Throughout the semester, Naz clubs and organizations offer so many fun events; I just wanted to highlight a few of my favorites.
1) Paint Party This is one of the first weekend events Naz offers in the fall semester. You can buy a white t-shirt and get splashed with paint as everyone dances and has a good time to the DJ playing awesome music! Surprises of paint squirting or paint dumping happen throughout the night which make this event so much fun.
2) Grocery Bingo Grocery bingo usually happens once a month and is put on by the CAB (Campus Activities Board). The event is just what the title says. Each person gets a bingo card and we play until someone wins. We usually play about six games of bingo before the food is all gone. Prizes are Wegman’s bags full of things like popcorn, Gatorade, goldfish, Pringles, cereal, M&Ms, and much more! There’s nothing that excites college students like free food and grocery bingo can get a little competitive.
3) Winter Wonderland This January event kicks off the spring semester. This year there was so much to do including making crafts, going on a horse drawn carriage ride around campus, ice sculptures, husky dogs, a fire pit with s’mores, a giant blow up snow globe, and much more. I went with friends, but met many new people there as well. The college encourages faculty and staff to bring their families and it’s a really fun way to get to know your professors in a different light and meet the kids they all talk so much about in class.
4) Breast Cancer Walk Every year in October, there is a walk in the city of Rochester raising money for Breast Cancer research. Naz offers transportation and breakfast and we all pile onto the buses on a Saturday morning and make the short trip to downtown. I love this event because all of us come together (wearing pink). So many students from Naz attend that we often need more than four buses to get us there.
5) Spring Fest Spring Fest is a great time at the very end of the semester to let off some steam before finals. We have our own student bands play music and last year we even had We the Kings (anyone remember Check Yes Juliet?) There’s also great food (thanks #NazDining), caricatures, carnival rides, and prizes all on campus. This is an event I never miss and I can’t wait ‘till this year’s!
6) Catholic Mass (Almost) every Sunday during the school year, students and community members gather at Linehan chapel at 7pm for catholic mass. I have the great pleasure of leading the choir where I have met great friends throughout the years while being involved. I love that each week, I have a routine to go to mass, rehearse the music an hour before, pray with my friends and peers, and experience the presence of God with such a comfortable and welcoming community of people. My favorite part about attending mass at Naz is that I know that I share the same beliefs as the people I pass in the dorms or sit with in my classes. This is truly a heartwarming feeling to know that I am accepted for my Catholic beliefs. The Center for Spirituality at Naz offers services, celebrations, and programs for people of various religious/spiritual traditions and encourages dialogue and self-development.
Also, did I mention that these events are FREE to attend? At Nazareth, you never have to go looking for fun or empty your wallet for something to do because there’s always some kind of free event happening.