With the holidays nearing and all of the negative stigma circulating right now, it is good to take a step back and think about what we are thankful for. I am going to explain the top 10 things I am thankful for at this place I like to call home; Iowa State University.
1. Iowa State’s beautiful campus: Walking across campus looking at our historic buildings and the gorgeous scenery as a whole makes me smile. I can remember the first time I was on this campus thinking, “Wow, I cannot wait until I get to walk across this campus and call it my home.”
2. Parks Library:
I have a special place in my heart reserved for this library. All of the late nights studying, places discovered, and people met at “the lib” make it pretty special to me. There are so many places to choose from for studying depending on what mood you are in.
3. The variety of communities: From living in Linden my freshman year and loving it to moving out to Frederiksen Court to have more of an adult living experience, I have enjoyed every community I have been a part of. Whether you like living with one roommate in a residence hall, three roommates in off-campus housing, or a bunch of roommates in the greek community, there are plenty of options to make your living experience what you want it to be.
4. The location of campus: There are so many restaurants, grocery stores, and other places to occupy your time outside of classes in such close proximity to our campus. We’ve got Welch and companies on Lincoln that are a hop and a skip away from campus which makes it easy to join friends for lunch if you’re tired of the dining center food. It is also easy to get around Ames with Cyride.
5. Cafés:
I do not know how I would be making it through college without coffee. With that being said I am extremely thankful for all of the cafés Iowa State has around its campus. With 11 cafés to choose from, there is never a time that I cannot find somewhere to get that extra boost of energy needed each day.
6. Ice Arena: Specifically public skating from 8-9:30pm every Wednesday. It is only $5! The times I have been to public skating at the Iowa State Ice Arena have been some of my favorite. Watching people zoom around you doing tricks while you can hardly stay upright for two minutes may sound unpleasant, but the pain is only temporary and is equaled out by the fun.
7. The campanile:
Not only does the campanile add to the beautifulness of our campus, it is a symbol of happiness for me. Each time I hear the ringing of the bells I can tell how late I am going to be for class. Among many other things the campanile signifies, it will always be a part of campus that I will look back on and be able to think of how much I enjoyed my time at Iowa State.
8. Cyclone Cinema: What if you could see newly released, popular movies for no cost? Wait, you can at Cyclone Cinema! This late night weekly activity is such a great opportunity for anyone looking for something low-key to do on the weekends. With two showings every day, Thursday through Saturday, there are plenty of chances to spend your evening catching the newest films.
9. The 800+ clubs and events:
I have been in at least two clubs since the first semester of my freshman year. There are a huge number of clubs and events here for all types of people. Think of a passion you have and I am sure we have a club or event for it here at Iowa State. A lot of us are crazy busy with academics, but there is no shame in taking an hour out of your day to do something you enjoy.
10. Friends: Everything I am thankful for at Iowa State University had made my adventure even better by the people I have gotten it with. We all need a little alone time here and there, but having people to share all of the memories you are bound to make in college is something to cherish.
