I've always been a fan of lists. To Do Lists, My Favorites Lists, anything that keeps my thoughts organized is perfect for me. So you can understand why I'm obsessed with bucket lists. I have my own bucket list written down in a notebook, ongoing of course. When all you have is time, and years and years of it, it seems reasonable to make the list as long as possible. It's filled with things like "Sing at Madison Square Garden" and "Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef", big dreams for such a small, insignificant girl. That's when it gets complicated. The bigger the dream, the more impossible it seems to accomplish it. Sometimes it's easier to try to reach goals in one year, or in this case four. With so many cool things to do around Columbia College Chicago, I thought I'd make a list of all the best places and attractions right on my campus! Luckily, I've already knocked a lot of these off my list.
1. Chill Out At The Loft
The Loft is a large student lounge located at 916 South Wabash. This lounge is complete with moon sand, video games, bean bags, tons of outlets, couches, desks and tables to work at and FOOD IS ALLOWED (which is bomb).
2. Get Loud With Big Mouth
Big Mouth is an open mic that happens once a month at Columbia College Chicago. All students are welcome to sign up and perform poetry, music, stand up comedy, etc. Come to a few of these to check out what your peers are working on! It's always great to see the talent you're surrounded by in action.
3. Strut Down To A Fashion Show
While Big Mouth is a showcase for all departments, these shows are a showcase for just the fashion department. This is where students get to see what the fashion students have designed on the runway on student models. This past year, Columbia had about 3-4 fashion shows with their modeling troop Picture Perfect, but the biggest show is the senior showcase at Manifest.
4. Get Milkshakes At Devil Dawgs
Devil Dawgs is the cheeseburger and Chicago hot dog hub on 767 South State Street. If you want something greasy, salty, or fried, this is the place to be. Though I've only had the Clucker Sandwich and fries, nearly everyone I've met has raved about their giant milkshakes. With 25 flavors, there has to be at least one you love!
5. Make Some Noise At Manifest
Manifest is an annual festival at CCC that happens at the end of every school year. This festival showcases student work, specifically that of the seniors who are graduating. There are exhibitions, galleries, live performances, fashion shows, original game designs, literary readings, etc. It's one of the largest events at Columbia so it's not one to miss!
6. Advertise Your Art In ShopColumbia
ShopColumbia, located in 623 South Wabash, is a store that features only the work of Columbia students. Lithographs, t-shirts, jewelry. You name it, they probably have it. The best part is while you get a cool souvenir to take home, the students behind the work get experience in the world of marketing.
7. Make A Splash At The Shedd Aquarium
The Shedd Aquarium, located on 1200 South Lake Shore Drive, is exactly what it sounds like: an aquarium. But it's actually the largest indoor aquarium in the world and it holds more than 8000 aquatic animals. They also have a special aquatic show where you can witness all of the ocean animals put their training to action.
8. Grab A Slice At Pauly’s Pizzeria
The owners of Pauly's Pizzeria, located on 719 South State Street, have been in the pizza business for 30 years and it's not hard to tell. Pauly's is my first choice of pizza when I'm on campus because it's delicious. If you ever get tired of the traditional Chicago deep dish (no hate, Lou Malnati's), this is the place to go.
9. Wander Around Nearby Museums
Columbia College Chicago has to be one of the luckiest schools in the city purely because of the abundance of museums near our campus. If you're looking for an activity more educational and intriguing, I suggest the Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography. All three provide great artwork and history for you to marvel at.
10. Take A Stroll In Grant Park
This activity seems to be the most obvious considering this large city park lines the whole entire campus. If it's a nice day outside and a casual hang out at The Loft doesn't seem appealing to you, go for walk in Grant Park. It had beautiful trees, flowers and Agora sculptures, which you see pictured above. Also, if you love to skateboard, there's a park for that right next door.
11. See The Stars At The Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium, located at 1300 South Lake Shore Drive, is a theater made to present educational movies and shows about astronomy (the planets and the stars). If you're as obsessed with space as I am, this is the perfect way to spend your day off in the city.
12. Warm Up With Peet’s Coffee
Peet's Coffee, believe it or not, was first created in 1966 by a Dutch immigrant named Alfred Peet. 50 years later, there are about 200 Peet's locations, one right in the middle of the CCC campus on 41 East 8th Street. If you're straying away from your typical Starbucks, Peet's is perfect for you. I go here for hot cocoa all the time during the harsh Illinois winters.
13. Get Lost In The Harold Washington Library
The Harold Washington Library is the central library in the Chicago system, located on 400 South State Street. With 9 floors opened to the public, this library may have any fiction book or text book you may need for a class or leisurely reading. It always has a rooftop penthouse garden and free wifi which makes it a quiet, relaxing place to get your school work done.
14. Go Back In Time At The Fine Arts Building
The Fine Arts building, located on 410 South Michigan, is a Chicago historical landmark due to the fact that it was built in 1884 for the Studebaker company. The interior of the building, as you can see from the image, is covered in motifs and murals. This building houses art galleries, theatre, recording studios, films, and it even has a cute used book shop on the third floor.
15. Make A Grand Entrance At The Blood Ball
The Blood Ball is an annual dance at Columbia College Chicago celebrating one of it's two founders, Mary Ann Blood. Students dress up or even get into costumes for the occasion. There's food, drinks, and live music that keeps the party going all night.
16. Spice Up Your Diet With Native Foods
So we've talked about milkshakes, greasy food and pizza, but now it's time to explore! Native Foods is a fun and fast vegan restaurant chain and CCC is lucky to have one on it's campus, located on 218 South Clark Street. It has an eclectic menu from tacos to gyros to burgers to chili. It pretty much covers all the bases and tastes good enough to even keep a non-vegan coming back.
17. Join The Crowd At An Ensemble Concert
If the fashion shows weren't your cup of tea, maybe this will peak your interest. Columbia has 24 ensembles whether it be full bands, instrumentalists or vocalists. These ensembles hold concerts for any students who wish to attend periodically so they can practice their music and stage presence. Once again, if you're interested in the talent of your peers, this is a good place to find it.
18. Support Your Fellow Muggles At A Quidditch Game
If you're a student at Columbia, you know that we are not known for sports and we tend not to focus on them (even though we provide a couple athletic teams). In a stereotypical world, one would never see athletes and bookworms coexisting but Columbia yet against is breaking boundaries. If you didn't already know, CCC has a Quidditch team (from the Harry Potter novels) and anyone can watch their games while they are in season!
19. Get Creative At The Artist & Craftsman Supply
Artist & Craftsman Supply, located on 828 South Wabash, is the most popular place for Columbia art students to go if they're in need of supplies. Lucky enough, the shop is cool enough to attract even those who have no fine arts talent at all. This store has tons of cool decorations, tools and even toys to buy if you're looking to kill some time in between classes.
20. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth At Stan’s Donut
