College is challenging. Between keeping up with a full slate of classes, day-to-day chores and an ever-changing social life, most students find it difficult to pursue other endeavors. Nevertheless, if the academic challenges of college have been successfully met, students may try to tackle more adventurous activities. Consider the following:
The Food Lover’s Challenge
Enjoy every restaurant, from fast food to sitdown cuisine, within two city blocks of campus. This will take at least a year and a liberal budget, so pace yourself. Don’t forget — the multitude of residence hall and Erb Memorial Union dining options also count.
The Sports Fan’s Challenge
Who says Eugene is just a football town? There’s volleyball, women’s soccer and cross country in the fall; men’s basketball, women’s basketball and team stunts and gymnastics in the winter; and tennis, golf, softball, baseball, women’s lacrosse and
track and field in the spring. Grab your face paint and noisemakers and cheer on your Ducks in all forms of competition! Bonus points for watching either of the Oregon golf teams and team stunts and gymnastics, as their events are typically held far off campus.
The Club Sports Fan’s Challenge
Fandom isn’t only for varsity athletics. Club sports are an equally viable, low-cost option for supporting your Ducks. Lacrosse, rugby and hockey are among the more popular spectator sports.
The Outdoorsman’s Challenge
For starters, try climbing Skinner Butte and Spencer Butte, along with a visit to Pre’s Rock, within one day; no motorized vehicles allowed. Those craving more of a challenge can get their fix with the help of the University’s Outdoor Pursuits Program.
The Runner’s Challenge
Is completing Pre’s Trail (4.84 miles among all three loops) too light a workload? Try to duplicate the course of the 2010 Eugene Marathon, which begins at 15th Avenue and Agate Street and loops around the Willamette River before pulling in for a Hayward Field finish.
A word of caution: Traffic will be prevalent.
The Performance Artist’s Challenge
In addition to the various concerts, theatre performances and musical and dance recitals on campus, University students have WOW Hall, the McDonald Theatre and the Hult Center nearby. Rising cinema buffs can get their fix at the Bijou, Valley River Center, Gateway Mall or on campus at various screenings held throughout the year.
The Traditional Artist’s Challenge
On campus, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History are a stone’s throw from the dorms. Add Eugene’s Science Factory Children’s Museum & Planetarium and the Lane County Historical Museum; the more adventurous can visit such novelties as the Conger Street Clock Museum.
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Challenge mode
Daily Emerald
July 11, 2010
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