Everyone says that college is a great time to try new things.  Cliché as it is, they’re right.  CSM is an amazing place to have this opportunity.  They offer a wide array of activities weekly and monthly, and they have so many clubs that during Celebration of Mines back in September (an exhibition of all of Mines’ extracurricular activities) the school ran out of space for booths on Kafadar Commons.  There is no better place to try out whatever new activities you’ve always dreamt about.  For me, one of those activities is live performance.  I have been participating in Open Mic Night which is hosted by the “Anonymous Right Brains” club and held at Higher Grounds Coffee shop only a few blocks from campus.  It is a place where poets, instrumentalists, and singers can come and share whatever they feel passionate about. 

I have also taken up dancing.  There are numerous genres of dancing that the school makes it easy for students to participate in.  Generally each dance begins with half an hour or so of lessons to get everyone comfortable with the steps and with each other.  When I say dancing, I want to make it clear that I’m not talking about the Cha-Cha Slide, as fun as that is.  Some of the dances, like Contra, are so old-fashioned I was having Pride and Prejudice flashbacks the whole time, and other dances, Swing, would have been at home in the twenties.  Before I came to CSM I never would have said that I enjoyed dancing, but now I’m getting to enjoy it so much that it may as well be a hobby.  One issue that most people worry about when they’re considering going to a dance at Mines is the dreaded Ratio, but fellas, take my advice, at dances there are plenty of times when girls far outnumber boys.  Going to random events that you never thought you would enjoy in high school can be great fun in college, as well as a fantastic way to get active and socialize with a lot of other students.  One of the dances even had a drawing for prizes; my friends and I walked away with most of the winnings (since we’re just that awesome) including a DVD of The Sandlot.

Zombie invasion strike force

It seems as though each and every time my friends and I mention having nothing to do, we end up swamped with more activities than we know what to do with.  Everything that you can participate in at Mines is a lot of fun, whether you go with friends or by yourself, and whether you know what you’re doing or not.  This month Humans versus Zombies is about to begin and we’re getting stocked up on marshmallows, socks, swim noodles, and nerf. (The H.v.Z. rulebook will also tell you that zombies can be stopped by incredible dance moves and/or beatboxing, so I suggest you start practicing)  There’s never a dull moment when you know that at any second a horde of zombies could swarm around the corner.

The chillest club on campus