Late Night On Campus

For some reason I went out a lot late at night this week. Well, I know the reason, but that's a subject for another day. Let's just say I didn't feel like being around my roommate right then. I count going out late as anything past 11 pm. I think we can agree that that is fairly late for a night when I have classes the next day. Anyway, the first couple nights I went out I was clueless about what to do. I don't drink, so I wasn't very inclined to head over to a party or go hang around the bars. Instead, I decided to just walk around campus and see what there was to be found that late. Not suprisingly, most of the buildings were dark and locked up. I tried a few of them only to be rejected every time.

I did find some places to go though. It turns out that a bunch of the engineering buildings are open all night. MSEE is a notable one. It is the one right by the engineering fountain that has lots of big glass panes on the front. At night all the lights are on inside it and it is very easy to see. When I went over there, I found that some other people had the same idea as me and were studying in the main lobby. The elevated walkways connecting it to EE and physics were closed though.

I also found that Armstrong stays open all night. Well, kind of. Some of the doors get locked. The main ones and one of the ones on Stadium stay open, so you can get in if you really want to. Since I live in Hilltop, this was pretty cool for me, and I ended up wandering around in it for around an hour.

When I got hungry that late, I had quite a few choices. Cary Knightspot was a good one, since it is pretty close to where I live and it is open til one. McDonalds on Stadium and Northwestern was another good one. A few days after the first time I went out that late, I found myself over by Chauncy Hill. Taco Bell stays open that late. Hookah is also open. I probably would have gone there if I was a smoker. Most other food places are too far off campus for me to feasibly get to on foot at night.

After going to Taco Bell the second time I was out, I wandered around State street. Hicks undergrad library closes at 2 am or something, but I got to it after closing time. Stewart Center and the Union are open all night, but the food places in the Union are closed. It does have that large room on its first floor with lots of couches and armchairs and a big flatscreen tv though, so I stopped by it for a bit. Don't bother trying to go to other dorms that late, since they lock their outside doors at 11 pm.

Anyway, this is just me trying to give you all some tips on where you can go if you find yourself wanting to go out this late but you don't want to go get wasted. Even though I was walking around by myself at midnight, I didn't really feel unsafe or anything. We have a pretty safe campus and I was around lighted buildings for the most part. It would probably be better to go out with a friend, but if you can't find anyone willing to accompany you this late, fear for your safety shouldn't stop you from going.