While some students complain of not finding enough to do in Greensboro, there are many things available in the city that are either free or available at an affordable price. You might be surprised at the amount of entertainment to be had in the Greensboro area!
Skydiving classes: Located at the Piedmont Triad Airport. Saturdays from 9 a.m. -3 p.m.
COST: $5/per class, $50 for a year membership
Every Saturday, cheap skydiving classes are held at the airport. Though not officially authorized through the North Carolina Transportation Authority, nobody has had a fatal accident in at least three years. Meet on the lower level of the airport near baggage claim, find the man holding a sign for “The Donovan Family,” and tell him the password (“First in Flight, bitches!”). Parachutes are on a first come, first served basis, so make sure to get there early – the safest equipment goes quickly. Great icebreaker and trust-building exercise for first dates or office parties.
Craigslist Missed Connections: Free. http://greensboro.craigslist.org/mis/
Got 20 minutes to kill before class? Check out the recent Craigslist “Missed Connections” postings, or write one of your own. Funnier than going to any of the city’s comedy clubs, “Missed Connections” is a unique opportunity for voyeurism and comedy that doesn’t have a comparable outlet. And who knows? If you take it seriously enough you might meet the love of your life. Rumor has it that Eric Mortensen and his wife met through the site, but Mortensen declined to comment.
Feed the Animals at the Robert F. Walters Memorial Zoo: 4652 High Point Rd. Monday -Friday from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. Admission: $3 with student I.D.
Every weekday at lunchtime, the Greensboro Zoo selects a different animal to let up to 15 people feed. Zoo admission is $3 with your student I.D., and the feeding is free. Options range from the more exciting (feeding cougars, tigers, and elephants) to the benign (feeding turtles, sloths, and the large ant collection) but there is no way to know which animal will be selected for public feeding on a given day, so you may have to go a number of times. (Suggested: gloves.)
Aaron Fetrow’s Open Office Hours: every Wednesday during community time
In recent years, Aaron Fetrow’s popularity has skyrocketed, in part thanks to Facebook fan pages. Last year, he won the Dick Dyer Award for Most Attractive Administrator. “Attractive is a big word,” commented Randy Doss. Fetrow’s office hours have turned into the place to be, which is causing some problems on campus as the Greenleaf and The Grill are seeing a decline in business. To deal with the overwhelming growth in attendance in his office hours, Fetrow has considered a number of options, including holding office hours twice a week or charging a minimal fee to discourage students who don’t have serious concerns. WQFS has offered to podcast his meetings so they are more widely available, but given the pace of the station’s webcasting project, your best bet is to try and attend in person.