Andrea Agola

Through the year, there have been a number of times when I am studying in the library and receive a call from my dad and other family members. As we all know, the library is usually a quiet space with exceptions for first floor blobby (baker lobby) and a few other spaces. I usually don’t study in these more social spaces unless I’m working on a group project, so I always have to find a place to pick up these important calls from family. I don’t remember exactly when I started inhabiting the window ledge in-between second and third floor Berry. The cute little window ledge is the perfect size to hop in, sit and gaze outside whilst taking a call. Be mindful though, voices easily carry in the stairwell so I always make sure to keep it a notch above a whisper so that I don’t get anyone out of their study focus. 

Towards the end of winter term, I was meandering around Sanborn library after a study session when I stumbled across my spring writing seminar professor’s office. Even more interesting, was that right outside his office was a little table of books lined up. A purple flyer was pasted above them that read: “Sharlet’s Web of Terrific Books…Terrific because *they’re free*...review books, used books, well-read ones, never read ones, extra copies, please-take-my-copy-ones.” I will be taking Professor Sharlet’s creative nonfiction seminar called “Investigative Memoirs” next term and finding this treasure only spurred on my already present excitement for his class. The flyer claimed that these books were like “Imaginary gardens with real toads/ In them.” Next to the books, a little notebook laid open featuring an array of notes from people who had taken books. After perusing through the great collection, I joined the others on these pages by explaining that I had chosen Alice Walker’s “In Search Of Our Mother’s Gardens.”

Okay, this one may seem a bit odd to you and you may be wondering why a bus should be included in the hidden gems tour. Well, the last few months of winter have taught me that not only can temperatures dip to -42 degrees farenheight, but that a lot of students have no idea that there is a hop-on-hop-off bus system or how to use it. The campus connector and it’s accompanying BusWhere app are pretty reliable and extremely helpful. Since I live in “the river” (Judge hall), I am farther away from main campus so taking the bus to escape the cold was amazing over the winter. The campus connector runs all year, every day of the week and has about 9 stops across campus. I felt like a celebrity during winter tem when my notificantions would be blowing up as friends contacted me to find out how to use the bus. So, if you don’t want to be like them, try and experience the bus system before it’s an emergency.