By Lauren Rink & Kassidy Weemhoff | Echo
Keep an eye on campus events
Taylor often has outdoor events planned as a way to take advantage of the nice weather. Always be on the lookout for posters or announcements with details about upcoming events. Toasting marshmallows to perfection over a LaRita Boren Campus Center fire pit is never a bad option for a cool spring night.
Find some wheels
Scooters, longboards, bikes and roller-skates always make a return appearance when the temperatures climb on campus. If you don't own one of your own sets of these wheels, someone on your wing or floor would probably be willing to let you borrow his or hers. Sophomore Connor Legge loves rollerblading on campus with his friends.
"While biking and longboarding are great, no mode of transportation comes close to the pure joy one experiences when rollerblading," Legge said. "Nothing can beat a sunny day, group of friends and blades on your feet, shredding up the 'crete."
Get a group together and hit up the sidewalks of campus or the greater Upland community.
Make homework happy
When you have a lot to do, your first thought might not be to head outdoors, but Taylor is much more accommodating than you might think. There are benches and picnic tables scattered throughout campus for students to use. This gives you a chance to allow the fresh air to fill your lungs and clear your head as you tackle the last homework push of the school year. If you are strategic, you might even be able to find a shaded bench with a Wi-Fi connection.
Go on a walk or drive
Get off campus a little bit and explore Upland! Walking is a way to enjoy both the spring weather and a friend or two. You might even get the opportunity to connect with someone from the community on your walk. Not feeling the idea of physical activity? A great substitute is hopping in the car and going for a drive through the community. Nothing brings back the memories of summer like driving around with the windows down listening to some quality throwbacks.
Adopt a dog for a day
The Upland Humane Society has a program that allows members of the community to adopt a dog or cat for a few hours or for a day.
"All you have to do is walk in and ask if you can hang out with one of the dogs for a day!" said sophomore Gracie Hall. "It happens all the time and they say 'of course!' Then you go back and pick out your doggie for the day, and you take it back at 4."
Not only will this be an enjoyable experience for you and your friends, but it is also great for the animals to get away from the human society for a while.
Eat outside
All you need to do is carve out your spot with a blanket, gather some friends or hall-mates and snack together in the sun. Moving a Campus Center Southwest Salad date out onto the covered patio is another option for you. Whether you grab food at the Campus Center or prepare your own picnic, there are tons of spots on campus to enjoy a meal outdoors with friends.
Go Stargazing
Maybe you've noticed them when you've trekked to the dorm after finishing homework late at night or maybe you've never figured it out until now, but we have a breathtaking view of the stars of the Indiana night sky from virtually anywhere on campus. Grab a friend and a blanket and head outside. If you do some research before, you can even show off your knowledge of constellations. But most importantly, this is an awesome way to take some time to soak up God's creation.
