryer, rip out the soft patches of lint in the lint trap, and set another timer. At last, this weekly odyssey is almost complete–until I open the dryer door to find my clothes still devastatingly damp because I was unlucky enough to pick one of the machines that doesn’t actually dry.

At home, laundry was an afterthought for me. I could throw a load in the machine and then go about my business, only returning to hang the clothes and run the dryer once I felt like it. Here, I have to pencil in “laundry” on my agenda in the same way I would schedule homework assignments. Being a student at the University of Iowa feels like a constant blur of motion, always another event to attend or another worksheet to turn in. Sometimes it’s easy to disregard how much time and energy the menial tasks like chores can eat up, so it’s important to set aside enough of your day to get them done. 

Stay strong, fellow dorm residents! Until next time. 

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Don’t Get Bored, Get Exploring

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Within my camera roll, there are 28 metallic bird statues. I remember opening my photos app last year to show a friend the pictures we snapped together–only for her to completely forget about our photos and instead question why the album was so bloated with this random mascot. 

I first came to the University of Iowa for a two-week writing program before my senior year of high school. This was during the college’s anniversary celebration, “Herky on Parade,” so the scowling Hawkeye was stationed on various corners of Iowa City and even Coralville. My summer classes and spontaneous outings with camp friends took up a decent chunk of my time, but there were still those inevitable moments where I felt like I had absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to. 

I figured I would turn these boring instances into an opportunity to explore an unfamiliar place. Accompanied by a pair of headphones and my favorite playlist, I went for an aimless walk simply to see what I hadn’t already. I kept encountering new statues and ended up googling them, only to discover a map of each statue location. I decided that this could be an interesting boredom repellent and a more guided way to uncover new campus spots: pick a different statue and go find it. 

As ridiculous as that sounds, it actually helped me become more confident in my place on campus. I had a “reason” to visit new locations and a goal to keep me entertained during the mundane moments. I developed my own shortcuts and was even able to give my family directions to certain places when they came to pick me up. Returning as an actual student this year, I had the reassurance that I somewhat knew the primary parts of campus–and also the reassurance that it’s okay to explore the parts I don’t know.  

My advice to any new college student–using the little wisdom a freshman has–is to find ways to make your own fun and appreciate the seemingly insignificant tasks you do for yourself. College life can be very busy and social, but that doesn’t mean there are never moments when you feel stranded with nothing to do. Take advantage of these instances and try to think up creative ways to derive value from them. 

Most of the Herkys from last year’s celebration are gone, though a few sporadic ones do remain. Here is a brief overview of many different campus locations that are worth visiting, told through the graveyard of statue school spirit:

Now that I’ve shared some campus and off-campus locations to check out (and cleared these statues out of my camera roll before iCloud hunts me down and forces me to buy more storage), I hope you’ll consider exploring your new surroundings. Make Iowa City feel like home by making it familiar to you. 

Until next time!

 

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