MANUAL
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// FRANCESCA CHAMBERS
THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GRADUATE Ways to get the most out of your time at the University
All former, present and future KU students probably have a different list of activities they think all KU students should experience before graduation. But for realistic purposes, here's a list based on the common suggestions of a wide-variety of students that graduating seniors can still complete before May.
Attend a Bowl or Final Four Game
Even if people sometimes complain about the notoriety of KU's athletics programs compared with academics, we're football and basketball fans at heart. Many who attended KU during the 2007 school year can attest to the pride and exhilaration they felt during the NCAA basketball tournament when they realized KU might win a bowl game and a national championship game during the same school year.
Imagine watching our teams win live. Sure, drunkenly running down Massachusetts St., screaming to the cops, "WE WON," was amusing. Drunkenly running down San Antonio's Riverwalk screaming "WE WON" to pissed-off North Carolina fans? Priceless.
Climb the Buildings on Campus
Whether you're looking for an adrenaline rush or a romantic place to take your lover, sneaking on the roof of campus buildings is a must-do.
The roofs of most campus buildings are easily accessible from sturdy outdoor stairways, says Dan Cline, Overland Park senior, but his favorite building top — Mallot Hall — is particularly difficult to reach.
He had to climb out a window — while it was snowing—and over a wall Tomb Raider style last winter, he says, before reaching the area of the roof where the maintenance door that is unlocked from the outside is located.
"It was a sweet view. You could see everything from up there," he says.
Play Hide-and-Seek in the Stacks
The areas where books are shelved in Watson Library are separated into three wings: West, Center and East. Each wing has floors and half-floors.
Sounds easy to navigate through? Not quite. Many of the floors and half-floors are unconnected to their adjacent wings. You must use elevators and staircases to reach the Center, and then make your way to the desired floor and wing.
Hardly anyone visits the stacks late at night, so it's the perfect time to play a game with a group of friends. You can up the ante by trying capture the flag.
Just make sure you reshelve any books you knock over. Overturned books will give away your hiding spot to your competitors and disgruntled library employees.
Get Frisky at Potter Lake
The term "Sex on the Hill" didn't create itself.
At night, the lake looks like a black abyss from the road. But if you walk down the hill and off the pathways, the moon will light your way into groves of trees.
A rendezvous at the lake is more exciting when it's spontaneous, but if you plan your tryst, bring a blanket and bug spray. The ground by the lake if often damp, and who knows what types plants are growing over there.
Attend a KU Theatre Production
Photo by Alex Bonham-Carter
KU Theatre productions are one of the only opportunities you have at KU to see your peers' academic progress, says Elizabeth Elliott. Houston senior, which is one reason she adores being a theatre major.
Student tickets cost only $10 — a small price to watch rising stars.
The theatre department does a fantastic job of selecting a mix of classical and contemporary pieces that are applicable to students' lives. Most people who come to the performances become regulars, says Elliott, who is the lead role in the upcoming play, "Distraction."
"One of us is bound to make it someday." Elliott says.
Kansan file photo
Swim in the Chi Omega Fountain
As soon as she saw Alpha Chi Omega on her sorority acceptance letter, Alexa Backman, Manhattan freshman, and the rest of her pledge class ran to the Chi Omega fountain. The water was cold, and she was wearing jeans. But Backman says she is glad her experience was spur-of-the moment, even though she was not properly dressed to go swimming.
"When the time is right, just do it." Backman says about taking the plunge.
Just be sure to stay on the lower level of the fountain. If the KU police see you climbing the upper tiers, they'll give you at ticket.
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Watch a Women's or Non-Revenue Sport
Just because they're not on ESPN, that doesn't mean women's sports are not fun to watch. Alex Sheppard, Great Bend freshman, says he enjoyed attending women's soccer and swimming events this semester.
"And I'm sure the girls appreciate it, too," he says.
Non-athletes don't realize how rigorous and time-consuming games and practices are for athletes who play non-revenue KU sports. If the University had a men's swim team, Sheppard, who is a swimmer, says he wouldn't have a life outside of swimming and school.
Go Sledding Down Daisy Hill
Now that KU Dining Services has dispensed with trays, sledding down Daisy or Campanile Hill is undoubtedly less exciting than it was a couple years ago. Btt you can still grab a trash can lid or hop in a couple of trash bags and turn a cold, snowy day into one of your favorite college experiences.
Take advantage of the large hills on campus while you can - you may never have the opportunity to enjoy such a magnificent sledding opportunity again.
Photo by Alex Bonham-Carter
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