Students take advantage of spring activities in Cape

There are many activities in Cape Girardeau that students can engage in this spring to take advantage of the extra daylight.

Cape Girardeau is home to many SEMO sports teams, shopping centers, hiking trails, farmer’s markets, small businesses and many other opportunities to fill their days.

Junior Construction Management Major Dominic Punjani said that once the spring weather arrived, he was eager to golf at the Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course and hike at Trail of Tears State Park.

“I love going to the Jaycee Municipal course in Cape because it’s a nice course, but also because SEMO students get five dollars off,” he said. “If I’m not wanting to spend money that day, then I choose to hike at Trail of Tears because it is a great trail, free and a good way to take advantage of the weather.”

Golfing and hiking are the ideal spring activities for some, but there are plenty of other options to take advantage of this spring.

Junior Communication Disorders Major Taylor Jones has a different take on what her perfect spring day in Cape looks like.

“I would start out at the farmer’s market to look around at different booths and eat the classic homemade donuts, then I would go shopping at some local stores like Peachy Keen, Plato’s Closet or TJ Maxx. For dinner, I would go to Burritoville and eat on the patio. If I wasn’t too full, then I would have to end my day with a concrete from Andy’s.” Jones said.

If students are struggling with what to do on the weekends, Director of Campus Life and Event Services Michele Irby said that her team is always eager to help students find activities on campus and within the community to be a part of.

She said that they try to give students personalized suggestions depending on their interests.

“It sort of depends on where you're from. Some of our students that are from a more suburban or urban area, haven't had this much wide open space,” she said. “And sometimes, we have the opposite. So we try to tailor suggestions based on who the students are and what their previous experiences might be.”

If students are into sports, living in a college town has its perks when SEMO spring sports are in full swing.

Irby said that they are hosting ‘Swing into Spring’ before the ‘Fill the Hill Friday’ baseball game on April 12th from 4 p.m. until the start of the game at 6 p.m.

“We will have live music, free cotton candy, yard games and a chance to just kind of enjoy the outside and be at the park,” she said. “So we encourage people to walk right over and take advantage of the baseball game. And obviously, for students, it's free admission if they're interested in participating.”

Cape Girardeau has enough activities to keep students occupied this spring, but if stufents want to take a road trip then there are many large cities neighboring Cape.

Senior Interior Design Major Kelby Weber said she loves taking a road trip to St. Louis during this time of year to take advantage of St. Louis spots she doesn’t visit often.

“It is great that Cape is a drivable distance to such a large city like St. Louis,” she said. “St. Louis is close enough to where I can drive there, spend the day shopping or eating at new restaurants, then make it back to Cape without having to spend money on a hotel. It feels like the perfect daytime getaway.”