Ohio State 3/18/14 PTR

[Ride On_17]

Part 1:

This isn't amusement park related, but I still feel like it would be fun to do a trip report for it. Yesterday since I'm on Spring Break, I had planned to visit THE Ohio State University along with my mom and grandma. I have been there many time already, but I love it so much. My grandma has not been back in over 10 years (both she and my mom went to college there) and she was very excited to see it. My dad and grandpa couldn't go, but we would still have fun. This was just a fun, relaxed trip and wasn't going to be like a guided college tour. Due to the amount of awesome pictures I want to include, I will break this trip report up into several posts.

The day started with my alarm never going off, but thankfully I woke up not too much later. My mom and I hurried to get ready and let my grandma know we'd be a little late to pick her up. We were supposed to pick her up at 7am but this turned into 8am, which still wasn't too bad. After we picked her up, she suggested stopping somewhere to get some breakfast. She knew of a really good restaurant in Bellville called Der Dutchman so that's where we went. It was delicious! All three of us got their breakfast buffet, and all of the food was homemade and very appetizing.

From here, we traveled the remaining hour to Ohio State. On our way, I had posted on Facebook that I was headed to OSU for the day, and after seeing this post, one of my friends who goes there asked if we'd be able to have an impromptu meet up. Sometimes these last minute plans are the best. First we drove by the old apartment where my mom had stayed for her junior and senior years. Now it is nothing but a rundown party house that isn't taken care of at all, which is a shame. The porch roof is even sagging. At least there weren't beer bottles all over the porch and yard like there were the last visit we made, but it's still sad, especially for my mom, to see it in such a bad state. Hers was the one on the left.

We then parked in parking garage directly next to the Ohio Union, where I'd be meeting my friend in Woody's Tavern.

So I met my friend who insisted on buying me pizza which was very nice of him while my mom and my grandma went to go explore. These pictures are from everything they did while I was with my friend.

For a while they just explored the union and my grandma couldn't believe how nice it was. It is very new and the detail is incredible.

OSU themed details are incorporated EVERYWHERE inside the union.

My mom told me that they wanted to check out the ballroom but that was locked. However, there was a lady who let them see inside which was very kind.

Even more subtler details went unnoticed. The frames around chandeliers are in the shape of block Os.

The Illibuck is a trophy that is given to the winner of the OSU-Illinois football game. Obviously Ohio State had won...

To be continued...

[TheBEASTunchained]

Nice part 1 of the PTR, and by the way, What kind of food is served at Der Dutchman? I've never heard of it, but it sounds like a good place to eat!

[Ride On_17]

They have good 'ole home cooked, country style food. It's an Amish restaurant so you know everything is fresh and homemade. Also, the 2nd floor is a large shop (nothing really that interested me, but my mom and grandma enjoyed looking around!)

[TheBEASTunchained]

Wow! You shoudln't have told me that......

.....Now I'm starting to get hungry.....

....I'll really have to stop in at Der Dutchman next time I'm in the area......Which is hopefully soon.....

[Ride On_17]

They have several locations besides Bellville such as Walnut Creek, Sugarcreek, Berlin, Plain City, and for some random reason in Sarasota, Florida. I'm sure their lunches and dinners are just as delicious as their breakfasts. I could eat a whole meal of their freshly baked desserts such as the pies, cinnamon rolls, muffins, donuts...

[TTD-120-420]

I was just in Archie Griffin's ballroom a few weeks ago for an event. It is beautiful.

Glad you had fun! Hopefully Coasterfanatic and I will see you around during our senior year.

And you are definitely not like me. If my alarm doesn't go off, there is no chance I'm waking up at the time you did.

[Ride On_17]

Part 2:

Continuing on with the Ohio Union pictures...

Now moving on. My mom and grandma then went to go walk around campus while I was with my friend (more on that soon).

The absolute best donuts anywhere, Buckeye Donuts.

Their donuts are so delicious. No place else compares.

They decided to check out St. John's Arena. Since it is possible that it will get demolished soon, my mom wanted to show my grandma around. The last time I was there, some of the doors were unlocked so we were able to go inside. Luckily they were able to get inside again. They were setting up for some volleyball practice I believe.

The Horseshoe was just sitting across the street was calling for its picture to be taken...

And finally they reached their destination.

Gotta love TBDBITL Brutus.

Statue of Woody Hayes:

Meanwhile, while my mom and grandma had been out adventuring, I was having fun hanging out with my friend. In Woody's Tavern we just caught up a little bit, had a little lunch, and just talked about a bunch of random college related stuff. This is his 2nd year at OSU and he loves it. He's going into chemical engineering.

Soon he had to leave for Physics Lab but he invited me to tag along with him, which I happily agreed to do since I was excited to be able to get a taste of what the actual college experience is like. To be completely honest, I felt like I fit right in with the other students. It was as if I was already a student. The lab was about electromagnetism which I haven't learned anything about and my friend even admitted that it was a boring lab, but I enjoyed it. It was a very cool experience.

