Indianapolis is the 12th largest city in the United States.
However, looking at how often Butler students take time to explore the city, one would never know.
Students should embrace the many cultural opportunities set before them, courtesy of the city of Indianapolis.
Instead, students seem to have isolated themselves to campus and Broad Ripple.
There is so much more to Indianapolis, and this decision to cloister themselves away from the city works as a detriment.
College is supposed to be a time where students enrich their lives by learning about and exploring the perspectives of others.
And while students often venture downtown to volunteer for various non-profits and shelters, they rarely travel there to patronize small businesses and connect with the local community.
Eating at hole-in-the-wall restaurants, viewing various art galleries, attending local music and theater performances and participating in cultural festivals are all potential activities students can participate in to have fun and see different sides of life.
There are cultural hotbeds aside from Broad Ripple.
Fountain Square hosts multiple art gallery openings on the first Friday of every month, and Massachusetts Avenue is home to dozens of local shops and restaurants.
This past weekend alone, two festivals occurred—Fiesta Indianapolis and Indy’s Irish Festival.
Several unique restaurants can also be found outside the Butler Bubble, including the Ethiopian restaurant Abyssinia off 38th Street and the downtown Spanish restaurant Barcelona Tapas.
Suffice it to say, there is a world of opportunities waiting beyond the Butler threshold.
While some might blame Indy’s lackluster promotional ability or the Butler administration for not bringing attention to more of these events and locations, students are ultimately responsible for whether or not they take the initiative to hit the streets of Indianapolis.
Whatever prevents students from delving into the city—from laziness to fear of the outside world—it must be shaken off.
We as a student body owe it to the city that welcomed us here to become more active participants in its culture and life.
