I imagine many in the fresh-faced cohort of ’22 feel a bit uneasy here in Wooster, especially those from large metropolitan areas. Not only are their surroundings unfamiliar, but urban kids probably feel constricted living in a city of less than 30,000. I speak from experience as someone from the D.C. metro area, with its many museums and ubiquitous public transit (I still don’t have a driver’s license!). As a first year I was in a near constant state of distress for three weeks before I got comfortable with Wooster. I want to tell our new arrivals, particularly city-slickers like myself, that you can find familiar comforts in Wooster if you know where to look, and that if you push your boundaries you can discover treasures simply not found in urban America.
First of all, if you haven’t yet, take a walk downtown. My advice would be to walk west and get onto Quinby Avenue — personally I think the route is nicer than going on Beall. Downtown on Liberty Street you’ll find a plethora of cute shops and tasty eateries. Friendtique, for instance, is one of the best thrift shops I’ve ever been to, and City Market has a superb selection of sandwiches and artisanal snacks. Plus, you’re spoiled when it comes to finding a quaint coffee shop; my personal favorites are Sure House and Tulipán. All of them make for great study spots, which is good for when you start losing your sanity in the depths of Andrews.
The downtown amenities are lovely for sure, but they don’t entirely capture the virtue of Northeast Ohio. The spirit of this region exists in towns like Wooster and New Philadelphia, but it is also in the fields and the hills and the forests. Having driven everywhere between the craggy shores of Maine to the red rocks of Utah, I believe that Northeast Ohio has some of the most striking scenery in the country. Most of the land around us, you see, is cleared for agriculture, which makes for great visibility. At the same time our proximity to Appalachia endows the terrain with gentle rolling hills, in contrast to the flapjack that is western Ohio. The outcome is something stirring and idyllic, conjuring imagery of our country’s agrarian past, when the average American’s sphere of existence was limited to their home, the land they cultivated, and the town in which they bought and sold goods, a way of life none of us will ever experience. Vistas like these are a virtue totally removed from urban living, and to me they make going to The College of Wooster very special.
You can find some good views on the east side of campus, looking out towards the golf course and beyond, but the best views are found off campus. In my experience, the trip over to Spangler Park offers some stunning scenery, the Killbuck Creek river valley creates very pleasant disparities in elevation. Furthermore, Spangler Park itself has some beautiful hikes in and around the river valley of Rathburn Run. Beyond that, I suggest getting together with friends and just driving somewhere! Take a day trip to Cleveland! Visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park! Find a beach on Lake Erie! For certain the destination certainly matters, but it’s also about experiencing the region you live in and forging stronger relationships with your classmates.
Ciaran Lyons, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at CLyons20@wooster.edu.