15. Walk on the pier at Ontario Beach Park in Charlotte

I'm not often left speechless, but 30 minutes away from the RIT campus, there really is a beach! Let me repeat- if you take Scottsville (Road), get on I-390, get off after 15 minutes onto Lake Ontario State Parkway, there's sand! (Directions and photos below to prove existence) 

This past Saturday afternoon around 1pm, the beach was bustling with families along the water, leaving me to commandeer the rest of the beach's warmth and sand. 

Ontario Beach Park (also referred to as Charlotte Beach) hosts a multitude of activities, such as collecting shells, laying in the sun tanning (with an SPF higher than 30), and swimming. On the more exciting front, there is beach volleyball, picnic areas for families to grill out, and music from spring to fall with the park program's "Big Band Dance Series" and "Concerts by the Shore Series". 

One of the main draws for the beach is the pier. Whether you want to walk it alone, walk it with a loved one, roller blade it, or stand in the middle of it with a boombox on your shoulder with one defunct 80's rock song on repeat trying to learn all of the words (all factual observations at 1pm), the pier is like a stop clock (insert Clockstoppers reference?). The length of time one could spend on this pier is infinite, because it's all-consuming. Time ceases to exist, and using one's phone feels like an insult to the beauty of the nature surrounding you. Whether the water is still, or being ravaged by boats, the feeling one is experiencing something important is overwhelming. 

Long story short, as is with most of these posts- 10/10 would go again.

Endnote
Upon researching the beach for this post, I found an excerpt from the park's RocWiki page: "When the now defunct, Fast Ferry (which ended in 2006) returned from Toronto, it created a massive wake as it entered the Genesee river. For about 5 to 10 minutes, the beach shores at this park used to erupt with ocean sized waves (2 to 3 foot) which were actually well formed and fun to body surf. When the ferry left the wake was not traveling in the same direction and did not create the same effect." Surfing in Rochester, how cool is that? 

#3. Sit with the Corner Crew at a hockey game

Hockey is that thing we rally around at RIT, or at least try to. We have cruel taunts to opposing teams, clap, and scream to the point where it has become a culture. At my first Homecoming game at Blue Cross, I sat next to my RA, a second year at the time. He knew the claps and the chants, and I just stared in awe as to what I must learn. My favorite is when the opposing team’s goalie takes off his mask and you scream “Ugly Goalie” until he puts it back on and then cheer. Yes, it’s that bad. However maybe it’s not- we don’t have a football team, and somehow need to assert our sassy pride.

The personalities in the Corner Crew are cinematic- from the charismatic leader who leads every chant, attends every game, and I’m pretty sure is a professor here, to the kids who dress in orange morph suits and stand right next to the glass. Holding the American or Canadian flags during their respective anthems is the ultimate honor, and shaking one’s keys for the opposing team to “start their cars” the ultimate win.

If you don’t have a jersey, get out, and if you say “it’s all your fault!” 4 times when we’ve only scored twice, please go crawl in your hole until the next period. When you get excited over a mascot in between periods 1 and 2, know ahead of time you can’t order it as a panini, and yes, debit is accepted, so buy that cute upperclassmen girl her pretzel if you can spare it. Corner Crew is a community, a right, and an electric atmosphere- there’s a reason it’s #3, so “if you can’t hit the net, hit the ref”...just kidding, I’ll see you Friday. GO TIGERS.  

#12. Take Wines of the World I with Professor Lorraine Hems.

I love wine.



Wine is a brilliant compliment to just about everything: it makes your food better, makes your cozy movie night better, and sometimes even makes your company better.

I love whites, I love reds, I love sparkling, I have great disdain for boxed and ports.

When I was sixteen and sent in my Early Decision letter to attend this fine institution, I found out that they offered classes on wine, beer, and food and wine pairing. I heard rumors that the professor for these classes -Lorraine Hems- was amazing, and if you didn't take a class with her before graduating, you would be doing yourself a disservice. This is absolutely true.

