My name is Juliette Nguyen and I am a 1L at KU Law. I have had many recent conversations with my classmates who did not attend KU for their undergraduate degree. It appears that there are students not familiar with the Lawrence area that would like to know more about what this town has to offer outside of the law school.
Many KU students will tell you a major reason they enjoy going to KU is because of Lawrence itself. The American Institute for Economic Research ranks Lawrence ninth on its list of the 75 best college towns. Simply knowing that Lawrence is a great college town is not enough for you to be able to find things to do, especially if you are trying to stick to a budget. To solve this problem, I will give you a few tips on what things Lawrence has to offer for people on a budget.
Student Union Activities (SUA)
SUA is a student organization that is known for planning events for the entire KU community. On certain weekends, students can attend free cosmic bowling courtesy of SUA. People can watch movies at the Union for $2 with a KU ID. It is only $3 for the general public. Their website has a list of movie times and dates. A few upcoming movies for this semester are: Sex and the City 2, Toy Story 3, Predators, Dinner for Schmucks, Inception, and Eat Pray Love.
SUA also hosts celebrities to come and perform at affordable prices. Recently many students attended a sold out show of the comedian Aziz Ansari at the Lied Center. Another celebrity that will be coming to KU is the famous Hip Hop Artist B.o.B. on October 7. If you like slam poetry, SUA is bringing the “Dynamic Duo” to campus on October 4 for free.
www.suaevents.com
Movies
I have had students ask me if there is a movie theatre in Lawrence. The answer is yes. Southwind 12, located on south Iowa Street, offers many movie choices. Since it is not a very big movie theater, people often drive about 30 minutes to Olathe for dinner and movie. Liberty Hall on Mass. Street also offers movies, but they tend to offer more Independent Films.
Massachusetts Street
You will come to know it as Mass for short. I assume by now that many of you have already experienced what great things Mass has to offer. If you have not, then I highly recommend you do so as soon as you get a chance. Among the numerous local bars, Mass also has great local restaurants and shops. These stores often have specials on certain days or discounts, so just do a little research before hand. Mass is also a great place to get coffee or ice cream on a nice day and just walk down the street. You will always see interesting people sitting around Mass.
KU Recreation Services
It is popularly know as the Rec. If you have not had a chance to go to the Rec, then you may not know it has a lot to offer outside of workout machines. There are basketball courts and racquetball courts. Don’t have a basketball or racquet? You can rent basketballs and other equipment at the Rec for free. When you enter, you will immediately notice the rock climbing wall which is open from 4:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. You simply sign up; the Rec has shoes and harnesses for you to rent for free. If you would like to take a break from your homework, then you should attend a KU Fit class. Individual classes cost $3 or you can purchase semester long pass for $50. The Rec also has a variety of intramural sports available. These activities can help you relax for a bit from the stress or give you something to do during any free time.
www.recreation.ku.edu
Juliette Nguyen, 1L