Hello all! It is quite bittersweet to be writing my LAST Her Campus article as an undergraduate student, but I thought I’d share one last time before I go. My time in Bowling Green has been short, just 3 years, but impactful beyond compare. I have fallen in love with the campus, the people, and the city. I have found spaces where I belong, such as right here in Her Campus. Being Co-President has meant the world to me, and I am eternally thankful for this opportunity to share my inner thoughts with you all. Before I cross the stage, I thought I’d share my personal list of must-visit locations in Bowling Green and the surrounding areas, on and off-campus. Some are niche and some are broad, but here are the things that I will miss most about BGSU and BG in general.
On-Campus Recommendations:
- See the theatre productions year-round!
It is truly unreal how talented the students in the theatre programs are here, and I’m not just saying that because some of them are my friends. Tickets are only $5 for students for main season productions, and some other shows are completely free! I have never been disappointed walking out of one of these shows and the department often picks both relevant and entertaining pieces to produce. You truly don’t want to miss them, especially the spring musical!
- Make your own traditions for big school spirit weekends like Homecoming
My best friend and I went to the free circus show at our first homecoming weekend and had so much fun that we went to the second performance as well. We haven’t missed a single one since then! It’s nothing particularly amazing, but it’s a tradition for us, and we love it. We have matching BG tank tops that we wear to football games (which we typically leave after about halftime) and we used to go to Pub 1910 on campus and order appetizers for both of our birthdays when we had meal plans. Find special things for you and your friends to hold close to your heart, even if they are silly!
- Hot Girl Walks!
Campus is so beautiful year-round, and if you’re anything like me, a hot girl walk is the perfect study break. Especially during stressful parts of the semester, I’d find myself going for walks across the entirety of campus. Change up your routes each time and utilize the walking track behind the Rec Center! The pond in the middle is beautiful and you might see some ducklings if you go in the spring!
- Hockey Games
It goes without saying that BG is a school that has a ton of spirit when it comes to hockey. I grew up in an area where no high schools really had hockey teams, and my family never spent the money to go to professional games, so I was very excited to go once I got here. It is so worth it! There are so many fun school traditions that you’ll pick up on after a couple games. Grab your friends and go as much as you can!
- Favorite Items From Campus Dining Services
If you’re looking for recommendations on what to eat on campus, look no further! The sushi on campus is surprisingly really good, I especially love the Blazing Dragon Poke Bowl. Crimson Cup has super affordable options as an alternative to Starbucks (though I do love a little Starbucks treat once a week or so), and the pasta at Pub 1910 is always great! When I had meal swipes, I always used them for Choolaah in the Carillon or got a salad and fries (the quintessential girl dinner) at the Oaks. A student dining classic is the Oaks soft serve with cereal as a topping, make sure you try it sometime!
Off-Campus Recommendations:
- Tabby and Fido’s Cat Lounge
This place is the absolute biggest gem downtown. Located on Main Street, Tabby and Fido’s charges a very reasonable admission fee for either 30 minutes or an hour in their cat lounge, which is exactly what it sounds like. You get to hang out with adorable cats and kittens that are brought to the lounge from either Wood County Humane Society or Toledo Animal Rescue. They always have the sweetest little babies, and that one hour is the perfect way to decompress after a long week. They also offer cat yoga and other cat-related events throughout the week for an additional fee! All the cats are (usually) adoptable for very low adoption fees- since they opened in May 2023 they have had over 100 adoptions from customers! And let me tell you, it’ll be hard NOT to want to walk out with one of the available cats (but don’t actually do it). They are so friendly and sweet, and the staff is amazing! I never lived without pets until I got to college, and it was hard to adjust to not having my sweet furbaby around when I first got here. This place always cured my cat deprivation and reminded me of home.