I took Wines of the World I with Lorraine Hems during the fall semester 2013, and I am currently enrolled (and studying for my final) in Food and Wine Pairing. Each of these classes has enhanced my knowledge and appreciation for wine tenfold. There is something to be said about the ability to order successful accoutrements to meals, discern minute flavors or methods of fermentation, understand what others are talking about while at dinner/parties, and honestly just learn to love wine (more).

In Wines of the World, each class is two hours and devotes one day to one region/country/state. We covered California, Portugal/Spain, Argentina, Washington/Oregon, New York, Australia/New Zealand, Italy, Burgundy, and Bordeaux. In Food and Wine Pairing, the time is the same, and we covered earthy foods, desserts, cheese, butter, acidity, herbs and spices, smoky foods, and foods at the "peak" of freshness.


The final project for WotW is open to much interpretation- I redesigned a label and created an advertisement for Casillero del Diablo's Cabernet Sauvignon from Santiago, Chile (how APR), and for F&WP we have to create a four course menu with pairings we think go well, and explain why. There does not have to be a theme to these pairings, however something reminiscent of a holiday menu might be intriguing.

I must say, although classes for your major are important, diversifying your skill set and learning a little something about such a prominent social topic will undoubtedly be helpful for any professional field. Taking these classes has already elevated my life experiences- so do it, you won't regret it!

#59. Request a song or become a DJ at WITR-FM (89.7), the campus radio station.

Music is my life.

With this said, I have failed to become a DJ at WITR -the college radio station- so many times I feel I never will.

I have fully trained twice, I have loved everyone I've ever worked with, I have done some killer sets (in my own biased opinion), but at the end of the day, there's only 24 hours to accomplish everything you need. There's even less time to accomplish everything you want. A research team should do a poll on the average college student's 128 hour week breakdown. (Ex: look at this week's gem)

Regardless of this tangent, WITR is something I want to do.
Bonding over music is one of the most human experiences we can have. The relationships formed are real, because music reflects your deepest values, preferences and mental and emotional stimuli. If I find someone who loves Twenty One Pilots, Chromeo, The Black Keys and Barenaked Ladies, I feel comfortable and become exceedingly animated towards them. I understand more about their character than I would if we had been discussing our family dynamics, and that's amazing.

*On a side note, if I find someone who likes Ke$ha, The Lonely Island, Wes Anderson soundtracks and Reel Big Fish, I know I have found my soulmate.

                                       Training for a radio station is the most:
Terrifying
Ego-inflating

Exhilarating
Anxiety-producing
Electric experience I have ever encountered.

Sheer fear temporarily paralyzes you before taking the sound board, and then you look over at your stack of CDs and realize your two decades of musical obsession has prepared you for this exact moment.

If you mess up a song title, accidentally play dead air, even have to scramble to press the "dump" button to bleep out an uncatalogued swear word, all is easy to remedy and far worth the anxiety.

I don't know if you have a show on WITR, or you think the music is too eccentric, it's far too eclectic to be completely eccentric, and if it interests you slightly you should try. Alas, it might not be too late for either us.

#62. Have your picture taken riding the tiger statue just south of Kodak Quad.

Penn State has the Nittany Lion; RIT has the Tiger. For some reason, parents forcing prospective students to take awkward pictures riding the tiger statue by Kodak Quad has become a rite of passage at our institution.

My personal anecdote to this rite is that when I came as a PS, I didn’t want anyone to know. I stood awkwardly by the tiger, and completely hid my orange folder (PSs are often referred to as “Orange Folders” for the information packets they don throughout the day, First years are often referred to as “Lanyards” for the intense dedication they have to keep their IDs safe). Although my mom seemed sad I wouldn’t ride it, I don’t have a stigma about looking like weird- just look at the collection I’ve created since (many of which have been Facebook profile photos). However, as an intimidated and excited-beyond-all-measure seventeen year old high school senior, I couldn’t in the right mind get on the tiger and smile with all the “cool” college students around.

Do I regret this decision?

A bit, I would love to see my expression and relive what I felt the first time I visited my future home.

Still, none of the students would care. RIT isn't your average campus, and we're not your average student body. Honestly, we're kind of weird, and having gone here for three years now, I've forgotten that a normal world exists outside the "RIT Bubble". Outside Henrietta, razor scooters are not socially acceptable modes of transportation, showering is a deal breaker, people don’t fall on the floor laughing over math jokes, and I see why people never leave.

