Friends Forever!

The one thing that any college student must remember is that there is no need to have something to do or somewhere to go. You always have to remember you live in a dorm and there are always going to be people to do things with. Sometimes it is healthier and more relaxing to just hang out with friends then to go out and do something. Also, we are in college and many of these people will be around the rest of our lives. There for, it is vitally important that we all maintain these friendships now and in the future. Nobody wants to become that cat lady at the end of the block right? So when you have nothing to do, get off your various electronic toys and stick your head out the door. Chances are you will see somebody that you haven’t chatted with in a while and you can catch up on their latest news. If you don’t recognize anybody say hello to somebody you do not know, because you never know who could become your new best friend or that certain special someone. Don’t like the people in your dorm? Get out and look for friendly faces in another dorm. My point is that these relationships are important so go out and form them!

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Nice Night In

Now not every night is appropriate for a night out on the town, and honestly they will get boring after a while. So, when the time is right, grab your blanket, find some friends, pick a DVD, make some popcorn and prepare yourself for a long night of fun and film. That is the wonderful thing about movie nights, besides of course that they are mostly cost free, they can go in almost any direction the group chooses and turn into a memorable evening that you will end up telling your grand kids about. If you tend to be on the party side of things, and you think a night in is not the way to spend the extra seconds that you do not spend doing your homework, then you are missing out on more of the college experience than you probably realize. For one, there are certain movies that any educated person should see at least once in their lifetimes. The classics will always be wonderful and important and the current movies are always good topics for conversation and may just become the new classics. The best path is to have a mix of both old and new and make sure to include old favorites with new discoveries. So sit back, tune in, and get ready for a good time with friends.
P.S. You can use a TV or a computer these days!

Lecture Me This

“Words, words, words”. For those of you who don’t know, these words were penned by the illustrious William Shakespeare himself in his well known play Hamlet. Now if you do not recognize these two names then you might be better off in less academic pursuits. For those of you who do know both, then you will be extremely happy to know that there are words just around the corner and up a few flights of stairs in Laurie Auditorium. But wait! You are probably asking yourself: I’m a college student with very little free time as it is, why would I want to go to some boring lecture? Well buck up, because I am about to give you several good reasons why you should go to these great lectures.

1. Some of them are actually pretty fun and interesting. So don’t knock them until you have tried them. Only a few weeks ago Dr. Jared Diamond talked about the destruction of societies, both ancient and more recent, and in these times we should all be looking out for signs of the apocalypse.

2. They are FREE! I’ll say it again free! Yes that one word that belongs in every college student’s top ten best words list. Some of our speakers are known and even highly recognizable on an international level. Condoleezza Rice anybody? How could anyone pass that up, especially when you could get to ask them your questions directly?

3. These lectures also cover a wide variety of topics. Not so hot on society’s destruction? Well then Angela Davis spoke on wide range of different things as this year’s MLK day speaker. Keep an eye out for fliers and you are sure to find something that interests you.

4. Sometimes you also get extra credit just for going and listening to somebody talk, and who doesn’t like a little extra credit every now and then.

If none of these reasons are good enough then go anyways and you will find a reason to love the various Trinity lecture series, I guarantee it!

Movie Night

It is, and will always be, a good time for a movie. That is unless you want to go to one before 10:00 AM in the morning and then you might be hard pressed to find a theater with a movie actually playing. If this is the case, you might want to invest in some headphones and DVD’s because you will be watching movies on your laptop while your roommate, like any other sane college student, is probably still asleep. Starting close to home, Trinity almost always has a movie event coming up. This week the Coates Library Cinema Series is presenting Mine at 7pm on February 3 in Northrup 040. Next week, for the more classically inclined, Building Pharaoh’s Ship will be showing at 7:30 on February 8 in Chapman Auditorium, a discussion will follow the movie. Tiger TV is also another on campus option. A variety of movies are shown throughout the day, just add TV and enjoy.

Sometimes we all just want to get off campus to see a movie. The obvious location is the Regal Alamo Quarry Stadium Theater (what a mouthful). Just a short drive from Campus the Quarry Theater (now isn’t that easier to say?), conveniently located in the Quarry (bet you saw that one coming), has all of the mainstream movies that are currently out. Be forewarned though, Regal has wised up. The Quarry Theater and the Fiesta 16 (located farther away but has some of the movies that have been out longer and are no longer playing at the Quarry) do not offer student discounts on weekends or Friday. That means a steep $9.50 per ticket, which is real money to a college student. There is an alternative though! Your parents were not kidding when they told you patients is a virtue. If you are willing to wait to see a movie, especially if you do not really want to shell out $10 to see it, then check out the movies playing at Cinemark Dollar Movies 16. On the weekend, you pay a measly $2.25 to see any movie that is showing, and if Monday is your movie day you only pay .75₵! Now all of these movies have been out a while but how can you argue with .75₵! In this economic climate it is important to think with your wallet sometimes. So next time you are going out to the movies just pause and think about the money you could be saving and choose a new experience.

Out in the Fresh Air

So let’s start with the basics shall we? There are tons of things to do on campus, and most of us have figured out exactly what it is we like to do. So I am going to start with things to do nearby our lovely campus, some even within easy walking distance of a little place I call my dorm. On a beautiful day, not unlike some of the weather we have been having recently, you can walk to the peaceful, and recently refurbished, Japanese Tea Garden which is just on the other side of 281. (The beautiful picture provided by Charlie). When there is not a concert going on in the nearby Sunken Garden Theater, the tea garden offers a place of quite reflection and beauty. If the walls of the quarry that this garden is built into are too confining, nearby Brackenridge Park offers nearly 400 acres of space in which to explore and frolic. The best part of both these places is that they are FREE, a word every self respecting college student likes. Now, if you feel like spending a little cold hard cash, just next door to both of these lovely locations is the San Antonio Zoo. For just $10 you too can enjoy a plethora of mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, and even, an apparently lonely Asian Elephant named Lucky. While all of these locations are can easily be reached on foot, there is free parking available for those who would like to drive. So get out of that dorm and see what’s around you!

If anybody would like to learn more please feel free to cruise through the World Wide Web at either of these two sites:

http://www.sanantonio.gov/sapar/index.asp

http://www.sazoo-aq.org/index.html