Much to the dismay of students, far too often the weekends are filled with one thing: studying. We groan from under a pile of books that there is nothing to do. There is, however, a program at Conn designed for just this issue. The Student Activities Council and the Office of Student Engagement & Leadership Education routinely fund events called “Get Out” trips — or GO — in which free transportation is provided for exciting off-campus trips. In the past, GO trips have included a Providence Bruins hockey game, productions of Spring Awakening and Sweeney Todd, shopping trips and a tour of the USS Nautilus nuclear submarine. There are also smaller trips, like an apple picking event on Sept. 21, and an excursion to Newport, RI on the last weekend of September.
The GO program provides both all-day events, such as the trip to Newport, and brief adventures, but all trips share the same goal. Cassandra Saimond ’14, director of the program, said that the aim of each trip is “for students to be able to get off campus” and to “learn about and enjoy the surrounding areas.” Each trip is unique and aimed for students to have fun in a low-stress and low-cost environment. Saimond explained that the GO trips also provide opportunities that students may not have otherwise, such as “going to the midnight premiere of Harry Porter in a rented out theater” or “going to Jersey Boys for a very discounted price.”
Each year the opportunities change and morph as directors try to discover what students are really interested in. Most events are located in the surrounding area, though some go as far as New York City. Trips are usually organized events, such as a show or an opportunity to shop and explore. In any scenario, the GO trips offer the benefit of presenting trips at a significantly reduced price. In addition, by going on the trips, students support school-sponsored events because they are planned by and provided for students.
On Sept. 29, students had the opportunity to travel for free to Newport, RI, a seaside city south of Providence, known as a beautiful summer destination. Newport is home to famous mansions, the Cliff Walk and Salve Regina University. For Brooke Safferman ’16, going on the trip to Newport was important in order to temporarily escape from the Connecticut College bubble. Newport makes for a special trip because it is “such a lively town with so much to offer” ranging from local treats such as Rosemary and Thyme Artisan Bakery and Island Books. It also provides “classic favorites such as Panera, Ben & Jerry’s and J Crew.” On the trip, Safferman hoped to have an enjoyable break from campus to view the boats and the water, and also a chance for leisurely shopping and walking. Saimond said that providing a trip to Newport at least once a year is important because it makes for a great day trip, and along with being a scenic environment in and of itself, also has a lot to offer such as shopping, museums and wandering.
Safferman suggested that future trips could be during a day when an event, such as a festival or an opening, would be going on in Newport so that there was more opportunity for structured events. She still went on the trip last year, and plans to go on any future Newport trips. Safferman relayed that the trip was not only time well spent, but also allowed her to feel rejuvenated and refreshed upon arriving back to Conn.
For some students, a daunting element of some of the GO trips might be the length; the trip to Newport, for instance, took from about 11 AM to 6 PM on Sunday. GO, however, also hosts shorter outings, such as a two-hour trip to Clyde’s Cider Mill in Mystic that took place on Oct. 6, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Students who are interested in these off-campus trips should sign up in Cro the week before each outing. Upcoming events include trips to the Fall Food Stroll on Oct. 16, Providence and WaterFire on Nov. 16 and the midnight premiere of Hunger Games: Catching Fire on Nov. 21. •
Consider volunteer work with a local nonprofit organization. A local horse rescue, Phoenix Rising Equine Rescue is having their Open Barn Celebration at their beautiful location on 1 Pinewood Road, North Stonington on November 10 from 12 p – 4 p. Come meet their rescues and fabulous volunteers. The event is free and there will be refreshments, a HUGE tag sale, a bake sale, facepainting, and music by Tom Majesky of the Cartells. They need volunteers and who knows you may decide volunteering to help them fills some of your time in a heartwarming way.