Some of us enjoy crowding into tiny dorm rooms and fist pumping until two AM. Others, however, are underwhelmed by the party scene and overwhelmed by headaches and nausea on Sunday morning. But what other options are there? Architects may not want to spend every weekend night bonding at Bond, and the rest of us may not want to spend Saturdays studying it up at Club Hes.
The good news is that Notre Dame has much to offer to creative souls who crave alternative adventures on weekend nights. If you are part of the 99.9% of the Notre Dame student body who likes to sing, go sing “Soaring, Flying” while swinging on the Sorin porch. Then, sprint through Stonehenge and the Reflecting Pool. There may not be water, but that’s a minor detail.
If you are lured to North Quad by the music blasting in Zahm, feel free to have your own dance party outside on the grass. You will actually have space to move, and you will elicit giggles and stares from those passing by. After you have sufficiently warmed up your dancing feet, swing by Swing Night at Lafun and learn how to perform a Pretzel. Then, go eat a pretzel, because you will have worked up an appetite.
If you want to relive your childhood days, venture out to the playground at the Morris Inn and take a ride on the slide. Then, lace up your skates at Compton and show off your skills. If you’re like me, you’ll think you know how to perform an Axel spin because you watched “Ice Princess” eight times. Unfortunately, it will not seem as easy as Michelle Trachtenberg made it look and you will end up falling on your butt. It’s okay though, because after hobbling off the ice, you’ll have an excuse to sit and sip hot cocoa.
While taking it easy on the bench, you’ll spot a Folk Choir poster and make the best decision of your life by deciding to go to the Concert of the Missions. You’ll forget about your throbbing ankle and sprint to the Basilica to procure a place in the front pew. In my entirely unbiased opinion, the Folk Choir concert will be the highlight of your night. It’s not like I’m in Folk Choir or anything.
After the show, you’ll be inspired to dust off your guitar and have a jam session with your friends. If you prefer to sing solo, you can learn how to harmonize with yourself by singing three notes at once. It is a difficult skill to acquire, so it may take hours of practice. However, it is a highly sought-after skill in the job market, so it will be a worthwhile investment.
After your throat is sore from belting out ballads, you’ll pop a throat lozenge in your mouth before popping up some popcorn. You’ll lie on the floor with your roommates and attempt to watch Lord of the Rings for the third time without falling asleep. Per usual, though, you’ll fall asleep as soon as they make it to the Mines of Moria and never find out if they escape, though you can infer that they make it out alive since there are two more books in the series.
You’ll wake up on Sunday morning with buttery fingers, feeling surprisingly rested and ready to tackle Stats. While walking to the library, each landmark you pass will remind you of a different adventure you had last night. You’ll smile to yourself, and the people you pass will wonder if you’re smiling at them and try to remember how they know you. They won’t realize that you were the girl dancing outside of Zahm.
