Students wish they were homeward bound

by Jack Sawyers

If you’re reading this, then chances are good that your bags arepacked, your laundry’s gathered, and home is on your mind.

At Simpson College, going home for the weekend seems to be notonly a tradition, but an expectation. By 6 p.m. Friday night, youcan almost see the tumbleweeds on C Street as campus becomes atwo-day ghost town.

Maybe it’s because the majority of us live less than two hoursfrom home. Or perhaps it’s just Indianola’s drab nightlife.

Whatever the case may be, students flee this place like ratsfrom a sinking ship come Friday afternoon.

It’s too bad, really, because the weekend is possibly the besttime we have as students to expand our social framework and havefun.

In fact, the weekend may be the only time for some of us when wearen’t buried beneath our suffocating class loads, work schedulesand other obligations.

So consider staying at Simpson for a change. You might just findthat there are a few things worth doing with your days off besidesvisiting the parents.

You could grab a crew and head out to Lake Aquabi for abarbeque.

A few pounds of hamburger, a Frisbee, and six or seven peoplemake for a great way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Invite that special someone from class you’ve had your eye onand you may just thank yourself.

If the great outdoors doesn’t float your boat, there are stillseveral alternatives to pass away the day.

Indianola’s neighbor, Des Moines, has literally thousands ofoptions.

You could spend all day downtown, browsing the hundreds ofshops. While you’re there, hit up the Salvation Army and grab somevintage duds. Then grab a latte from Java Joes and some dinner atthe Spaghetti Works before heading back to Indianola for theevening.

Once the streetlights come on, there should be no problemfinding something to do.

Stormy Nights is designed to provide entertainment to collegestudents at a reasonable price. Through this program, you can get amovie ticket for a paltry $2.

Signature’s Grill also offers a bit of fun for those who don’tmind being the butt of the joke. You can partake in karaoke onFriday or Saturday night.

Of course, there’s also the ever-present party option, for thoseof us who choose to booze on the weekend.

Enjoy this one at your own risk.

The point, my friends, is simple: Give Simpson a chance.

Make solid friends here – friends you can feel at home with.Pretty soon, you’ll find that Indianola starts to feel more likehome.

Then you might just find that you can go home for the weekendwithout actually going anywhere.