Weekends
Mar 20th, 2009 by Admissions Counselor
To get a sense of a typical weekend at Goucher, we asked a few students and our Director of Athletics to give us the inside scoop on weekends, from their perspectives:
To have a good time at Goucher what I can tell you is this: weekends are as fun as you make them. Goucher is not a party school, that much is for certain. You don’t have to stay on campus to have a good time, and often it’s more fun to break up the monotony of dorm room parties by hopping on the Collegetown Shuttle and riding it as far as the Inner Harbor. Last week, a few of my friends and I took the Shuttle to Hopkins to watch their improv comedy troupe “Buttered Nibblits”. They were hilarious, and it was very easy to get there (and only cost this poor college student $1 to get in). On weekends that I don’t get off campus, which is most of them, what I do with my time depends on what time of the year it is. During volleyball season, my weekends are typically spent traveling with the team or just trying to catch up on the homework I couldn’t finish while trekking across Pennsylvania in a cramped bus. In season we also have a “48 hour rule” before games, which basically translates to a dry season. So, no drinking, just a lot of sober team bonding. Spring semester leaves me with significantly more free time and no rules about when I am required to be sober (aside from the basic, legal ones). Therefore most of my weekends are spent drinking in a dorm with a few friends, and then once we’re warm and mellow we wander around campus, meeting up with friends and joining random parties. It’s a different weekend college atmosphere than any school with frat houses or athlete houses, but it can be just as much fun. As long as you don’t hole up in your room and wait for the party to come to you, you’ll be well occupied during your weekend nights. - Rebecca S., a sophomore from New Jersey
A typical athletic weekend in the Spring here at Goucher means a few teams are home and a few are away. At this time of year it is not uncommon for us to have a home men’s lacrosse game at 1:00 pm with approximately 450 spectators in attendance, and a men’s and women’s tennis match that begins at noon. Students will normally stand at the fence for lacrosse games, and cheer on their friends and classmates. Fans at tennis matches are more subdued and they generally cheer for a specific friend. When the weather is nice it is normal for fans to sit on the grass and watch both contests. Our athletic facilities open up at 10:00 am on weekends so students will begin trickling in as they wake up and then traffic will become heaviest in our Cardio Fitness Center around 1:00 pm. Sundays are a big day for intramurals: soccer, ultimate Frisbee on the fields, beach volleyball in the residential quad. - Geoff Miller, Director of Athletics and Physical Education
I would like to warn you that this does not happen every weekend; it varies depending on how difficult my week was, or how lazy I feel on a particular weekend. Friday afternoon is usually my favorite part of the weekends. It usually feels like I have accomplished something during the week and a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. After my last class, I usually slide under my very warm and comfortable sheets and take a nap, not worrying about dinner, or anything else. I am a night owl, and it has not hurt me yet (and hopefully, I’ll get better at planning before it actually hurts me). But, I would not advise anyone to do the same because it’s probably not healthy. I am trying to do my homework on Friday nights to avoid a fatal situation; that is probably the best route to succeed at school, and still have an enjoyable weekend. Saturday morning I clean my side of the room, think about starting my homework, and get ready for fencing practice at 2. Afterwards it’s usually dark outside and I don’t usually want to go anywhere else, so I usually watch more movies until I fall asleep. When Sunday comes around, I am usually worried about not having enough time to do my homework (this happens every Sunday, and for some reason, I always have the same reaction…). Some Sundays I go to Church and others not, depending of how I feel. Nonetheless, Sunday is the most important day of my weekend because I have to get all my homework done for the next few days. - Sophia A., a transfer student from Florida (by way of Haiti)
Last semester, I was constantly going to parties held all over Baltimore in a bunch of different clubs. These parties are usually advertised on Facebook. At these parties there are a whole bunch of different college students from around the Baltimore area. I’ve met students from Loyola, Towson, and Morgan; we’ve had it poppin in the clubs few times and have become real cool with each other. However, I do think that the parties on campus are quite interesting. Last semester, HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Learning and Awareness) threw a glowstick reggaeton party down in the Gopher Hole and it was one of the best parties I’ve been to this year. There were students from Morgan and Towson mingling right along with Goucher students. Then sometimes I hear about a party thrown in someone’s room and that’s usually just everyone being packed in a room, drinking and dancing (not necessarily at the same time or in that order). You get to meet different people from different groups. You’ll find that you guys have a lot in common, and will ask each other “Why haven’t I met you before?” Then you guys will be hanging out (its extremely hard to stick-out and not find friends here). And some weekends I just like to chill with my friends. Sunday where the library is my home though, but that only because once I’m done with my Friday classes, school work becomes a secondary obligation. The library may sound boring, but I go there with friends and we chill out after a long weekend and get our work done. I think Goucher location is perfect because eventhough I am in the “Goucher Bubble” I find it easy to get out, allowing me to party hard and still keep my grades up. - Jenn I., a sophomore from Maryland