10 things to do in Bloomington before you leave

I didn’t have any sort of bucket list when I first came to IU. My plan was to get involved with student media and honors organizations, with some light entertainment on the side. My plan changed, of course, and as I became a staff photographer at the Indiana Daily Student, I found a more vibrant life at IU and Bloomington than I could have ever imagined before I started college. Here is a guide to the places you need to see while you’re here. Your own bucket list will change, as did mine, but this will get you started.

STUDENT SECTION AT ASSEMBLY HALL

I’ve never sat in it, but every time I look back from the court as I take photos, I get jealous. The face paint, signs and full-throated cheers create a home-court intensity that’s 100 times better than the crowd at your high school gym.

MUSICAL ARTS CENTER AND AUER HALL

Of course you need to see “The Nutcracker” and the Italian operas, but the Jacobs School of Music also organizes free events that you don’t need to plan for a year in advance. Professor David Baker puts on a jazz ensemble every few months, bachelor’s and master’s recitals happen all the time, and special guests like Todd Rundgren make a free appearance every once in a while.

EVERY RESTAURANT ON FOURTH STREET

If Siam House’s Thai food is any indication (it’s the only one I’ve been to), the other international restaurants on this street south of Kirkwood Avenue are the stuff of chef’s dreams. You should try everything, but I’ve heard especially high reviews for Anatolia and La Dolce Vita.

LAKE MONROE

This sub-headline is an oversimplifi cation. There’s also Griffy Lake, the IU Arboretum, Bradford Woods and a ton of other parks and green spaces for the times when you want to escape the academic routine. Prices range from cheap to free.

LILLY LIBRARY

The library, which is next to the IU Auditorium, has everything from John Ford’s Best Directing Oscars for “How Green Was My Valley” and “The Grapes of Wrath,” early 20th-century puzzles, medieval calendars, a large Abraham Lincoln collection, a Gutenberg Bible ... you get the idea.

LOTUS FESTIVAL

The Lotus World Music & Arts Festival is chock full of international culture. Normal prices hover around $30 and $50 for the two main nights of the festival, but a group trip with your dorm floor might lower the entrance fee to as little as $10. Whatever the price, you’ll get a long weekend of international music, food and art.

THE BARS

Of course, IU is known for its party culture, so if you feel like going out (and you’re old enough), you have a wide variety of places to choose from. You have Kilroy’s on Kirkwood for $2 everything on Tuesdays, whiskey at the Irish Lion and distinctive town vibes at the Offi ce Lounge and the Alley Bar. For the best combination of food, drink and tradition, watch a game and play Sink the Biz at Nick’s English Hut.

IU CINEMA

This new theater opened during my senior year, and I regret being too old to fully enjoy it. The venue, which opened to two packed showings of “Lawrence of Arabia,” features old Hollywood movies, archival footage, student projects and movies from the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction (for academic purposes, of course).

ROOF OF THE HERMAN B WELLS LIBRARY

Unfortunately, you can’t just go up there on a whim and have a picnic. Fortunately, if you get to know the right member of the library’s management, he can take you to see the view from atop either of the two towers. You’ll get to know the fl oors below enough, so mix it up one time and get a bird’s-eye view of campus.

RHINO’S ALL-AGES CLUB

The name deceives. The venue attracts an older crowd despite the lack of alcohol with
headliners like punk rock’s Against Me!, which can lead to moshing and stage-storming. Other popular venues include The Bluebird Nightclub and the intimate Root Cellar underneath FARMbloomington.