5 Things We Didn't Learn On Accepted Students Day
Over the past few weeks, fresh-faced youngins have descended onto campus to learn about our beloved institution. You may have spotted them with swag in-hand following around some of our enthused peers as they get a tour of campus. Although these tours are a useful way to see the sights, there’s a lot of information the tour guides don’t get to in that hour and a half around campus.
The Schine Student Center, the Dome, and a couple of neat dorm rooms don’t even begin to encompass the Syracuse University experience. Looking back on our campus tour days, us veteran ‘Cuse students now know that there was quite a bit of information our impecably dressed tour leaders failed to mention.
1. They don’t talk about food. Although SU’s Food Services work hard to make every dining hall shine, some dining halls are generally better than others. The Sadler and Shaw dining halls tend to take the cake among students when it comes to top-notch cafeteria fare. There's also Kimmel Food Court, which stays open until 3 a.m. on the weekends – a true blessing for those of us who have ever endured serious late night munchies.
They also fail to mention the perfection that is Marshall Street. There’s food for every budget, occasion, and palate. Varsity Pizza, Chipotle and Jimmy John’s are the most popular food spots, but there are also less obvious places to grub like Funk ‘n Waffles and Strong Hearts Café.
Beyond Marshall Street, we also know that Syracuse has no shortage of independent coffee shops for those sick of Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and Tim Hortons. Café Kubal and Recess Coffee are obvious choices for coffee get-togethers.
2. They don’t mention the nightlife. With over 50 Greek organizations, SU’s campus definitely gets festive on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. But tour guide Ken and Barbie conveniently leave this out – not like these kids aren’t all here for that exact reason.
For those of us who actually possess maturity, we know now that even when you aren’t out getting crunk, SU’s campus still has a lot to offer thanks to SU’s Orange After Dark program or the Midnight Movies in HBC.
Buying Canada Goose jackets and fancy coffee will burn a hole in your wallet eventually, so free food and movies ends up being a pretty sweet deal.
3. They don’t talk about downtown. Ahh, the glowing mecca of downtown Syracuse! After having spent way too many hours in Destiny USA, we know that going downtown is definitely worth the trek.
Not only are there are a bunch of restaurants – besides Pastabilities, guys – there’s also Spark Contemporary Art Space, Urban Outfitters, and Sound Garden, which is a record shop with music in every genre you can think of.
4. They don’t talk about the weather. Having admitted students days in April is cruel. The weather is beautiful and the newest additions to the SU family will be severely misled. A word to the high school kids visiting campus late second semester: Don’t let the crop tops, board shorts, and Ray Bans fool you. Going to Syracuse University isn’t all free merch on the quad and skateboarding.
An integral part of being a student here is telling people that you go to Syracuse University and having them look at you with pity in their eyes, and saying something to the effect of, “Isn’t it cold up there? Like really cold?” or “Good luck surviving the winter!”
What these munchkins don’t know is that from October to March, hell will freeze over and you will have to go through it to get to class. Better invest in a good jacket.
5. They don’t mention that it’s always lit at SU. Apart from Juice Jam, Mayfest, Winter Carnival, and sports games, there are so many speakers, rappers, indie bands, movie screenings, and student organization events that take place everyday — we now know that there is no shortage of things to keep you occupied here.
Photo by Adham Elsharkawi