After this, he had several hours until his next class so we just walked around and he showed me around campus some more. He then suggested showing me his dorm. I was very excited, since I've never seen any of OSU's dorms before. I had fun seeing what it was like to live there, but I was completely blown away by the view from his dorm room. He's so lucky and seriously has the best view on campus.

When I first looked out his window and saw this, I'm pretty sure my only reaction was

He seriously is so lucky to have such an awesome view.

I also met one of his roommates, who is a member of TBDBITL. Then it was time to meet back up with my mom and grandma. I sort of wanted to stay with my friend since I felt so comfortable with the college experience, but knew I had to get back. I was very thankful that he let me hang out with him for the afternoon and for showing me around and telling me tons of information about college life and OSU.

To be continued...

[Ride On_17]

I was just in Archie Griffin's ballroom a few weeks ago for an event. It is beautiful.

Glad you had fun! Hopefully Coasterfanatic and I will see you around during our senior year.

And you are definitely not like me. If my alarm doesn't go off, there is no chance I'm waking up at the time you did.

My dad actually woke me up by complete accident. He was getting ready for work and I heard him making lots of noise. Usually I would've been mad at him for waking me up, but this time I was very glad he did. If he didn't, both my mom and I probably would've been sleeping for several more hours.

[Ride On_17]

Part 3:

So after meeting back up with my mom and grandma, we just walked around campus some more.

(My grandma and myself.)

We headed over by the Oval and then to the library. My mom and I couldn't wait to show my grandma the interior of the library. A few years ago it was completley renovated and remodeled. It used to be dark and dingy, and nobody would want to spent anytime there. My mom said is was like the setting for a horror movie. After they renovated it, it is bright, busy, and a great place to be. The top floor was turned into a reading/study area. If I go to school here, I can see myself spending many hours in this library. It's so amazing.

One of the coolest parts of the renovation is that there is a wall of windows for several levels. It is incredible to stand beneath them.

Looking up toward the top floor.

The view from the top floor is breathtaking. There are windows facing every direction.

Looking out over the Oval.

The top floor is a great place to read and study.

Looking out at downtown Columbus.

Each level is filled with rows and rows of every book imaginable. My grandma was having a great time!

Now this is where something very interesting happened. We were exploring one of the levels and my mom had just pushed a door open to exit the level when the fire alarms went off. There was an automated voice saying "May I have your attention please, may I have your attention please! There has been a fire reported in the building!" in addition to the flashing lights on the alarms and the loud beeping of the alarm. At first my mom thought she had activated some alarm when she opened the door, and several people around her even looked at her when it happened thinking she had set it off, since they started going off at the exact moment that she opened the door. The library was very busy and everybody just looked around and nobody really moved or did anything. I heard a couple student even say, "Is this real?" Slowly, people started filing out of the building and I could smell smoke, but it smelled like overcooked, burnt food. There is a cafeteria/cafe in the library, so what I believe happened is that something got overcooked and it set off the fire alarms. So eventually everyone made their way out of the library and the fire department arrived. Everyone gathered outside to see what was going on.

After only 5 minutes, the library reopened and everyone filed back in. At least there was no real issue, but it still pretty interesting. There are always interesting things going on at OSU, that's for sure!

To be continued...

[Ride On_17]

Part 4:

Next we decided to head over toward Mirror Lake. We had heard it had a leak so most of it was drained, but it was very strange seeing it so empty. I hope it will get fixed soon. That area looks so strange right now.

We were surprised to find out the lake actually has a brick bottom. Beneath all the mud, dirt, and garbage there's actually a real bottom.

We saw lots of flipflops and sandals lying on the bottom...Mirror Lake Jump debris! I can only imagine what else was discovered...

I love Ohio State so much.

The first sings of spring! I can't wait until mid-late April when the campus is beautiful with flowers and trees. It's an amazing place in spring, especially.

That's the library in the background.

My mom and me sitting in the amphitheater near Mirror Lake.

We then walked along High Street. This Barnes and Noble has more than just books...Pretty much the entire first floor is nothing but Ohio State merchandise and clothes.

We found out that The Neighbourhood was having a concert that evening in the Newport Music Hall. I love that band, and I definitely would've bought tickets if I was a student there or lived nearby.

The line to get in stretched way down High Street.

To top off a great day, we had to get dinner at the best pizza place, Tommy's Pizza.

Before heading home, we drove through the Short North area. It's good to see this area really improving. We also went though German Village. We ran out of time to explore around here this time, but next time it's at the top of our list of places to go to. We drove past some favorites, such as Schmidt's Sausage Haus, Schmidt's Fudge Haus, Katzinger's Deli, and just looked at all the cool architecture and houses.

Overall my grandma, mom, and I had an awesome trip. Every time I go to OSU, the campus feels smaller and smaller and I love it more. It's such a great place.

[coasterfanatic83]

Hey, I've been there before!

I'm glad you had a good time here. It is hard to see everything in one day. I actually discovered an entire building a few weeks ago and I have been here for almost two years!

Keep your mind open when deciding schools, because you never know what will be the best fit for you. However, I recommend The Ohio State University to anyone! Go Bucks!

