Forgotten Friday afternoons
By Kathleen Grohman
Finally, it's Friday afternoon, and Santa Clarans are ready to start their weekend. But there is a strange window of time between the end of class and the time when students start their weekends. The campus seems to chill out from about 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the afternoon, but what are students doing during these awkward hours?
It turns out, most students take these few hours to unwind after an arduous week of classes and get geared up for the weekend. When the weather permits, you can usually see students playing football on the lawn outside Swig or playing volleyball on the outdoor court between Dunne and Walsh. However, the majority of students are usually inside.
"I catch up on my TV shows, to be honest with you. I shower or do things that I didn't get to do during the day because, most of the time, I do homework between classes," sophomore Alexia Mayorga said. But she is not alone; many students say they spend this time in front of the TV, often citing specific shows that they missed during the week.
Freshman Ken Jang said, "I watch reruns of basketball games on YouTube." Junior Cassie Licker likes to watch talk shows. "I usually go to the gym or watch 'What Not to Wear' or 'Oprah' because I'm not motivated to go anywhere or see anyone," she said.
Freshman Victor Garcia said he likes to "play video games to relax." Fellow freshman Blaze Gaza also plays video games, but knows there are more productive things he could be doing. "I play Warcraft while thinking about doing homework," Gaza admitted.
Other popular activities for the awkward hours include eating, sleeping, laundry, Facebook and homework. Students hooked up to campus cable enjoy LINC-TV movies. Freshman Kandace Arens said, "I usually just end up in someone's room, and we end up just talking. It's take-time-for-yourself time."
For special occasions, students sometimes start their weekend the second they finish class on Friday. Sophomore Alex Nelson recalls his birthday celebration. "My birthday was on a Friday last year, so I started partying right when I finished class at 12:50 p.m. and I went straight through to 1 a.m., and I remember waking up face down on my couch with no clothes on," he said.
Freshman Allie Concannon prepares for the evening from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. "Normally I take a nap or pick out outfits to wear for the night," she said.
Some students have found a very useful way to spend these extra hours helping others. Senior Bobby Philbrook said, "I was the program coordinator for SCCAP's Project Open Hand, and every Friday at 3:30 p.m., we would drive to San Francisco and deliver meals to terminally ill people in the Tenderloin district and we'd get back by 7 p.m." This program is still running this year under Jared Houck, and Bobby said they generally get a group of between four and 12 people every week.
Even with the extra errands and chores people let slide during the week, many students find themselves repeating the same phrase during this time: I'm bored.
Senior Stacey Dallosta said she doesn't do anything during the awkward hours. "I conserve my energy for the weekend."
But sophomore Shereen Masoud has found a way to keep herself entertained during this time. "I dance in my room sometimes," she said. For those of you who don't want to bust a move, here are some productive things that may allow you to get a jump start on your weekend and utilize this forgotten portion of the day:
Go to the gym. Students say that the gym is usually crowded during this time, but any form of exercise could help you unwind. Try going for a run outside or organize your own game of volleyball, football or soccer.
Have a fun snack. Try going to Blondie's for some frozen yogurt, or look into signing up for one of the barbecues behind Kennedy and make burgers or even s'mores.
Clean your room. This is a relatively mindless activity that can make you feel like you've put your life in order. With a clean room you will have more space to have people over during the weekend, and it may help you stay more organized.
Get off campus for a little while. Check out some of the fun things San Jose has to offer nearby. Students say Sky High, a trampoline center, is lots of fun. Plus there is always Valley Fair Mall and Santana Row that are easy to get to by bus. Winchester Mystery House is right across the street from Santana Row and might be an interesting place to spend an afternoon. Or look into a community service program like Project Open Hand.
Play a board game. When was the last time you got a bunch of friends to play Monopoly? You can rent board games from the front desk of most dorms, or you can go play pool in The Bronco or ping-pong at Malley.
Start your homework. It can be daunting to pick up a book after a week of class, but getting a jump start on homework will free your schedule later in the weekend in case something pops up on Sunday. Also, it can be a great stress reliever to get some things out of the way early.
Watch TV or take a nap. You're going to do it anyway, and when you're exhausted, it can be the best way to recharge.
Contact Kathleen Grohman at (408) 551-1918 or kgrohman@scu.edu.