When you first get to college it can be really exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. You may want to explore the area and see what's fun to do in your new college town. Kutztown is a fairly small area harboring thousands of students bustling around, looking for something to keep them occupied. It can be surprising what you didn't know goes on around this school.
1. Wednesday night trivia
At the K'Town Pub, every Wednesday is trivia night and although it doesn't sound like much, you'd be surprised how intense this game gets. There's roughly about six or seven rounds, with six questions and one quest per round. The questions are pretty standard, but the quest after each round is what keeps the game lively. These quests can range from bringing the announcer an object he asks for to having a dance battle. Trivia keeps you on your toes because almost anything goes when it comes to these quests. First place winners get a monetary prize only redeemable at the pub; next week's drinks are on them. Second place gets to pick a prize out of a box full of glassware and brand memorabilia.
2. Wednesday night beer pong
By the time trivia is over at the pub, Shorty's Bar hosts a weekly beer pong tournament just to finish off a great "hump day." The house rules are pretty standard, and there is a chance to win a monetary prize for first place. If you're looking to party hard, Shorty's is the place to be with its club-like atmosphere. Even on a Wednesday night, this bar fills up quickly; that being the result of great drink specials and reasonable prices that won't break the bank for a poor college student.
3. Movies in the sub
Thursday through Sunday the McFarland Student Union Building shows movies for free. With The Strand being the only theater in Kutztown, the University had to do something for their students. Almost every week the university hosts a movie get-together and plays fairly new movies. If you've been itching to see "Sisters" or "Daddy's Home," you might want to check out the movie schedule available online or in the SUB. Why not go watch a flick if it's free and gives you something to do for two hours.
4. Talk to housing staff
If you live on campus, be sure to talk to your CA or DR because most of the time they come up with different events to do on campus and hold them in or around your residential building. In the past there have been game nights, the condom olympics, pumpkin decorating, gingerbread house decorating, etc. Your housing staff comes up with these fun events to help educate and integrate new students when they come to college so take advantage of it.
5. Student Recreation Center
If there's a gym on campus, why not utilize it? Even if you aren't the working out type, you can still go to the gym and have fun. There's different indoor and outdoor games and activities to participate in like tennis, basketball, rock climbing, etc. The gym also has several classes for students to take like zumba or kickboxing. For those who love swimming, Kutztown University does have an indoor gym, but there are strange open swim hours because of when the swim team practices.
6. Friday night trivia
Say you can't make it to trivia at the pub on Wednesday, well no need to worry because Shorty's Bar features trivia on Fridays. It's a little different than at the pub in terms of what happens in between each round. At Shorty's, one team member spins a wheel for a chance to win extra points or enter a raffle. Fridays are also known as happy hour at Shorty's. People get together and play a few games of pool while munching on a $4 pizza or $1 burger.
7. Volunteer
Most of the time volunteering can be fun! If you're in a group or organization on campus, then chances are they need help and volunteers. Even though this doesn't sound like much, if you get a few friends together, you can make it worthwhile. Plus, some groups help out within the Kutztown community and nearby cities so if you choose to get involved you may be able to experience more than just what this area has to offer.
8. Trips and shows
If you're really looking to get out of Kutztown and do something different, then keep an eye and ear out for various trips and shows the school advertises for. The art department holds several trips a year to Philadelphia and New York for any Kutztown student. All you have to do is sign up in the SUB and pay for gas, which is usually around $10. Sometimes the university will also bring musicians or comedians to the school for students to attend. In the past we've had the comedians from "Girl Code" hold a show here, and this Spring Kutztown is bringing Ramin Karimloo.
9. Laser light show
Every school year the Kutztown Planetarium fills up on specific dates for the laser light shows. Students put together this ensemble where the lasers create different images on the planetarium ceiling. These light shows are always accompanied by music, usually that of The Beatles. Admission is $5, and for an extra dollar people can buy 3D glasses. As a loving fan of the light shows, I highly recommend buying the glasses because the show becomes 10 times better.
10. Quality time with friends
When all else fails, you can't go wrong with getting some friends together in your dorm, house or apartment. Break out some games, open a few beers and grab some snacks because it's going to be a long night. If you aren't in the mood to play games then have a movie marathon or bring out your inner kid by sledding or having snowball fights. No matter what you decide to do, you'll have a blast because you're doing it with your friends.
At the end of the day, Kutztown doesn't have a whole lot to do in the winter, but that doesn't mean this is the worst school or a boring area. Kutztown University tries to provide their students with different activities to keep them busy and happy. There's still some fun things to do in town, you just have to keep your eyes open and look for them.
