Outside is the place to be in Logan this summer
When summer comes, many students pack up and ship out before finals are even over, hoping to get an early start on summer and beat the traffic in Sardine Canyon. When so many students leave USU, Logan becomes quite the quiet town. However, students who stay for the summer say that’s when Logan is at its best.
The summertime is a time to relax from classes and have fun with friends, according to many students. They also said the feel of the campus changes a lot with the lazy days of summer.
“It’s more laid back because no one is in school,” Laurie Ashton, a religion and sociology junior, said.
Ashton’s parents live in Highland, Utah, but she chooses to stay in Logan because of the atmosphere and because she already has a full-time job. Going home would make it harder for her to find employment for the summer, she said. She also enjoys the fun activities of the summer that don’t happen during the school year.
Some of her favorite things to do over the break, she said, are hiking up Logan Canyon, country swing dancing at the Fun Park, playing disc golf on campus, going to the county fair and participating in any other outdoor activities. But her favorite part, she said, is not stressing about homework.
“It’s so fun just being able to go to work and not to have to worry about homework, and just being outside,” Ashton said.
Ashton plans on working full time over the summer while playing with friends, but for Neil Morrison, a sophomore in aviation, the summer is a good time for him to get ahead in his school work.
Morrison said the laid-back feeling of summer extends into the classroom.
“Even the teachers have a laid-back feel. They are more willing to help you out because there are fewer students in class,” he said.
Even though he has plans to further his school work and get some flying in for his degree, Morrison, who is from Idaho, said he tries to make it home once or twice a summer to see his family. He said his family is very understanding and supportive of his choice to stay in Logan over the break.
“My family is cool with it. They know that I need to get school done faster. Plus, out-of-state tuition doesn’t apply during the summer, which saves me money,” Morrison said.
Despite being in class from time to time, he is looking forward to being able to do some of his favorite recreational activities. He said he plans on going up to Bear Lake, hiking by Tony Grove and even seeing some plays that come to Logan over the break.
Some students have mixed feelings whether or not to stay in Logan during the summer. Some like going home to see their family where they get free rent, and some like staying in Logan because they feel like there isn’t much to go home to. Jon Tolman, a sophomore in political science, said that’s why wants to stay in Logan,
“There is nothing for me at home anymore. Seeing the family is nice, but I could get a job here just as easily as I could if I were at home,” he said.
Tolman agrees with many of the other students staying in Logan that the outdoor sports and activities are the most popular things to do here. He said he is looking forward to actually having the time to get outside to play.
“During school I spend a lot of my time cooped up inside doing homework and stuff. During the summer I have time to go outside,” Tolman said.
With the free time that comes with summer, many students will head for the mountains, others to the lakes. While some will head for home, most are still looking forward to the time when they don’t have to worry about school.
-dwkoecher@cc.usu.edu