- Kabob It
Freshman year, I posted a photo of my food from Kabob It on my private story with the caption, “Best food in town, no comparison.” Some things never change! Kabob It serves authentic Mediterranean food, and every single item on the menu is amazing. On Wednesdays, they have $4 gyros, which is probably the best deal you can get around here, but even otherwise, their prices are reasonable. You can expect to spend about $12 on a meal, which is great for a small business! Their salads and sides are also all amazing. Their Greek dressing is great, I’m partial to the falafel, even their regular fries are just superior to most other fries around here (which is saying a lot considering all the burger places we have in BG). I order something different every time and I’ve quite literally NEVER been disappointed. Plus, they have a pretty wide selection of plant-based options compared to most around here, if you are someone who has that preference!
- Sweetfish Bubble Tea
Who doesn’t love boba?! This place opened up my second year here and it was an instant favorite. The blueberry popping boba is my favorite add-in by far, and I usually go for the taro milk tea or the pomegranate fruit tea. The prices are reasonable compared to other bubble tea shops, and I love that you can customize the sweetness of your drink!
- Seasonal Flavors at Grounds for Thought
Her Campus at Bowling Green fully endorses Grounds for Thought! Personally, I order something different every time I stop by because I’ve never had anything bad! They have rotating seasonal drinks, which always impress me. Around Valentine’s Day, they serve a Lovers Latte, which is lavender and white chocolate, which is one of my all-time favorite drinks, and many members of HC at BG will attest to the supremacy of the Cherry Mocha! Their pumpkin roll latte is amazing in the fall, and my favorite year-round drinks are the Melted Snowman Latte and the Creme Brulee Latte. Be sure to try their sweet treats behind the bakery counter as well, I have literally never been disappointed! Lastly, if you have old books you don’t want to keep, bring them in for store credit! The credit only works on other books, but it’s a great way to get new books without spending any real money.
- Culture Clash Records (Toledo)
Though I had a less-than-stellar experience here on Record Store Day this year, the store is still growing and they’ll likely get more copies of the popular titles in years to come. This is certainly a gem of a record store, with lots of finds for fans of more niche music and popular artists alike. Their selection is wide, and it’s my go-to in the area now that Finders (see below) has gone to a better place. The staff is also very kind and they have a rewards system to earn merch and other cool items as you go on your record-collecting journey! The best part of RSD at Culture Clash is the live music they host all day long. Local bands get to play for a pretty populated audience while everyone waits in line to go into the store, and they really pull out all the stops with small businesses, food trucks, and even a tattoo artist in attendance to help visitors pass the time. If you’re on the hunt for something special, chances are you can find it at Culture Clash!
Honorable Mention:
- Finders Records (gone, but never forgotten)
This was my happy place. Finders Records is closed now, but was open and served the city of BG for decades, selling records, CDs, and tapes, along with store merchandise and other knickknacks for really great prices. I was able to find some of the best records in my collection there, like a limited edition Glass Animals 12” single vinyl limited to 1,000 copies, the first edition of the green evermore vinyl, and a sorta-rare yellow copy of Bleachers’ first album, Strange Desire. The best part of going to Finders for me was always opening up the vinyl after purchasing it, because they were rarely ever labeled with what color the vinyl was, so it was always a surprise to get a rare color variant, and they always seemed to have those variants in stock. The owner did a fabulous job maintaining an extensive collection, and I sincerely hope someone comes along to take over the inventory. Maybe Goat Records can grow to the level of expanding to become one with what was once Finders Records, but for now, I still feel a wave of sadness looking through the window at all the unbought rare vinyls that I can’t have.
Last but not least, I’d be remiss without mentioning the room on campus where we’ve had Her Campus meetings the entire time I’ve been a member. Being part of this group has meant the world and more to me, and for that reason, I’d like to leave a special shoutout to Education Building Room 309, which has seen Her Campus at our best and worst. More importantly, to all of the members of Her Campus, to Grace for leading the group with me this year, to our fearless editor, Erin, who makes sure we all put our best work out into the universe, to the new exec board who will do amazing things, and to everyone else on our team who has made Her Campus what it is. You all are so special; you are the best of Bowling Green. You all are my guiding light, and I have loved our time together beyond words.
Love always,
Bella Pinto <3