EIU puts on a lot of different events all throughout the year. Starting my freshman year, I mostly rolled my eyes at all the various events. I thought that if I didn’t go to school sanctioned events all that much in high school, then I wouldn’t continue with it in college. 

I was almost able to get away with not going to anything, but my wonderful RA freshman year was always putting on events. At first, I was reluctant to go to the things she was putting on, but I knew it was important to at least try out what she had.  

After the first couple events, I was really enjoying my time. I was able to meet people on my floor and understand my building so much better. It made a world of a difference for my freshman year experience.  

One of my favorite events that my RA put on was a Paint and Sip. She decorated the common area of my dorm hall with cute pink tablecloths and little plastic champagne glasses. We had sparkling cider and were able to pick out which painting we were going to do. It was so much fun especially for the rainy day that it was.  

Since then, I’ve been trying to experience as much as I can while I’m in college. Usually, events are posted on billboards inside buildings. However, I’ve found that Coleman is the most up to date with all the various events around campus. This as well as the Eastern Illinois University Snapchat story.  

It is a wonderful way to meet people and make new friends, as well as learn a new thing or just have fun. Sometimes you just need something to fill the weekday evenings and EIU has something going on almost every night.  

Just recently I went to an event for Latino Heritage Month where I learned how to make pupusas. They are a wonderful stuffed griddle cake from El Salvador and Honduras. Ours were filled with beans and cheese. It was so simple to make and so delicious. Had I not gone to this event I wouldn’t have learned how to make this wonderful food and celebrate a culture that I did not know much about.  

There is so much to learn while in college and not just with classes. EIU does a wonderful job of giving you opportunities to discover new cultures, hobbies and activities. It is a great way to get a well-rounded education while you’re here. I would recommend browsing through Coleman’s lobby or EIU’s Snapchat story and pick out something that looks interesting to you.

Elise Keane is a sophomore neuroscience major. They can be reached at 581-2812 or at eskeane@eiu.edu.