Best places to hang on campus

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Ella Dominguez

Duerksen Fine Arts Amphitheater sits empty.

Ah, the beautiful springtime, when we can finally exit our dens of hibernation and dance in the spring sun. With the impending doom of finals lurking in the background, you’ll want some places where you can suffer in the beautiful outdoors. Here are The Sunflower’s picks for the best places to hang on campus.

Millie the Millipede

The cutest statue on campus is located adjacent to the Wilner Auditorium, just a leap away from the wondrous spectacle that is the Ulrich Museum of Art. The center point of arguably the most creative and eccentric spot on campus, this not-so-little critter is the perfect place to take your mom on a campus visit. Feel free to take as many Instagram photos as humanly possible, but please do not ride the millipede!

The Plaza of Heroines

If some dumb tradition is going to stop you from hanging in the beautiful Plaza of Heroines, you probably don’t deserve to hang there anyway. The beautiful tree-surrounded plaza is close to both the library and the RSC, making it the perfect study place to snack on knowledge or Freddy’s. Only the cool ones hang with the heroines.

Library Patio

With not one, but three staircases leading you to the patio, there’s no reason you can’t find your way to one of the most moderately entertaining patios on campus. The spacious patio offers plenty of space to people watch all the stressed-out students flowing in and out of Ablah’s doors. Oh, and there’s a headless statue of a naked man too, if you’re into that.

Outdoor Amphitheater

There’s no better place on campus for sporadic pop-up concerts or casual picnics than the outdoor amphitheater, located at the back of Duerksen Fine Arts Center. It’s the perfect mix of nature and unique architecture, plus it’s a hidden gem on campus that shields you away from too much manic, coffee-fueled, college-kid traffic.

Lake Food Truck

It’s really easy to forget there’s a whole-ass lake on campus — fountain and all. Catch some of the yummiest food trucks in town and soak up some rays. It’s a perfect spot for lunch, and you won’t have to worry about avoiding eye contact with all the desperate souls tabling in the RSC. Supporting local businesses and avoiding all the people you’ve ghosted? It’s a win-win.

The President’s Garden

The President’s Garden has a distinctly classical vibe with its columns and busts. If you’re looking for a tucked-away space to feel regal and academic at the same time, you can’t really do better. It’s a great place for loners, too — no one’s ever there.

The Corbin Education Center

There couldn’t be a more unique place on campus than an education center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This is the perfect spot to saturate with 35mm film grain, drink matcha green tea latte’s, and exchange witty banter about the game changer that is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed structure.

Plastic Chairs Facing Duerksen Fine Arts Center

Sit alone on a sturdy plastic chair at sunset, preferably eating gummy bears and ruminating on what you’re doing with your life. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a Kansas sunset. However, any time of day features great people watching. Don’t miss the good-looking students filing into the performing arts center to pursue their creative dreams. Eat another gummy bear. Lean back, but not too far (plastic only bends to a point). Now what were you doing here?