As each weekend here at UTM approaches, a common question is asked around campus: “What are you doing this weekend?” Unfortunately, the typical answer for this question is simply “Going home.” It’s about time that UTM students realize that college is not just a Monday-Friday job.

Being a student who lives outside of the 2-hour radius of Martin, it is not often that I get to make a trip home. However, I can undoubtedly say that it is on the weekends that my most cherished college memories occur. We hear so often that college is the best time of our lives. Yet, I find myself wondering how people can prove or disprove this theory if all they do is attend classes during the week and then head back home.

It goes without mention that Martin’s rural atmosphere does not quite lend itself to a wide selection of activities. It is also a known fact that a large majority of UTM students’ hometowns also happen to be in rural locations. However, one of the biggest advantages of Martin is its conduciveness to establishing closer friendships. The quaintness of Martin eliminates the distractions of a busy city. Only at UTM will a student find his/her colleagues. Here, a student will find the school that he/she chose to attend. Here, students will discover the canvas on which to paint “the best time of their life.”

Don’t let the quaint atmosphere in Martin fool you. The town has all the basic necessities that any college town needs. Students who stay here on the weekends often go out to eat or perhaps even watch a movie at the local theater. Often, many people will go over to a friends’ apartment or dorm room just to hang out or watch a movie. Some people even head off to Jackson for a night of bowling, skating, or a trip to the mall. Many organizations on campus even offer students options for weekend activities. The Baptist Collegiate Ministries sponsors a coffee house several times during a semester. Likewise, Reformed University Fellowship often has several outings that they plan each school year. Also, the Student’s Activity Council sponsors weekend trips.

Ultimately, the weekends here at UTM are what you make of them. College will never be “the best time our life” if we just go to classes Monday-Friday and then head back home each weekend. College happens outside of classes because it’s in these moments that we establish friendships. So, to the students at UTM, I extend a challenge: Give a weekend in Martin a chance. You may just find a second home.

Maggie Hodges is a junior public relations major from Monteagle, Tenn.