Due to things like expenses, athletics and convenience, some students will stay on campus during Spring Break.
While classes are out for the week, university housing will remain open, but the caf and Alvin’s Café will close.
The Dulaney-Browne Library will close Saturday and Sunday but will operate during the weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Dexter Hudson, tuba performance sophomore, said he is content to stay inside and relax during the break.
“I stayed around here last year during Spring Break, and I enjoyed recuperating,” Hudson said. “It was nice to finally take a mental break.”
Oklahoma Children’s Theater scheduled a spring theater camp during the break, since the week lines up with Oklahoma public schools’ Spring Break.
“I will stay in my dorm and work at the children’s theater instead of going home,” said Caroline Hawthorne, acting freshman. “I’m apparently going to be teaching a magic class.”
The baseball team will stay on campus to practice for their game against Southwestern Christian at 6 p.m. March 18 at Jim Wade Stadium.
“The first weekend of break is parents’ weekend,” Junior Pitcher Ken Williams said. “Other than that, I’ll be hanging out with my teammates and catching up on sleep.”
Though some other athletes get time off for the break, the wrestling team plans to keep conditioning and working.
“We all better work out over the break,” Freshman Wrestler Daniela Flores said. “You know we’ll all be eating a lot, especially if we’re around campus without school.”
Since dining options on campus are closed, student can use the Stars Advantage program to receive discounts from businesses near campus.
Visit MediaOCU.com to learn more about the program and see discount options.
There are other nearby activities for students staying on campus to do during Spring Break, such as:
– The Oklahoma City Thunder will play two home games. The first is against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7 p.m. Friday and the second game is against the Portland Trail Blazers at 7 p.m. Monday. Both games are at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave. Tickets can be bought at ticketmaster.com, nba.com or stubhub.com. Ticket prices vary.
– The Myriad Botanical Gardens in Bricktown, 301 W. Reno Ave., features a 17-acre botanical garden that includes the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. The conservatory is a 224-foot living plant museum featuring palm trees, tropical plants, waterfalls, and exotic animals. The outdoor gardens are free, but admission to the conservatory is $8.
– The Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, presents three to four museum-organized exhibitions, including national and international traveling exhibitions. The museum also has rotating exhibitions such as Illuminations: Rediscovering the Art of Dale Chihuly, featuring blown glass from the American artist. Students tickets are $10 with a current student ID.
Many members of the campus community encourage students to spend time outside during the break.
“Ordinarily, I’d recommend walking in nature, even on campus, as much as possible to appreciate the budding trees,” said Dr. John Starkey, religion professor. “The trees are already budding this year, but I’ll still probably spend most of my time with them. The other day, I found a Shumard Oak acorn near Walker Hall. They are beautiful and rare in these parts, so I was excited to find out that we had a Shumard on campus.”
One student recommends an off-campus outdoor destination.
“The Wichita Mountains have great hiking trails and camping areas,” said Alanah Hosford, cell and molecular biology sophomore. “If you’re into scrambling up rocks, it’s the place to go.”
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, 20539 state Highway 115, has 15 miles of designated hiking trails through an oak forest where hikers can see wildlife such as bison, prairie dogs and birds. The refuge is free to enter.
“I’ll be going camping at Turner Falls for a few days with some other Fijis,” said Carlos Sanchez, English freshman.
Turner Falls Park in Davis, Okla., features a 74-foot waterfall, rock castles, picnic sites, hiking trails, swimming areas, and caves. Admission is $4.
Rachel Necessary, acting freshman, will be gone during Spring Break, but has suggestions to offer to those unable to leave campus.
“Go swimming in the Cokesbury pool,” Necessary said. “I also recommend dizzy races on the quad, where you spin around a bunch and then try to run in a straight line.”
By: Lifestyles Editor Sage Tokach, Web Editor Maleyia Vaughn and Emily Wiley, editor-in-chief.
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