Seniors, graduation day looms ever closer. The past few years have zoomed by, a blur of Foucault name-drops and pizza bagels and trying to fit a winter coat over a second, smaller coat. But what about all that stuff you wanted to do as a wide-eyed first-year? We know you’re plenty busy trying to finally hit that Art, Music, Drama requirement, but there are also a number of less academic experiences worth checking off during your career at UChicago.
We consulted fourth-years on the College Media Team and beyond to put together one awesome Senior Bucket List, designed for taking advantage of all that this campus—and this city—has to offer. Seniors, how many of these items have you completed?
#1: Visit every academic building on the Quad
Cobb is great and all, but how about a change of scenery? Explore Haskell, Goodspeed, Jones, and Beecher if you haven’t already; scout for the best bathroom on campus or turn your people-watching to a new crowd of enigmatic grad students.
Wait, where—and what—is Foster Hall? Head to https://maps.uchicago.edu/ to get your campus geography straight.
#2: Attend an early-morning FitChicago class (Cardio Kickboxing starts at 7 am!)
Kuvia confirms it: UChicago is all about breaking a sweat at the crack of dawn. Pull yourself out of bed and into Ratner for Cardio Kickboxing or Boot Camp—it’s a great way to bond with other groggy fitness fans, plus get a huge boost of energy for the rest of your day.
Cardio Kickboxing meets in the Ratner Dance Studio at 7 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; Boot Camp meets in the Ratner Auxiliary Gym at 7 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; Beginner Yoga meets in the Ratner Dance Studio at 7 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, visit http://athletics.uchicago.edu/facilities/fitness.
#3: Run all the way to the Loop on the Lakefront Trail
…or walk, bike, or rollerblade as you prefer! Take in some gorgeous views, get your endorphins going, and reward yourself with a sweet treat once you make it downtown. Commemorate the experience with a sweaty selfie in Cloud Gate.
#4: Track down and hang out with those O-Week friends who fell out of touch
So you exchanged numbers on the bus to Target and never spoke since—it’s not too late to meet up and compare notes on your divergent UChicago paths. During Senior Week, flag down the friend-that-got-away and say hey; maybe they’ve secretly been wanting to talk to you this whole time!
#5: Play hide-and-seek in the Logan Center
Explore the supercool architecture and confusing art installations through a classic childhood game on a huge scale—seriously, that place is big. Just make sure not to disrupt any classes or performances while you’re doing your thing.
#6: Tour the Carillon Tower in Rockefeller Chapel
Rockefeller is more than just that big grey thing where we had our Aims of Education address. Marvel up close at the Carillon that serenades you as you walk to class; if you’re lucky, you might catch a sighting of Modo, the Chapel’s resident cat!
Brave enough to climb the 271 steps? For a tour of the Tower, meet the carillonneur on a weekday at 11:30 am or 4:30 pm—you’ll get an amazing view of Chicago and up-close-and-personal access to the carillon recital. For more information, visit http://rockefeller.uchicago.edu/the-carillon/carillon-recitals-and-tower-tours.
#7: Caffeinate at every coffee shop on campus
By now we’ve all probably logged a scary number of hours at the C-Shop and Ex Libris, but those are just the beginning of the caffeination stations all over campus—have you ever copped a coffee from Tiffin, Gordon, or SSA? When that final set of midterms rears its ugly head, take an energizing study break with a Hyde Park cafe crawl. (As for the coffee abstainers among us, there’s no shame in sampling tea or hot chocolate from these fine establishments instead.)
For locations and hours of UChicago Dining cafes, visit https://dining.uchicago.edu/page/locations-hours; for information about student-run coffee shops, visit https://leadership.uchicago.edu/student-run-coffee-shops. As an added bonus, our Uniquely Chicago series on student run cafes lives here: http://college.uchicago.edu/story-tags/college-cup.
#8: Enjoy a picnic at Botany Pond
Make the most of a gorgeous spring day with an outdoor lunch at one of campus’s most idyllic spots. Grab a few friends plus some yummy supplies from Hyde Park Produce; old-timey red-and-white blanket recommended but not required.
#9: Get artsy at one of Outside the Lines’ figure drawing sessions
Whether you’re a DOVA major or just a serial doodler, Outside the Lines provides students with a seriously awesome opportunity: figure drawing sessions with free supplies (!) on evenings throughout the quarter.
For Outside the Lines’ quarterly schedule, visit https://otluchicago.wordpress.com.
#10: Win Trivia Night at the Ida Noyes Pub
Don’t do it for the cash; do it for the sweet, sweet bragging rights. The competition at Trivia Night is serious business, so recruit experts in pop culture, sports, science, and history to give your team a shot at victory. Still, don’t sweat it too much—placing in the top five totally counts.
To try your hand at trivia, head to the Ida Noyes Pub any Tuesday night at 8 during the quarter. Players pay $3 each, plus a $3 entry fee for non-members.
#11: Ride every color line on the CTA
We’ve all spent time on the Red Line and the Green Line, but there’s way more to Chicago’s public transit rainbow—take the route less traveled for fresh adventures in the city.
Need ideas? Try the Blue Line for thrifting and pie in Logan Square, or pick the Pink Line for snazzy dinner and drinks in the West Loop after a day downtown. Explore the Southwest Side off the Orange Line; the Brown Line will take you to Albany Park, the most ethnically diverse neighborhood in the city. Once you’ve covered all corners of Chicago, you can get to know the suburbs by hopping on the Yellow Line to Skokie, or catching the Purple Line to Evanston (we hear there’s another university there?).
#12: Take a yoga class in Bond Chapel
Every Thursday at 4, Meredith Haggerty from Student Health Services teaches gentle yoga in beautiful Bond Chapel. Break out of your Ratner rut for some relaxing stretching surrounded by otherworldly stained glass and a seriously dope pipe organ.
Gentle yoga occurs Thursday at 4 pm in Bond Chapel; Meredith Haggerty also teaches restorative yoga in Rockefeller on Tuesdays at 4:30 and 5:45 pm. Classes are free and open to students of all experience levels. For more information, visit http://spirit.uchicago.edu/orgs/interspiritual.shtml.
#13: Hear students perform poetry at a Catcher in the Rhyme show
There’s an amazing spoken word community right here at UChicago, so don’t leave school without making your way to one of Catcher in the Rhyme’s poetry slams.
To learn more about Catcher in the Rhyme and their upcoming events, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/catcherintherhyme/. And for an inside look into the organization, our Uniquely Chicago feature “Listen to the Poem”: http://college.uchicago.edu/uniquely-chicago/story/listen-poem.
#14. Attend one home matchup of every UChicago varsity team (go Maroons!)
OK, this one might take a little advance planning—sources tell us sports teams don’t play year-round? But even if you’re starting your Bucket List late in the game, you still have plenty of time to see all kinds of different teams represent UChicago. Rock your most spirited Maroon gear (and a giant foam finger if you get can your hands on one) and prepare your lungs to cheer on your amazing classmates.
Visit http://athletics.uchicago.edu/composite to view all teams’ schedules.
#15. Join one last RSO
Remember the childlike wonder you felt at your very first RSO fair? So many possibilities and so, so much candy. Well, it’s not too late to try out one last student organization—meeting new people and pursuing cool interests are not just for first-years!
To view the dizzying list of over 350 student organizations on campus, visit https://blueprint.uchicago.edu/Organizations.