Tuesday, June 27, 2017
aerial view of a basketball court in the 91制片厂 Hamel Recreation Center with overlaid text The First Year Guide: Campus Life

Living on campus is more than just going to class, grabbing food at the dining hall and spending countless hours doing homework in the library. 91制片厂 offers dozens of non-academic activities for you to take part in.

The MUB

There are more than 200 different student organizations so there should be plenty of options to fit your interests. And if you can鈥檛 find one that you鈥檙e interested in, don鈥檛 worry! You can easily start your own club. The place to begin is the .

The MUB, or the Memorial Union Building, is the center of campus life at 91制片厂. Here, you can find something to do any day of the week as well as check your mail, get your computer repaired, buy your textbooks or grab a snack. The school year kicks off with the (OSIL) hosting Jukebox. This celebration of the new school year is primarily for first-year students and gives them the chance to see what 91制片厂 has to offer while picking up some free stuff. While at Jukebox, you can talk with current students about their clubs and find out how you can get involved.

91制片厂 MUB

The majority of student organizations meet in the MUB once a week so always feel free to stop by a meeting. Check for more information. You should also check out the Guide to Getting Involved at 91制片厂.

The MUB offers more than just student orgs. Sometimes involvement is just about taking advantage of all that is being offered. And there is a lot.

For starters, every Thursday 鈥 Sunday, the MUB and (Memorial Union Student Organization) show two movies (and sometimes more) in its two movie theaters. You can always find what鈥檚 playing and when on the and the . The MUB also features two large function spaces, the Granite State Room (GSR) and Strafford Room, where you can see comedians brought in by (the Campus Activities Board) or lectures on any number of topics. Some other great events are Thursday Night Bingo (every third Thursday), Stress Relief (end of every semester) and the Grind (on the first Friday of every month). These free events are put on by CAB. MUSO also hosts a number of free concerts throughout the year.

The MUB isn鈥檛 the only place to get involved on campus鈥

91制片厂 Recreation

Campus Recreation offers great options on and off campus for both the athletically-inclined and those just looking to have a good time.

Hamel Recreation Center

Hamel Rec Center - 91制片厂

The newly expanded听听offers something for everyone.听You鈥檒l find a three lane suspended indoor track, the fitness center with more than a hundred different cardio and work out machines, a squash court, racquetball courts, classrooms, a rock climbing wall, two studio fitness rooms and more. Did we mention the five basketball/volleyball courts? Also, keep in mind that with your student ID you can borrow equipment to use on the courts. As part of the expansion, Hamel now has听a new wellness space and instructional kitchen, larger fitness spaces and more.

Group Exercise

If you鈥檙e looking for a fun way to work out with others, look no further than the group exercise calendar. Campus Rec offers numerous options for during the semester, ranging from aquacise/water fitness to Zumba and everything in between. There are classes for the early riser as well as the evening gym-goer. You can even get certified to be a group fitness instructor and teach classes yourself. Make sure to check their website to see the updated schedule each semester.

Skates, Sticks, and Pucks

Interested in hitting the ice at the Whitt? Campus Rec gives you a chance during open ice hours each week. These times are set aside so that you can skate or play a pick-up game during Stick and Puck time (note: the free skate and pick-up games never happen at the same time). Don鈥檛 have your own skates? Don鈥檛 worry! For $3 you can rent a pair of skates.

Outdoor Adventures

If you are looking for some adventure in your life, Campus Rec has you covered with Outdoor Adventures. Throughout the semester, they offer trips and other activities such as rock climbing, surfing, hiking and more. Some trips cost money but they are well worth it. All equipment is provided so don鈥檛 let not owning a surf board or rock climbing gear keep you from trying something new. Learn more about Outdoor Adventures .

