Twenty Cobblers recently zipped up to Spearfish to check out BHSU, discovering a campus visit can clarify their own college choices.

By Lexus Orozco

It’s that time of year… Thanksgiving is approaching and you can already hear your nosy aunt asking, “Have you decided where you’re going to college yet?” and looking at you expectantly like you are supposed to have your life planned already. Last week, twenty CHS seniors (including myself) visited the Black Hills State University campus in the hopes of coming closer to deciding where we want to attend college next year.

The opportunity to visit BHSU for free was provided by CHS, transportation included. All students packed into a yellow school bus and started the forty-five-minute journey towards a school we might attend in the future.

We were given our schedule before we entered the campus, the first thing on the list was to attend a seminar. We were handed out “jacket packets” that described the classes and the degrees available (over 60) and had the opportunity to apply right then and there without having to pay the application fee. Next we got to sit in on a college sociology class and participate in a group discussion with the college students. CHS Senior Daneye Curtis thought that the tour was “very helpful” and “liked how everyone seemed so enthusiastic about us being there.”

The remainder of the campus tour was led by college students who gave tips and advice along the way. We were shown the difference between the new Crow Peak suite style dorms and the regular dorms, an extra $750 per semester price ticket for the newer ones. We also marveled at the new Stanford science building, featuring state of the art equipment. We met with the department of American Indian Studies where we were encouraged to find a muli-cultural center in the school we plan to attend because they provide the most help and resources.

For some of us, the Black Hills State University tour won us over, with Curtis confessing that she “really liked BHSU and I definitely want to go there.” While the other students on the tour might not attend BH, they found the tour interesting and said it opened their eyes to what college life will be like.

This campus tour is one of many which you can sign up for in the Cobbler Career Center.