Senior year—sigh. None of us want to leave this place, but after four awesome years, it turns out we can’t stay here forever. So, before you have to put on your big kid pants and enter the real world, here are some things you should do in your last year at Cortland if you haven’t already. (Alcohol-related activities should be enjoyed legally and responsibly.)
1. Join a team, club, or Greek organization: Joining a group with a common goal like community service or playing sports games is a lot of fun and will give you a group of pals to rely on and bond with in your final times at C-State.
2. Go skiing at Greek Peak Mountain Resort: Ski, snowboard, or snow tube the slopes of Greek Peak this winter with a group of friends. The resort also has an indoor water park and adventure center with zip lining and bungee jumping.
3. Study abroad: If you’ve ever been in a foreign language class, or attended class on campus in general, you have heard about the benefits of study abroad. Believe the hype. Studying abroad in a foreign country is life changing and can make you more independent and well rounded, so do it before it’s too late.
4. Go apple picking: Head over to an orchard and pick some Granny Smiths. The campus offers occasional weekend trips to local farms like Beak and Skiff Apple Orchard where transportation is provided for just $10, which fits into our miniscule budgets.
5. Go to Pumpkin Fest: The Great Cortland Pumpkin Fest takes place in October every year (Oct. 4-5, 2015) and includes a pancake breakfast, a wine tasting, live music, and a pumpkin decorating contest.
6. Go to a sports game you wouldn’t normally attend: If you’re a soccer fan, go to a hockey game. The spectacle of a different game might surprise you, so why not?
7. Go to the Ithaca Gorges: There are over 150 waterfalls and gorges in Ithaca, NY, which is a hop, skip and a jump from Cortland. Go jump in the natural bodies of water, supposedly carved by glaciers thousands of years ago.
9. Feed the ducks at Water Works: The Municipal Water Works provides water to the City of Cortland, but more importantly there are ducks in the surrounding ponds. You can and should feed them.
10. Get some Coffee Mania: If you are a coffee maniac this place is for you (see what I did there?) But in all seriousness, the coffee is homemade, and when you get 10 coffees you get one free, so just go.
11. Become a TA: Becoming a teaching assistant is fun. If you have good grades and are somewhat responsible, then you’re in. You’re basically the professor’s assistant and can get some teaching experience. Also looks A+ on a resume.
12. Go to Twofers at Stone Lounge: If you haven’t already, you should dance the night away on a Wednesday at two-for-one drinks, or “Twofers” at Stone Lounge.
13. Have lunch with a professor: This is opportunity is offered through the Cortland campus and if you have a particularly inspiring/worldly/knowledgable professor, you should definitely take advantage of it.
14. Go to Chill-A-Bration: This winter festival features local eateries that sample special batches of chili and other winter items. Get a warm bite and cast a ballot for “Cortland’s Area’s Best Chili.”
15. Have a chipwich at Byrne Dairy: Byrne Dairy is known for its great milk products, but a personal favorite is the ice cream chipwich. Vanilla ice cream between two giant chocolate chip cookies. No brainer.
16. Go to Cortland Beer Company: This brewery has about a dozen homemade delicious craft beers and best of all, unlimited popcorn!
17. Make Dean’s List/President’s List: To make President's List, you have to receive an overall GPA of 3.78 or higher and 3.30 or higher for Dean’s List. So crack those books, whip out the syllabus, and make your parents proud.
18. Participate in the Crop Walk: Throw on your sneakers and get involved in The Crop Walk, an annual fundraiser that takes place at Grace and Holy Spirit Church on Court St. All proceeds go to efforts to end hunger in the U.S.
19. Go to Taco Monday at Dark Horse: This one is self explanatory, 25 cent tacos or grab your legal friends and split a wing platter with a pitcher of beer.
20. Eat anything and everything CBR: If you’re like me and aren’t from Upstate NY, you weren’t graced with the chicken, bacon, and ranch combo until going away to college. Therefore, eat this trio on pizza and all things. All the time.
21. Go to all senior events: You have to go to these. No excuses. Because sadly you ARE a senior. (Senior Bar Crawl, 100 Days Till Graduation, Senior Send Off)
22. Attend Cortaca Jug: This football rivalry remains an important Cortland tradition. If you haven’t, you must attend this game with rival college, Ithaca. Cortaca games are almost always close, nerve racking, and worth it!
23. Go to a Wellness Wednesday: You’ve most likely eaten ramen three times in one week in the past four years, but mental and physical wellness is pretty important. So attend a Wellness Wednesday offered on campus, it might help you de-stress.
24. Participate in Relay for Life: This spring event is a walking relay fundraiser where a major portion of the campus gets involved. Join Greek life, sports teams, and fellow students walk and raise money for cancer fighters and survivors.
25. Take a selfie with President Bitterbaum: This is not highly recommended. It would have to be done in a polite manner with permission. However, the selfie would probably result in a great picture with SUNY Cortland royalty.
Sorta like this.
26. Write for a campus publication: Joining a campus publication, radio, or television station is a great way to get your opinions out there in your remaining time here.
27. Be a tour guide: This unique job allows you to tell nervous high schoolers and parents why Cortland has become your home and how it is a safe place to send their offspring.
28. Take a trip to Destiny USA: This mall in Syracuse, NY is a doable 40-minute drive and there is a carousel inside it. A carousel, people.
29. Have a calzone at Calio’s: Preferrably a CBR one, but go crazy with your bad self because this place puts mac and cheese inside calzones and that’s wonderous.
30. Enjoy Burger Night: Monday’s at Brix features Burger Night where you receive a nifty checklist of what you want on your burger and it comes to you customized steaming hot.
31. Do a T-Shirt: T-Shirts should be done in groups, responsibly. Many of the bars on Main St. offer the option to receive a T-shirt via paying a set price for a few drinks. The Red Jug Pub offers transportation to and from the bars on the Jug Bus, which can come in handy.
32. Give back to the community: Whether it’s volunteering at the local food pantry or participating in Cortaca Clean Up, giving back to the community is a nice thing to do. After all, this is the place that provides us with a home and education for four years.
33. Go to Raquette Lake: ump in the lake at this outdoor education facility in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains. Raquette Lake offers team building activities for a new way of learning you should experience before you leave C-State. Check if your major offers opportunities to study here.
34. Enjoy a cone at Footie’s: Footie’s Freez is a delectable ice cream shop just outside campus. A five-minute drive from your apartment, you and your housemates should absolutely indulge in the many flavors of pure joy.
35. Attend an Open Mic Night: Grab a microphone and sing your heart out, read a poem, play the trumpet, or juggle pineapples at Open Mic Night. If nothing else, come to support your talented classmates take Corey Union by storm and if that’s not enough for you: there’s usually always free food.
