College Park, the town we all know and love. It’s hard to believe this humble town of 30,000 is home to one of Bobby Flay’s famous burger joints, bars within crawling distance, more than enough Chinese take-out restaurants and one beautiful college campus.
“College Park… the best seven years of my life,” a family friend of mine joked when I decided to embark on four years of college. What I intend to leave with, of course, is an education and a degree, however, I think any college student’s legacy would be more appropriately matched with a bucket list. Four years draw quickly to a close and seniors, juniors, sophomores and even freshmen, alike, ponder the things that would make for the best stories of their college careers.
Allow me to add that I am not suggesting a scene straight out of Dazed and Confused, but a few good memories of our beloved College Park could make for the University of Maryland student bucket list.
Jessica Herman, a junior journalism major, came to Maryland in the hopes of cheering on the Terrapins in victorious basketball seasons. As a senior in high school, Herman watched the Maryland versus Duke game as thousands of Maryland fans stormed the court after the big win led by point guard, Greivis Vasquez.
“By the time I graduate, I want to say that I watched the infamous Maryland versus Duke rivalry in the Comcast Center,” said Herman.
With the basketball season just around the corner, Herman can hope this bucket list wish will be crossed off next!
Alyssa Bonventure, a junior accounting major, is College Park’s food connoisseur. “I think it would be crazy to eat at every College Park food establishment. After a night out, I can attack another restaurant,” said Bonventure, who claims that although this is her goal, she can’t pass up a late night slice at Ratsie’s.
From great eats to great bars, College Park is a town with a motto: “Go big, or go home.” While some hope to grab a bite at every eatery, others hope to sip a drink at every bar.
“My senior bar crawl is definitely on my bucket list,” said Lacey Pincus, senior family science major, “It’s like a right of passage.” Unlike the others, this bucket list option is reserved for over-21-year-old seniors, but you’ll get there too!
Whether you plan on sneaking into Byrd Stadium, sitting on Testudo, falling asleep on the 6th floor of McKeldin, swimming in the fountain or consuming a box of take out at Shanghai, the options are endless but our time here, unfortunately, is not.