Hidden in plain sight: eight interesting places to visit around campus

places_foust_mt_02 — Morgan Taylor , Morgan Taylor
Morgan Taylor | Staff Photographer Foust Hall is located on the North end of campus and houses student health services, an on-campus pharmacy, counseling services, and graduate student services.

Throughout a student’s time at Central Michigan University, there are a lot of interesting things to see and do.

From attending a football game at Kelly Shorts Stadium to scouring the CMU Bookstore for the last used copy of a required textbook, the possibilities are almost endless.

But while many activities and sights are easily noticed and become habitual throughout campus life, there are a few things on and around campus that can go unnoticed.

Here are a few gems many may not know about that are worth checking out while at CMU.

Einstein Bagels in the Education and Human Services Building. Unless a student has a class in the building, many don’t know it’s there. The bagels and snacks available make for a healthy change from the dining halls. And, it’s one of the many places that you can use your FLEX dollars.

Starbucks in the University Center and Java City in the Park Library. Coffee is the fuel that drives almost every student on campus when there is studying to be done and CMU has two in the middle of campus ready to meet students need. You can also use your FLEX dollars at both of these locations.

Foust Hall. It’s not just the home for the College of Graduate Studies. Located within the building is both the Counseling Center, which offers a variety of free mental health services, and University Health Services which can meet student’s basic medical needs.

The Museum of Cultural and Natural History in Rowe Hall. Located far into northeast campus, curious students with a little free time and an appetite for knowledge will enjoy checking the museum out.

The Malt Shop. Although it is not on campus, it is still worth visiting not just for its delectable treats, but for the decades upon decades worth of CMU memorabilia stored within, almost making it a museum for CMU history.

The gazebo and botanical garden in the middle of campus. Strolling down the walking path on the west side of the Park Library, many students faintly notice the garden and gazebo, yet never walk up to it to get a closer look. Check it out. Sure, it looks gorgeous from a distance, but up close is an entirely different experience.

The Mary Dow Reading Room. Located on the third floor of the Park Library, the reading room is stuffed with the latest books and magazines in its browsing section ready to be picked up and read in a peaceful atmosphere making it a great place to relax between classes.

Robotic awesomeness. Who doesn’t like checking out cool engineering projects come together? On the first floor of the Engineering and Technology building, the classrooms have windows for passersby to gawk at the future of engineering. Usually around the middle of the semester, there is always something interesting going on in the labs. Check them out.