Despite Emory being such a close-knit community with familiar faces all around, there is so much to do that it can often get overwhelming. However, before you graduate, you want to make sure that you have had a full, well-rounded Emory experience. You don’t want to walk out in a cap and gown and hesitantly answer ‘No’ when a random tourist visiting Atlanta asks you ‘Oh you went to Emory! Have you done …?’. Here’s a list that you can start with, and add more to-dos along the way.
1. Eat at every single restaurant at Emory Village – If you haven’t tried the California Roll at Wa Ga Ya or the Two-Egg Breakfast at Rise n Dine, you’re missing out. Emory Village (and Point, as well) has a gamut of cafes and eateries with mouth-watering menu options. They don’t accept Dooley though, so watch your budget.
2. Visit Glenn Memorial Church – No matter which religion you follow, the churches and chapels at Village are extremely beautiful for a one-time visit, in the least. It offers a safe, serene place to be by yourself and no one is going to force you to pray or sing a hymn. Evening masses are always convenient on Sundays, and you can always drop by at the chapel whenever you want.
3. Visit Clairmont – Emory itself is a bubble inside Atlanta, away from the main city, but Clairmont can very easily start to feel like a bubble within a bubble. The reason I ask you to visit Clairmont Residential Tower is that their apartments are differently structured, and its campus is vast, open and green. There are shuttles and safe rides running to Clairmont daily so transport will not be an issue!
4. Housing Tour! See the different housing options before you settle on one for Junior Year
5. Go for a run at Lullwater Park and Reserve – A run here is the early or twilight hours is perfect to calm your mind and soothe your soul. There are people taking their dogs out for a walk, meditating, lazing around with a picnic basket, or even bird-watching, looking out for the various different sounds. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to see a couple of deer and swans walking around. Visiting Lullwater post-midnight is an adventure on its own, so harness yourself with safety-gear and trek all the way to the middle of the park. There’s a cool, artsy monument near the lake that has graffiti on the walls – perfect for your aesthetic Instagram feed.
6. Attend or take part in Symposium – This immensely popular arts event is organized by The Pulse in association with Alpha Tao Omega, and incorporates music, dance, spoken word poetry, and art exhibits. More than a 100 people cozy up at the ATO backyard, munching on pretzels and soda, and socializing and vibing with the artists.
7. Measure the size of a Dobbs room – is it really as small as they say it is?
8. Attend an Open Mic Night at Kaldi’s organized by the University Centre Board
9. Have Dooley interrupt your class during Dooley Week – they say only if you’re really really lucky, like the fated one, will your class be the one that Dooley dismisses. Pray it’s Chem or Econ or something.
10. See a dance performance at Schwartz Centre – Emory Dance Company and other dance groups often put up multiple performances that are often underappreciated. Whether or not you’re a trained dancer or heavily into the arts, you’re bound to enjoy that one hour of purity and vulnerability that the performers bring to the stage. Some of it can be extremely inspiring.