[Ride On_17]

I definitely will keep my mind open and will look at more schools. Who knows, maybe I'll end up liking somewhere else better. But between everything I've seen, experienced, and know about the school, I can see myself going there. I just connect so well with the whole atmosphere.

[coasterfanatic83]

It's hard not to connect here! No matter what you want to do or who you want to associate with, this university is big enough that you will be able to find that niche.

If you have any questions feel free to ask me!

[flightoffear1996]

WHile I am not an OSU fan the place does look amazing!

[Ride On_17]

It's definitely an awesome place, and it's only getting better. There is constant construction which may be viewed as annoying at first, but then once you think about it, you're like "Wow, the university never stops updating, renovating, and building new things for its students." I love how as soon as one thing is finished with construction, another area is worked on. It's an endless cycle of renovation and new construction.

[TTD-120-420]

Then it is not so cool when you realize who is paying for it.

[Ride On_17]

Haha well I guess I never really thought about that side of it. At least the end result is good.

[Gabe]

I highly recommend a visit to Indiana University in Bloomington! As an alum, it's hard not to fall in love with the place the first time you set foot on campus! Indiana, Our Indiana...

[Diamondbacker]

Take a visit to UC! It's not as big as OSU but we've grown so much.

[jdawg1998]

I've never liked OSU. Just too big and not "college" enough for me. By that I mean a small college town like Athens or Oxford. OU's rolling hills, wooded campus, bike trails, old 1800s architecture - I love it. But I also love UC's modern look. OSU just doesn't appeal to me.

Anyways, good PTR - their restaurants look really cool!

[Hendrick]

It's definitely an awesome place, and it's only getting better. There is constant construction which may be viewed as annoying at first, but then once you think about it, you're like "Wow, the university never stops updating, renovating, and building new things for its students." I love how as soon as one thing is finished with construction, another area is worked on. It's an endless cycle of renovation and new construction.

Construction gets annoying when they decide to reconstruct 17th and Woodruff Ave. at the same time (two parallel running streets in the heart of campus, as seen here.) But now that they are finished, walking along the street is much easier.

It's amazing to me how fast those 4 years at OSU went by. If I had a long break between classes, I loved to go to Thompson Library to study (plus, there are outlets EVERYWHERE now, which is not the case in a lot of the older buildings.) The Physics Research Building was the other place I loved to study if I only had an hour or two between classes, simply because it's so close to all of my other classes.

The biggest complaint I hear from people is that Ohio State is too big. At least for me, going through Computer Science and Engineering, all of my classes were within a few blocks of each other. With the exception of my one class that was in The Shoe, these are all of my classes for 4 years: http://i.imgur.com/Hentlu9.png Ohio State does a great job of keeping related programs close together (math and engineering for example.) There were a couple of quarters where I didn't even have to go outside (although I had to change buildings, they were connected.)

I really want to walk through the new CBEC building once it's finished.

Also, the Plain City Der Dutchman isn't too far away from Columbus. That might actually be dinner tonight...

[Ride On_17]

Between what my mom has my told me, what my friends who go there tell me, and from my own experiences so far, the campus really does become very small very quickly. I also heard how quickly college seems to go by (if high school is any indication as to how fast it will go by, I can certainly believe them.) Between TBDBITL, the roller coaster engineering club, the updated buildings, a strong engineering program, a beautiful campus, and many, many more great things, I am just in love with OSU and with what it offers, especially relating to my interests. Something interesting my friend told me is that he's never had a bad day while at Ohio State. He said that sure, there are times when he doesn't feel like doing some work or doesn't feel like going to a certain class, but never has he been truly unhappy with his decision to go to school there. He said there is always something to do or somewhere to go, and he never gets bored. Plus with a college like OSU, I'll be able to find a nice balance between fun and academics which is very important to me. I will take my classes very seriously, but also need to have convenient and frequent social activities too. Plus it's such an active lifestyle there. I love all the walking, jogging, and biking.

I'll be taking visits to OU, Miami, BG, and Cincy for sure and will go in with an open mind, but so far Ohio State is above and beyond everything I'd want for college.

[The Interpreter]

As always, an incredibly wonderful trip report from you. Thanks for sharing it.

And now a word from our Terpster. Family is important. You, sir, are what is called a legacy. Mom: OSU. Grandmother: OSU. And that's just the ones you have told us about. You are almost certainly going to end up at The Ohio State University. And that's a very good thing.

Study hard. Play hard. And enjoy. Four years or seven or even ten...it goes by very quickly. And then another chapter of life begins.

I fondly look back on my years at the University of Kentucky at Lexington...and I wouldn't trade them, or that fine institution...but we all have different backgrounds, goals and aspirations. UK fit me like a glove. I was 10 when I knew what I wanted to do in life and where I wanted to be edumacated. It was just right, just...right and right. At the time I really wanted to go to the University of California at Berkeley, but my father wisely refused to sign financial aid papers for me as he feared I'd not come back East. Doubtless, he was right.

It won't be long until you are an integral part of OSU. Sure, there's a chance you'll go elsewhere, but my money is on you going to Columbus.