RELEASED: June 16, 2005

DANVILLE, KY—Though they will generally find themselves busier than they could have imagined, freshmen arriving at Centre College for the first time this fall may at some point encounter the following scenarios:

• You wake up on a Saturday without obligations: there’s no game to attend, no homework to do (at least none that you've acknowledged), no work-study or photography club meeting, nothing—except the day before you.
• Saturday has turned to Sunday night and you’re finally acknowledging that there’s homework to do—lots of it. Actually, you’re 15 hours away from the deadline for a 10-page paper analyzing the portrayal of gender roles in Bobbie Ann Mason’s short fiction and, after hours of researching and brainstorming, outlining and tentatively typing, you need a break.
• Bobbie Ann Mason wore you out, and so did that chemistry test, and a week of jazz band rehearsal—but it’s Friday now and you’re ready to relax and have fun.

It’s also likely that incoming freshmen are wondering how, when these situations arise, they will find diversion in Danville. Initially, many students feel inclined to look to Lexington or Louisville for entertainment, but most upperclassmen agree: Danville shouldn’t be overlooked. The area has a lot to offer.

Here’s a sampling of suggestions from current Centre students for how they would entertain themselves in the above situations:

On a free Saturday…

• Rising senior Lou Brenner would gather some friends and “go to the Central Kentucky Wildlife Nature Refuge and take a nice hike to wind down from a long week of school.” The Nature Refuge is a popular recreational destination for Centre students, and sometimes even biology classes.
• Rising senior Whitney Owen would get a cup of coffee at the college bookstore and then would spend a good part of her day wandering around a nearby flea market.
• Rising senior Meg Ivey would spend time shopping downtown at antique stores and specialty shops and recommends dinner at Freddie’s, a locally-owned Italian restaurant.
• As a Danville native, rising junior Steele Medaris knows just what to do. He likes to spend his Saturdays boating or water-skiing at Lake Herrington, or playing golf at the Country Club.

Almost all respondents would start their day by heading down to Burke’s Bakery for some of those famous doughnuts. Respondents also urge newcomers not to miss attractions such as Constitution Square, historic Perryville, and Shakertown.

For a study break…

• Rising senior Michael Douglas goes to Huddle House for coffee and people watching.  He says, “I’ve been on Arby’s runs, but Huddle House is a lot more fun.”
• Similarly, rising senior Gayche Tsering recommends late-night runs to Taco Bell, a favorite distraction for many Centre students.
• Rising senior Emily Grater prefers walking down the Warehouse, an on-campus grill and hangout, for her late-night snacks. She also recommends just walking around campus. “I’ll grab a friend and see what I can find. There are almost always people congregating somewhere, or playing Frisbee, or maybe someone playing guitar.”
• Rising sophomore Katelyn Conroy says that a run at Millennium Park is one way she likes to take a break and relieve stress.

On a Friday night…

• Rising senior Erin Matthews says that she enjoys going out to local restaurants and that afterwards she might see a movie, or listen to live music at Two Roads Café.
• Rising junior Brandon Stephenson likes to have a cup of coffee at Eclectic Coffee and then to join one of the many card games that take place in dorm lobbies.
• Rising sophomore Lauren Medley says, “One of the things that I like the most about Centre is that you don’t have to leave campus to have fun. There’s so much going on.” She recommends Freddie’s for a date, and Applebee’s or Guadalajara (known to many students simply as “Guady’s”) as good restaurants to go to with friends before spending a night hanging out on campus. 

Students posed so many great recommendations, this writer is inspired to get acquainted with the town all over again.

Story by Centre senior Kristie Kachler.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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