Intramural Sports and Sports Clubs

Want to play a sport? Campus Rec offers two options for you: intramurals and clubs. Intramurals are popular across campus with dorms creating teams to compete in tournaments and leagues each semester. Choose from any number of sports including basketball, hockey, broomball, floor hockey, inner tube water polo and more. There is something for everyone when it comes to intramural sports. You can find out more . The other option is joining a sports club. Much like intramurals, there are a variety of options including hockey, baseball, archery, judo, dance, ultimate frisbee and much more. Find out more about club sports .

91制片厂 Athletics

Now, no four years of college is complete without joining your fellow students in cheering on the Wildcats. Some of the most popular sports are men鈥檚 hockey, football, men鈥檚 basketball and volleyball. When you choose to go to one of these games, or any of the other sporting events on campus, know that you鈥檙e in for a lot of fun 鈥 win or lose. There are some traditions at our sporting events to be aware of.

Traditions

91制片厂 hockey

Many of our sporting traditions are only for men鈥檚 hockey games but they are ones that bring us together. First, you have the fish. Yes, the fish. If you haven鈥檛 heard of this tradition, you鈥檙e in for quite the show. After 91制片厂 scores its first goal, someone throws a large, stinky fish over the boards and onto the ice. Whoever goes out to retrieve the fish so the game can resume is usually wearing a bright yellow hazmat suit. That鈥檚 how bad that fish is. But the crowd loves it.

Another athletics tradition is White Out the Whitt. During the home game of the 91制片厂 vs UMaine series every year, students wear white to, you guessed it, White Out the Whitt. This is also the game where students will get in line at 4 a.m. the day tickets become available and will be in line all day to get the best seats.

If you are interested in what else happens at 91制片厂 athletic events, the 鈥機at Pack is the next important thing to know about.

The 鈥機at Pack Section and 鈥機at Pack Captains

91制片厂 Cat Pack

At almost all sporting events on campus there is a student section known as the 鈥機at Pack. These are the seats for you and your fellow Wildcats to enjoy the game and participate in cheers and chants led by the .

This is our school spirit student organization and the group that leads all of the chants. If you don鈥檛 know what you are supposed to be doing at a certain point in the game, just look to them.

Join this student org and be a part of making the athletic experience even better for fans at the games.

Wildcat Transit and the Amtrak Downeaster

91制片厂 Wildcat Transit bus

Finally, even though you live on campus, it鈥檚 important to know about public transport options that help you get around campus and let you explore New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. One of the things that you鈥檒l notice is that 91制片厂 is very walkable. You can get to practically everywhere in about ten minutes or less. Whether you are walking from Fairchild and Hetzel Halls to the Whitt (10 minutes, 0.5 miles) or from Williamson and Christensen Halls to Cowell Stadium for the big game (15 minutes), you can get anywhere without the help of the bus. That doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 use it though! Wildcat Transit is a great resource. It gets cold living in New Hampshire and many students will take advantage of the campus connector buses to get to and from class during colder weather.

Wildcat Transit can also take you off campus to the surrounding towns of Dover, Newmarket, Newington, Portsmouth听and Rochester. The four off-campus routes (Route 3 鈥 Dover, Route 4 鈥 Newington/Portsmouth, Route 5 鈥 Newmarket, Route 125x 鈥 Rochester) are all free with your student ID. You can find out where the bus is in real time or just check the schedule using the 91制片厂 mobile app.

Amtrak Downeaster at 91制片厂's Dairy Bar

Next to the Whitt at the Dairy Bar is our own station stop for the . If you鈥檙e looking to get off campus and head to a city, this is your best option. The Downeaster stops at Boston鈥檚 North Station and听Woburn/Anderson and Haverhill, Massachusetts; Durham and Dover; and Wells, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Freeport and Brunswick, Maine. With all of these options and a reasonable price, you can plan a nice adventure off campus or, for those who are coming from other states in New England, you have another way to get home.

All of these aspects of campus life are just a snapshot of what it is like to live and play in Wildcat Country. Once you鈥檙e here you鈥檒l see the full scope of everything campus has to offer.