Alyssa Hollingsworth's Blog

In my post about magical things at Berry, I mentioned that I love Berry in the rain. This is true. But… it’s also true that it rains a lot at Berry. One of my friends told me she looked it up, and it actually rains more at Berry than in Seattle, Washington. Now, normally rain in Seattle is more of a mist. But at Berry, to use a cliché, when it rains, it pours.

So here are some things you’ll need:

1. A raincoat. Obvious, right? I didn’t have a rain jacket when I came. That was a mistake.
2. An umbrella. Notice I listed this separately from a raincoat. That’s because sometimes it can be very windy. I’ve ruined several umbrellas by using them on a windy day. I always keep an umbrella in my backpack, even on a sunny day.
3. Rain boots or waterproof shoes. I wear hiking boots, but I know a lot of people at Berry who prefer rain boots. Either way, the alternative is sitting in class with your feet soaked and cold, which I don’t recommend.
4. A waterproof backpack. I admit I did not invest in one of these babies until I was heading to England, and I sorely regret it. I’ve ruined more than one good textbook by using a regular backpack that got soaked through. So a water resistant backpack is a good idea.

With the proper gear, you can enjoy a rainy day.

Though Rome is relatively a small town, there are still things to do if one is willing to look. Below are my favorite three ways to spend a free Saturday afternoon

1. Antique Mall & Flea Market on N. Broad

This antique mall is literally bigger on the inside. Well, maybe not literally, but it sure feels that way when you get lost in there for hours. Some excellent finds: A $10 nice reenactment cloak, a dragon cane, and many a vintage hat. And this is only counting the finds we bought… not the random assortment of hilarious oddities. A great way to spend an afternoon with friends.

2. Panera and Barnes and Noble

I love grabbing lunch and tea at Panera on a Saturday afternoon before heading over to Barnes and Noble. It should be surprising to no one that as an English major I delight in spending hours just looking at the books. There’s a Michael’s next door, too, which is also fun to hang out in.

3. Broad Street

Rome’s Broad Street has been voted one of the best downtown main streets in America. Sometimes I like to spend an afternoon walking from one end of the street to the other. I’ll pop into Paradise Lost Books to see if there’s any used books I need, and later jump in and out of a few vintage and consignment shops. I also like to stop in Honeymoon Bakery for a snack.

Eating is very important to college students. According to a statistic I just made up, 50% of students care more about finding food than they do about their grades. But be not afraid, for on campus and in Rome there are many places to find food.

D-Hall – Ah, the classic. Though the chicken might be a bit tough and a lot of the food tastes pretty similar (i.e. tasteless), as far as dining halls go it’s actually not that bad. We have a few different lines of food, with some foods available all the time everyday (pizza and cookies!). Some of my favorites from D-Hall include: Mac and cheese day (where you can put on all sorts of toppings), cheesy bread, and grilled cheese sandwiches (occasionally with bacon) on the panini grill. The best part about D-Hall is it’s included on most meal plans, which means it’s sort of free!

Vahalla – Upstairs, we have our flexbucks place, Vahalla. This eatery is a step up from D-Hall, with a Mexican and burger station, as well as rice bowls, Chick-fil-A, and a very small market (including chips and ice cream). When I’m in a rush, Chick-fil-A is my food of choice. But there’s nothing quite like a juicy turkey burger with Swiss and bacon from the Burger Studio and Coke slushy.

Java City – In addition to yummy drinks (hello, chai tea Javalanche), Java City also has salads and pastries to sustain students through late nights. My favorite: The Oreo parfait, a mix of Oreos, chocolate and whipped cream. Yummmmmm…

Want to get off campus for a meal? Well, Rome has a wide variety of good and relatively cheap eateries!

Las Palmas – There are several Mexican restaurants in Rome, but I’m partial to Las Palmas because I am a creature of habit. There are two branches of the restaurant in Rome—one that’s a little less nice but generally more quiet, and another that’s what we college students call “fancy” (it’s not fancy—it’s just a nice restaurant). I particularly enjoy their queso dip, and have been known to have a full meal of tea, queso dip, and free chips.

Ru San’s – An Asian restaurant known for its sushi (and special sushi deals). I’m not a sushi person myself, but I do like dumplings and other Asian dishes. It’s a good restaurant and cheap for the quality of the food.

Jandy’s Frozen Yogurt – Yogurt (but actually ice cream) you pay for by weight, with college discounts? Hello! Jandy’s has a variety of flavors and toppings, and is a great combo of inexpensive and not too much (because you control how much you want). The atmosphere is very chill (ha, pun), too. I’ve spent many an evening just relaxing with my friends and enjoying an Oreo-vanilla-white-chocolate-birthday-cake mix. (I really like Oreos.) 

There are many opportunities to volunteer at Berry and around Rome. I volunteered throughout high school, so when I came to college I was excited about the new opportunities. Berry has a volunteer fair early in the fall semester with dozens of organizations present.

However, I do have a few personal favorites from my four years in Rome. I love Buddy Break, an organization that trains volunteers to watch disabled kids while their parents take a break and get some rest. I also love Young Moms, a support group for teenage moms that provides resources, advice and help.

But my favorite organization? One founded by a Berry student, Brin Enterkin. The African SOUP!

The Sponsorship of Orphans in Uganda Project (SOUP) supports orphans in the village of Isiti, Uganda. We provide housing, healthcare, food and education for over 300 kids. We organize several events at Berry throughout the year—including a SOUP-Off (soup competition for clubs and individuals) and dinner parties. Now the SOUP is expanding to other college campuses, but the main charter is still at Berry.

It’s amazing to me that I can be a part of something that’s changing a village across the world. The SOUP staff incorporate the best of Berry in many ways—students eager to work, with a passion and a vision for ministering to others. The blend of enthusiastic optimism and practical goals make SOUP one of the most unique organizations I’ve ever worked with.

So if you come to Berry, be sure to check out the SOUP staff—and bring your mom’s recipe for the SOUP-Off!