Of course, I’ve heard the phrase “with age comes wisdom” all my life: I’ve seen it embroidered on pillows, heard it circulated among grandparents the way phrases like “cool” and “groovy” are thrown around amongst us whippersnappers, heck, a guy who works at the mini-golf course near my house has it tattooed on his arm above what I can only imagine is a painstakingly accurate replica of his wisdom tooth (perhaps he was a dentist before he decided to pursue is inner Tiger?). By the end of your college career, you may not achieve “wisdom” but you do get a certain sense of clarity.
This week, my clarity is directing me to direct you to three hidden gems of the Hopkins campus. No, I’m not talking about bucolic spots or rare volumes. I’m talking about the little known secrets that operate on this campus that you see evidence for all the time (be it table toppers or Breezeway flyers) but which you probably never take advantage of.
APPT: I first stumbled on A Place To Talk my sophomore year during a rush event in AMR I: I opened a door to what I assumed was a bathroom only to find myself in a sanctuary decorated by what I can only assume to be a precocious preschooler. I didn’t return until this fall, when I showed up in order to discuss business for an unrelated club with a member who was currently on duty. What I found was everything from comfy and colorful pillows and blankets, board games, nail polish, candy, fruit rollups and most importantly, legitimately the nicest people on this campus, who take time out of their day to listen to your problems for free. Quelle deal, non?
Stressbusters: These trained members of Stressbusters hang out around campus, especially Café Q, on weeknights and give FREE massages. And, as if that wasn’t cool enough, once you get your free massage, you get a coupon to Café Q . . . but only after you get your free massage. Really, it’s an army of well trained students committed to de-stressing the Hopkins campus.
Quidditch: I know we’re not the most athletic campus, but this past weekend I found something that both surprised and delighted me. Hopkins has a Quidditch team. They play on the field in the freshman quad between the AMRs, facing off with other schools.
For those of you who have never been to a muggle Quidditch game, it’s played almost exactly the way it is in Harry Potter, only without magic. Three hoops stand at each end of the pitch, while decked out chasers and keepers and beaters waddle around with brooms between their legs attempting to pass and throw balls into the hoops.
And let’s not forget the snitch . . . which is not a winged ball, but an actual human being whose job it is to run around the field, climb trees, hop fences, etc., for the entirety of the game, the seekers attempting to grab a flag attached to his/her rear end.
If this sounds a little too fast-paced for your taste, don’t be alarmed: The entire match is commentated, so even though the players might zoom by, the action does not.
I am always a proponent of heading out into the city, but for those of you who think there is nothing new on this campus, think again. Like the proverbial ant hill, there is always something brewing under the surface — you just have to know where to look. So go forth, relax and let the games begin.
