If you are like a majority of the students attending SLCC, you are most likely balancing your classes with the responsibilities of work and family. Sometimes you may have a few minutes between classes, or you may have a few hours between classes. If you are part of the latter, you may be asking “what’s there to do on campus aside from eating and shopping for supplies?”
Well, there are a few things than can be done to kill time, as well as allow you to explore the campus where most of your classes are held. All of this information is based on my experiences at both the Taylorsville Redwood and South City campuses.
Browse the bulletin boards
The best place to start is to take a look at the bulletin boards. At first, you may see a bunch of advertisements for people selling old textbooks or apartment rentals, but if you take a closer look, you can comes across events that range from art galleries at the Center for Arts and Media, guest lectures in The Oak Room at Redwood, or best of all, events that offer free food. You’re a cash-strapped college student, not having to pay for lunch is always an added bonus.
Guest lectures
Going to a lecture when you’re taking a break may not sound like fun. However, many of these lectures and discussions cover topics that aren’t normally addressed in most classes, and are sometimes presented by visiting professors from around the world. They can range from cultural discussions and presentations, such as with the annual Taste of Asia event, or can discuss societal issues, such as Associate Professor Kiyoshi Haida’s lecture on how Japanese schools encourage students to learn English even though most Japanese citizens don’t need to use it in their daily lives.
Art shows and galleries
The inclusion of temporary art galleries is a moderately new addition to the roster of events, as the Center for Arts and Media now have a designated space for them. For example, the building was recently host to a gallery displaying the paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo last spring. Looking at paintings and learning about the artist who made them is a worthwhile experience, especially if you are pursuing a degree and career in the arts.
Movies or live events
Not a fan of lectures? Don’t really care for art? Not to worry, there are also film screenings and live bands to be found. During the summer, Student Life and Leadership hosted free outdoor evening screenings of recently released films, and the Resonance Club hosted the Bearfoot Music Festival at South City Campus. To kick off the new school year, Ball in the House will be performing at Taylorsville Redwood, South City and Jordan campuses.
This is only a small portion of the options that exist on campus for SLCC students, most of which are usually free to attend. Simply put, it never hurts to take a look around and see what you might find. You never know what you might learn nor how that knowledge could prove useful in the future.
