hendricks

Hangout Spots

We’ve all been there: you get out of a class, you step out into the brisk Syracuse air (or in the case of the past few weeks, the blistering Syracuse heat), you check the time on your phone, and you’ve got a whole hour to kill before you have to be anywhere else.

It’s not enough time to make going home worth it – or maybe it is, but there’s no way you’d be able to face going back out again when you’re home, where your bed is. I’ve managed to narrowly avoid this situation for most of the semester thus far, but on Wednesday, I got out of a test 45 whole minutes early, leaving me with just over an hour until my next class. What was I going to do, twiddle my thumbs? Wander aimlessly around the quad? No! Here’s what you do:

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Hendricks Steps

Hendricks Chapel is probably one of my favorite buildings on campus, but in the interest of full disclosure? I’ve never actually stepped inside it. Are there pews? Are there pillars? I’ve heard it’s beautiful. A friend of mine had a choir concert there last year and said it was lovely. The thing that makes Hendricks my favorite spot on campus is its steps. On a sunny day, sitting on the steps of Hendricks Chapel, you can see clear across the quad. The people-watching is excellent. If you’re really lucky, you can climb to the top, then sit out on one of the pillars that jut out on either side of the stairs. Pull out your laptop, throw in some headphones, or just enjoy the view all on its own.

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The Noble Room

Alright Meg, you’re saying as you read this, but what if it’s not a nice day? Fear not! Hendricks Chapel can still provide. The ground-level doors to Hendricks Chapel, on all four sides of the building, take you down to the basement, where my real favorite place on campus is: People’s Place. It’s a student-run shop that sells coffee, bagels, and is an oasis of Coca-Cola on our Pepsi campus. Naturally, the first step on any journey down to the Hendricks basement is to stop off for an Austin Powers (chocolate milk, hot chocolate, and coffee) or a snickerdoodle-flavored coffee. Then take a right, and find yourself in the cozy, comfortable Noble Room. It’s a quiet study space with armchairs, tables, and some very nappable couches, and it’s small and out of the way enough that there’s always a seat. I’ve probably watched an entire collective season of Parks and Recreation at those tables, and I’ve definitely done a few letter grades worth of studying there.

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Bird Library

Hendricks is my primary time-killing spot on campus because it’s central to the quad, but if your next class is in the Hall of Languages or Newhouse, you’ll probably want to camp out somewhere like Bird. The lower two floors of Bird are chock full of spaces to sit, spread out your things, and gab with your friends. If you’re looking to meet up with someone but don’t want to spend money on food while you’re doing it, the basement floor of Bird Library is 100% the move to make. The whole place is set up with collaboration and comfort in mind – circles of chairs, four-seater tables. Personally, I like the long, white table with the high top chairs. If you need a quiet study space, the second and third floors both have sitting areas with some comfy armchairs and, again, very nappable couches.

Syracuse University’s beautiful campus is constantly surprising me. Every semester I find a new crevice or corner to hang out that I’ve never really noticed before. These are just a few of my favorites, but our big beautiful campus is full of spots like these where you can carve out your own little space for a while. I invite you to come here and scope some more out for yourself!

 

Meg Burnard ’20 is studying Communication Sciences and Disorders and Linguistics in the College of Arts and Sciences. She grew up in Rochester, New York. Meg is a member of Democracy Matters, and in her free time she enjoys reading comics, going to concerts, and playing games with friends. More blogs from Meg Burnard.

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Making Time for Faith at College

At Syracuse there are so many different ways for students to make campus feel more like home. So far, I have become a part of a few groups— intramural sports teams, community service groups and Literacy Corps— but the community that is most important to me is the one I am a part of at 1 p.m. every Sunday, inside of Hendricks Chapel. As a Christian, Sunday is an important day on my calendar. Not only is it the last day of the weekend and the first day before classes begin, but it is also my time to rest, reflect on the week, and make a plan to improve in the future. A cornerstone of this process happens at the chapel. Nothing helps me gain the focus and perspective to do that more than the Sunday services.

I attended Catholic schools for six years before I came to Syracuse and have spent many years learning about my faith. So coming into my freshman year, finding a community that shared these same values was important to me. Luckily, the process to do so was a lot easier than I thought and I found that community pretty quickly. Within a few weeks on campus, I started going to Hendricks on Sundays. Not only was it great to worship and be around people doing the same, but it also gave me a sense of familiarity and belonging.  After attending my first service, I knew I had found a home. Since that day I’ve gone back to the chapel on a regular basis.

My experience is not an uncommon one. Many people attend these weekly services at both Hendricks Chapel and the Catholic Center, and I imagine they feel that same comfort that I do. In addition to Catholic Services, the university also offers services for members of many other religions so anyone can practice their faith. Hendricks is also non-denominational, meaning any person of any faith is welcome there. Although I haven’t personally attended any other services,  I  have friends that participate. They seem to love them as much as I do. I’m extremely grateful to go to a school that values faith and traditions— it goes a long way in making the students that come here feel at home.

 

Jalen Nash ’20 is studying pyschology in the College of Arts & Sciences. He was raised in Flatbush, New York and attended high school in New Jersey. In his free time, Jalen enjoys playing football and basketball, listening to music, reading, and writing. Jalen hopes to make a living, and be remembered, for his writing. More blogs from Jalen Nash.