McNaughton: Stop and smell the roses
Students should take time to enjoy life, culture
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
With work, classes, homework and trying to get the occasional few hours of sleep, that rare free time we as students are allotted should not be taken for granted. That is assuming of course that we are all responsible with our time and studious enough, to the point that procrastination never found its way into our vocabulary and free time is rare.
As we get older our tastes change in music, food and how we spend our time. They go from Barbie Dolls and G. I. Joes to beer and textbooks. As much as we all justify our late nights out as a reward for a week spent working hard and studying, every once in a while it’s nice to put the shot glasses aside and experience the other things Lawrence and surrounding cities have to offer on the weekends.
Whatever your taste in music, the various bars and venues around Lawrence provide a diverse scene where your chances of finding an artist or group that fits your preferences are high. The Bottleneck and The Granada host various local and mainstream artists. But also in Lawrence, you are able to experience the other end of the music spectrum if you so please.
The Lied Center’s event calendar always contains some form of music, be it the upcoming opera or symphonic band. I myself went to my first opera at the Lawrence Arts Center a few weeks ago. Honestly, it wasn’t the best two and a half hours spent on a Friday night, but it’s good to experience different genres of music.
If you’re just looking for some good grub, there are more than 150 restaurants or fast food places around town. Massachusetts Street contains a wide array of eateries, with five new restaurants added since the summer. From Greek and Latin American to Southern and Thai, something is bound to wet your palate. Instead of the typical Pita Pit or Pizza Shuttle, if you’re going to go exotic, put a little spice in your life!
A couple months ago, USA Today did a feature on Kansas City’s Power & Light District. Within a nine-block radius, restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues are being developed. The recently completed Sprint Center is also in this area. The first restaurant opened recently.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which recently underwent a $200 million expansion, hosted the Kansas City Symphony, which I attended this past weekend. It was better than the opera, might I add, and I even knew one of the songs. Granted, only because it was from “Father of the Bride.” I was still excited to hear something familiar. I even appreciated my art history class for the first time, when we walked around the museum and I recognized pieces and various artists.
I’m sure this sounds like a visitors’ guide or an excerpt from The Pitch, but I promise you it’s not. With our busy schedules and desires to put the work week behind us, sometimes we all take for granted the finer things in life. Whether they be art, music, food, family, friends or even yourself.
When was the last time you were walking around campus and looked around and appreciated the colors and natural beauty that the fall leaves bring? As we are expanding our minds, we must not to forget to do those things that are just good for the soul.
If art or history’s your thing, instead of waiting in line at the Underground then looking for a table for 20 minutes, grab an early lunch and instead take your break at the Spencer Museum of Art or Dyche Hall. Attend a lecture around campus or go swim at Robinson instead of your usual two-mile run at the rec. As important as all of our papers and tests, or for some, football games and beer are, don’t take for granted the many things there are to experience and possibly become a part of in and around Lawrence and Kansas City during your time here at KU.
McNaughton is a Topeka junior in journalism.
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