Finding alternative fun
Joel Pavelski
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Focus
Monday
The sun's daily appearances are making, and the nights are making nights warmer as a result. Grab a sleeping bag, or just your blanket and pillow, make s'mores in the microwave and camp outside your house or dorm.
Or, depending on your level of commitment, plan a trip to any of the county's campgrounds. On nearby Boot Lake, 6 Lakes Campground is the closest to campus.
Tuesday
Take a road trip on Tuesday. Grab a car and head down Michigan 99. You'll find yourself in Jonesville, a town offering many tempting shopping and dining options.
The Udder Side, a walk-up or drive-through ice cream shop and burger joint, sits at the intersection of M-99 and US-12. Server Chelsea Lynch said The Udder Side serves everything from Mexican nachos to 19 flavors of ice cream, including a unique soft serve flavor that frequently changes (currently, it's a cinnamon flavor called Red Indian). Lynch said her favorite order is a peanut butter malt.
If you're feeling nostalgic, check out the Coney Hut Drive-In, a charming old school drive-in a little further east on US-12. Made with homemade root beer, the floats are a favorite, said server Sanora Finley, although her pick is the sour cream and chive fries. Coney Hut is open until "the last car leaves," Finley said, "which is usually around 8 or 9."
Wednesday
Students were introduced to the night sky with the recent lunar eclipse, but there are plenty of other wonders up there to explore. In the upcoming weeks, watch for Mars, which will blaze bright orange and sit very near the moon. On April 21, look for the Lyrid meteor shower to reach its brightest point.
Thursday
On Thursday, shave off a few years and visit Stadium Roller Skating, located in Hillsdale on M-99. With a large rink, a fun atmosphere and a $5 admission fee that includes skate rental, Stadium is a great getaway for groups of friends who don't mind embarrassing themselves in public. Stadium also offers group rates, and occasionally hosts all night skates for night owls.
Friday
Fridays are meant for relaxing and enjoying some pure entertainment, and Capri's Drive-In Theater is a good place to do it. Located in Coldwater, only a 20-minute drive from campus, the theater is open Friday through Sunday nights. The box office opens at 6:30, and the show starts at 7:30. Two different double features show on seperate screens each night, and the movie's sound is funneled directly into your car via a radio channel. Bring some blankets (and your own concessions, though they have some reasonably priced ones there), camp on top of your car and enjoy the movies. Check out their shows and showtimes on their website, www.capridrive-in.com.
Saturday
Run over to the intramural fields in the afternoon to join a game of Ultimate Frisbee. For the uninitiated, Ultimate Frisbee is like football but with a Frisbee. The schedule of games varies, but the IM field hosts one every Saturday afternoon. Ask one of the group's current players (including Freshman Megan Dunn and Senior Jason Custer) to join the Email list.
If you're in for more of a whimsical Saturday afternoon, head to Slayton Aboretum for a game of Calvinball, a game taken from the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes." Sophomore Christy Cameron, one of the co-creators of the group said there are no rules since you make them up as you go. Cameron said any player can make up a rule, which can be overturned by any other player.
"The only rule is that you can't play the same way twice," she said.
The group plans weekly games in the Arboretum.
"It's been a huge success," Cameron said. "It's so random and crazy, but it's a lot of fun."
Sunday
Face it, after six days of fun, the homework will be piled up to the ceiling.
Shove it in your backpack and head to Baw Beese County Park. A large and beautiful park on the shore of lake Baw Beese, the park has beaches, bike trails, play structures and scenic spots to curl up with a picnic basket and a book. Within walking distance from the Hillsdale campus, it has plenty of room for anyone to claim a place.
See more student life photos by clicking this link.
The sun's daily appearances are making, and the nights are making nights warmer as a result. Grab a sleeping bag, or just your blanket and pillow, make s'mores in the microwave and camp outside your house or dorm.
Or, depending on your level of commitment, plan a trip to any of the county's campgrounds. On nearby Boot Lake, 6 Lakes Campground is the closest to campus.
Tuesday
Take a road trip on Tuesday. Grab a car and head down Michigan 99. You'll find yourself in Jonesville, a town offering many tempting shopping and dining options.
The Udder Side, a walk-up or drive-through ice cream shop and burger joint, sits at the intersection of M-99 and US-12. Server Chelsea Lynch said The Udder Side serves everything from Mexican nachos to 19 flavors of ice cream, including a unique soft serve flavor that frequently changes (currently, it's a cinnamon flavor called Red Indian). Lynch said her favorite order is a peanut butter malt.
If you're feeling nostalgic, check out the Coney Hut Drive-In, a charming old school drive-in a little further east on US-12. Made with homemade root beer, the floats are a favorite, said server Sanora Finley, although her pick is the sour cream and chive fries. Coney Hut is open until "the last car leaves," Finley said, "which is usually around 8 or 9."
Wednesday
Students were introduced to the night sky with the recent lunar eclipse, but there are plenty of other wonders up there to explore. In the upcoming weeks, watch for Mars, which will blaze bright orange and sit very near the moon. On April 21, look for the Lyrid meteor shower to reach its brightest point.
Thursday
On Thursday, shave off a few years and visit Stadium Roller Skating, located in Hillsdale on M-99. With a large rink, a fun atmosphere and a $5 admission fee that includes skate rental, Stadium is a great getaway for groups of friends who don't mind embarrassing themselves in public. Stadium also offers group rates, and occasionally hosts all night skates for night owls.
Friday
Fridays are meant for relaxing and enjoying some pure entertainment, and Capri's Drive-In Theater is a good place to do it. Located in Coldwater, only a 20-minute drive from campus, the theater is open Friday through Sunday nights. The box office opens at 6:30, and the show starts at 7:30. Two different double features show on seperate screens each night, and the movie's sound is funneled directly into your car via a radio channel. Bring some blankets (and your own concessions, though they have some reasonably priced ones there), camp on top of your car and enjoy the movies. Check out their shows and showtimes on their website, www.capridrive-in.com.
Saturday
Run over to the intramural fields in the afternoon to join a game of Ultimate Frisbee. For the uninitiated, Ultimate Frisbee is like football but with a Frisbee. The schedule of games varies, but the IM field hosts one every Saturday afternoon. Ask one of the group's current players (including Freshman Megan Dunn and Senior Jason Custer) to join the Email list.
If you're in for more of a whimsical Saturday afternoon, head to Slayton Aboretum for a game of Calvinball, a game taken from the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes." Sophomore Christy Cameron, one of the co-creators of the group said there are no rules since you make them up as you go. Cameron said any player can make up a rule, which can be overturned by any other player.
"The only rule is that you can't play the same way twice," she said.
The group plans weekly games in the Arboretum.
"It's been a huge success," Cameron said. "It's so random and crazy, but it's a lot of fun."
Sunday
Face it, after six days of fun, the homework will be piled up to the ceiling.
Shove it in your backpack and head to Baw Beese County Park. A large and beautiful park on the shore of lake Baw Beese, the park has beaches, bike trails, play structures and scenic spots to curl up with a picnic basket and a book. Within walking distance from the Hillsdale campus, it has plenty of room for anyone to claim a place.
See more student life photos by clicking this link.
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