The tiger statue has seen its fair share of immature pranks, and I myself have clearly accosted it on numerous occasions. With this said, the tiger exists in the center of campus as a symbol of unity. He reminds us that we’re all under with similar drives to succeed, to fight through the crazy workloads, reach our potential and remember this time as the best 4/5 years of our lives.

If I can sum up my first year at RIT in a photo, riding a tiger in a horse mask carrying a crutch as a sword is probably pretty accurate. This campus changes you, it breaks you down and pummels you so much so you are forced to either fight back or drown, it lets you embrace your truest form and meet some of the best, daftest people in the world. This isn’t all thanks to the statue, but I’m sure he helps. 

#96. Grab a free T-shirt. There are always free shirts floating around campus for different events.

In college, free t-shirts are more precious than gold. In college, free anything is more precious than gold.

At RIT, I covet free swag more than a first year covets meal options. I have gotten pens, lanyards, stuffed animals, more pulled pork and cheeseburgers than my body will ever need, and so much more.



Alas, there is nothing quite like rolling up to class drinking your coffee and water from free thermoses and bottles, wearing free obnoxiously colored sunglasses, listening to your music from free ear buds and keeping warm from the wind in a free scarf/glove combination.

I am clearly not a big proponent of being serious in my writing, so for this pots, I have decided to take a seemingly playful subject -free swag- and turn it into something philosophical and inspiring. So here goes:

THE 3 PILLARS OF FREE SWAG

1. Campus Involvement:

Going to an event where free things are given away (much like the shirts to the right and left of this paragraph) amplify the atmosphere. In addition, if t-shirts are given away, students will wear them and awareness for the even will circulate. Students can become inspired to get involved because of a shirt they receive (i.e. join CAB because of SpringFest), and at the same time they're representing their college everywhere they go.


2. Friendship & Bonding:

Freshman year, my floor and I went to everything to explore what the campus had to offer, as well as escape the confinement of dorm rooms. Dorms are microcosms of the real world, but eventually they end up turning into "The Real World." My floor was a dramatic reality show where everyone knew everything about everyone and exhaustion-caused-insanity runs rampant. Going to events, you share common experiences, and create memories which can become traditions to carry you through your college years.


3: Excitement: 

Obtaining free swag produces a similar result in your brain to, say, eating chocolate. In the beginning it's all you want, you consume it, you have a brief, albeit intense sugar high, and then you crash because you're over the shirt and don't need to wear it for a while. In a more direct comparison, it's like being given a gift for absolutely no reason other than being a student.


To summarize, if you haven't given in to the free swag train- hop on, it's completely worth it. If you don't believe me, take the 99 Things challenge and it will happen naturally.

#54. Walk on the pedestrian bridge over the Genesee River (across from Frontier Field) to see High Falls

If there's one "Thing" you have to do on the list of 99, it is hands down to see High Falls.

Located in Downtown Rochester, just east of the Kodak Building, High Falls is a waterfall which goes into the Genesee River. The best part is the Pont de Rennes, the pedestrian bridge which spans the depth of the falls, as well as the nearby Genesee Brewing Company, which I've heard makes some high class beer. In fact, there is a rooftop restaurant at the Brewery with a spectacular view of the city and the falls. Regardless of beer preference, the spot itself would be worth a visit.

There is something to be said about those views you come across in your town that make you feel happy- like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. First stepping onto the walking bridge is cinematic. The vast expanse of the river overwhelms your ears, and if it's a beautiful, sunny day (see above), High Falls is quite the spectacle. 

Upstate New York has a ton to offer in terms of outside entertainment- I’m from Binghamton, so although it isn’t too far away, I knew nothing about Rochester until I came to school. Thanks to the 99 Things, Urbanspoon, Yelp and other various Google searches, I have had no shortage of wonderfully unique experiences. Although I have been accosted numerous times for having never eaten a Garbage Plate (soon, I promise), gone to Liberty Hill (President Destler's house- my dream), seen a movie at the Little Theatre or attended the Lilac Festival, I have been to High Falls, and that's exciting enough for now.