When Marquette University announced a week delay to the spring 2022 semester due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the omicron variant, students with plans to arrive back to campus around the former start of the semester are now left with an extra week of free time.
With that in mind, here are a few activities and events that are sure to help students make the most of their bonus week of winter break.
Cheer on the Golden Eagles!
While the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be on the road for most of the extra week, Marquette Tennis will be taking on the Chicago State Cougars from the Helfaer Tennis Stadium and Recreation Center Jan. 21. The women’s tennis match will take place at 2 p.m. with the men’s match to follow at 6 p.m.
The men’s basketball team will return to Fiserv Forum Jan. 23 to take on No. 20 Xavier, right before the kick off of the spring 2022 semester.
As for women’s basketball, they will go head to head with Xavier in Cincinnati Jan. 21 and then backtrack to Indianapolis to meet the Butler Bulldogs Jan. 23.
Plan a day in the city
With new businesses like the 3rd St. Market Hall opening near the Historic Third Ward, and events like Gallery Night MKE, Milwaukee is ready to welcome Marquette students back from winter break.
The 3rd St. Market Hall, which opened Jan. 14, is a new destination for food and gifts right in the heart of the city or, as the business’ website states, “a celebration of our city’s cuisine, diversity, and culture all happening on one of the most cherished and historic blocks downtown.” There are currently six vendors open for operation within the market hall including Dairyland, a restaurant that dishes up frozen custard, and Strega, a vendor that serves freshly made pasta.
Gallery Night MKE, taking place in the Third Ward Jan. 21-22, features Milwaukee-based artists and their work. This event is completely free and offers the opportunity to buy original art while shopping in the boutiques in the Third Ward. Check out Gallery Night MKE‘s for a full list of featured artist and a schedule of the events.
Stream a new TV show or movie
Frigid winter temperatures and the ongoing pandemic create the perfect opportunity for students to stay in and find a new television show or movie to obsess over, and there are plenty of new releases that will make the perfect candidates.
In December 2021, Netflix released the second seasons of a couple of its most popular original series like “The Witcher” and “Emily in Paris.” Although vastly different, you can still binge watch with a group of friends. The streaming service also added new original series in 2022 like “Hype House,” a reality show that brings together some of YouTube and TikTok’s biggest creators like Thomas Petrou, Chase Hudson and Nikita Dragun.
HBO began releasing their second season of their award-winning drama “Euphoria” Jan. 9. For all the “Star Wars” fans out there, Disney+ added “The Book of Boba Fett,” a spin-off series from “The Mandalorian,” that follows bounty hunter Boba Fett back to the planet Tattoine as a new story unfolds.
Prepare for the spring semester
Students can also take the time to make sure that they are ready for the spring 2022 semester to begin. With the announcement that the semester would be starting Jan. 24 rather than Jan. 18, Marquette is also requiring students to get their COVID-19 booster shot. Proof of their booster is to be uploaded to the MU Medical Clinic Portal prior to Feb. 1. To maximize protection from COVID-19 and the omicron variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends everyone over the age of 12 receives a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
On campus, the Walgreens on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and 16th Street is offering COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots by appointment. Students can look to their website for more information on how to schedule an appointment.
Just hang out and relax
While this may not seem like the most extravagant use of time, just catching up with friends during this extra week is a great option for those on campus. Before academic and social calendars get too full, students have a good amount of time to do nothing with the fellow Marquette students, roommates and friends that they may not see as often over the course of the semester.
This story was written my Kim Cook. She can be reached at [email protected].
