Town and campus beg to be explored

Whether on campus or off, students can find their fill of lively, entertaining community events that help them get settled and showcase their new home’s cultural diversity.

Two big campus events taking place during Welcome Week are happening soon after the new-in-town crowd gets itself settled.

CultureFest  converges at Showalter Fountain to promote IU’s ethnic and racial diversity with music, food, art, special speakers and performances.

Taste of the Union will let new arrivals get a literal taste of the building that will become a focal point of their days over the next four years. The event features free food from the Union’s restaurants, plus activities like bowling, billiards, arcade games and the chance to win prizes.

Senior Nicole St. Pierre, the Union Board’s advertising director, said she hopes the board’s events will make it easier for new students to integrate into campus life.

“There’s just such a diverse mix of people and groups – there’s somewhere everyone fits,” she said.

The next string of campus-wide student activities occurs during Homecoming week, which starts this year with the Big Man on Campus breast cancer charity competition and ends with the traditional parade and pep rally.

Students should also make it a priority to venture off campus into the larger community, said Julie Ramey, the community relations manager for Bloomington’s Parks and Recreation Department.

“It can be difficult for students to stray beyond the Sample Gates because the campus seems so inclusive,” she said. “But an educational experience is the sum total of everything you see and do. Look beyond the classroom doors.”

The town’s own cultural offerings are always on display at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, which features live music and dancing in addition to fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses from local farmers.

The Fourth Street Festival also has live music and lets Bloomington show off its arts and crafts talent. The festival draws artists from all over the nation. Admission is free, as it is at all of the above-listed events.

Welcome Week events
CultureFest
Today at 4:30 p.m.

Taste of the Union
Tomorrow at 5 p.m.

Bloomington Community Farmer’s Market
Where: Showers Common at 401 N.
Morton St.
When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays in August and September; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in October and November

 
Fourth Street Festival
Where: Corner of Fourth and Grant streets
When: Sept. 5 and 6