For the past five weeks, I have been working as a camp counselor here in ?Bloomington.
Since clickbait is all the rage these days, I’m going disseminate what I’ve learned so far into a list of five lessons gleaned from spending part of my summer here when most of the student population ?is away.
First, Kirkwood is deserted. If you have ever walked down Kirkwood Avenue on any given weeknight during the school year, especially on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, you notice the perpetually long line to get into Kilroy’s and the general crowds of people on the street.
The summer paints a different picture. The gentleman taking cover at Kilroy’s has little business, people on the streets are a rarer sight and businesses close early, even on Friday.
Second, there are still plenty of things to do. I’ve seen more stand-up at the Comedy Attic in the past few weeks than I saw during my first year of college. The Cardinal Stage Company put on “Hairspray,” which I unfortunately didn’t get to see.
The Player’s Pub has a local musician showcase every Monday night. While there is not quite as much going on in Bloomington during the summer, there is still plenty to do and see.
Third, Working out is easier. If part of the reason you hate working out at the Student Recreational Sports Center is because of the crowds, then summers in Bloomington are perfect for you — unless you used it as an excuse to not work out. I was able to get on most machines with little to no waiting.
If Zumba and other group exercises are your jam, group exercise programs during the summer still occur. No excuses, people.
Fourth, The buses aren’t particularly reliable. This item shouldn’t be particularly surprising to anyone.
When there are fewer people on campus for fewer hours, there are fewer buses, and they don’t run as long. This applies to both campus buses as well as city buses — at least past 10:00 — so watch out.
Fifth, This is a unique opportunity to see the real Bloomington. When the semester is in full swing, and you have two papers and a project due next Tuesday, it becomes hard to remember Bloomington is not just IU.
When driving past the mall the other day, one of the people I was with was surprised to see a faith center for his religion, Baha’i, here. He quickly took out his phone and snapped a picture.
It reminds me Bloomington is an incredibly diverse place, even when students aren’t on campus, and when students leave for the summer they take with them the distractions that keep Bloomington under-explored and underappreciated.
mccinkos@indiana.edu
