your recollections of attending summer on campus. got any ?
- Thread starter benchwarmer04
- Start date
One of the best experiences of my life ... lived in Oakland in the summer for the first time, between junior and senior years, doing an internship ... my girlfriend also there in her first summer attending a class, not living home (not actually living with me, but living in Oakland ... which was really the best of both worlds honestly ... her place was far nicer!).
Had tremendous experiences, some of the predictable variety, ha ha. By that of course I mean being able to attend church together! What? You were thinking something else? Tsk tsk.
Ok. There weren't many church sessions to be honest. But a couple.
But other great times where we simply just explored things in the city we'd not had the time to do during the hustle and bustle of school. Frick Park, "Arty" movies in this old Squirrel Hill theater, multiple concerts at the Point for Arts Fest and Regatta, 4th Fireworks at West End observation point, movies on Flagstaff, picnics near the Schenley oval, rainy day in the Carnegie Museum (made a little art of our own in the weird dark movie room in the gallery) ... even ran a 5K which i never did before (or since). Plus just a lot of great nights hanging out at Calecos, Peters, Zelda' s, Top Of The O. Other evenings just getting a cone at Dave& Andy's (Cookies and Cream was a novelty ice cream flavor in those days) and strolling Oakland in twilight. Rarely a day or night went by without something to do. Oh, and a nod to our Nit lurkers, not a bit of crime or even the threat of it, never felt safer.
Ah to be young and in love (well, in lust anyway) in the city in the summer again...
Had tremendous experiences, some of the predictable variety, ha ha. By that of course I mean being able to attend church together! What? You were thinking something else? Tsk tsk.
Ok. There weren't many church sessions to be honest. But a couple.
But other great times where we simply just explored things in the city we'd not had the time to do during the hustle and bustle of school. Frick Park, "Arty" movies in this old Squirrel Hill theater, multiple concerts at the Point for Arts Fest and Regatta, 4th Fireworks at West End observation point, movies on Flagstaff, picnics near the Schenley oval, rainy day in the Carnegie Museum (made a little art of our own in the weird dark movie room in the gallery) ... even ran a 5K which i never did before (or since). Plus just a lot of great nights hanging out at Calecos, Peters, Zelda' s, Top Of The O. Other evenings just getting a cone at Dave& Andy's (Cookies and Cream was a novelty ice cream flavor in those days) and strolling Oakland in twilight. Rarely a day or night went by without something to do. Oh, and a nod to our Nit lurkers, not a bit of crime or even the threat of it, never felt safer.
Ah to be young and in love (well, in lust anyway) in the city in the summer again...
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Lived in a boarding house on north bellefield. 7 rooms with one common bathroom and all strangers.
An absolute s#$t hole
Worked 30 hours washing dishes.......took two classes at night.....spent the rest of the summer at the Luna
3 of the happiest months of my life.....
An absolute s#$t hole
Worked 30 hours washing dishes.......took two classes at night.....spent the rest of the summer at the Luna
3 of the happiest months of my life.....
Took summer classes between soph and junior year. We had a summer long wiffle ball game at the bottowm of Flag Staff hill. We had one of those balls with the holes cut out only on one side so we could throw curve balls....the best
Went to "Spring Session" (a compressed semester) one year. Took two classes that were held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (Wednesdays off). Lived in a fraternity house. Classes were in the mornings, so the rest of the day was mine to do whatever.
Spent a lot of time throwing Frisbee on Flagstaff Hill, and there were always sunbathing females who wanted to throw Frisbee, too, so it was a convenient way to meet young women.
Living in the fraternity house with a bunch of guys guaranteed that there was always a party that someone knew about, or we'd plan one ourselves.
In those days, the Oakland nursing schools hadn't merged yet, so there were Shadyside, Montifiore, West Penn, and Presby student nurses who were always looking for a party. And fortunately, we had contacts at all of those schools, so it took just one phone call to tell them that we were having a party.
For a single guy, I can't imagine that life could have been better and more care-free.
Spent a lot of time throwing Frisbee on Flagstaff Hill, and there were always sunbathing females who wanted to throw Frisbee, too, so it was a convenient way to meet young women.
Living in the fraternity house with a bunch of guys guaranteed that there was always a party that someone knew about, or we'd plan one ourselves.
In those days, the Oakland nursing schools hadn't merged yet, so there were Shadyside, Montifiore, West Penn, and Presby student nurses who were always looking for a party. And fortunately, we had contacts at all of those schools, so it took just one phone call to tell them that we were having a party.
For a single guy, I can't imagine that life could have been better and more care-free.
probably my best summer was between Jr and Sr year when i was 21 and stayed in Pittsburgh. Worked a full time internship at PennDOT during the day, an evening shift at the computer labs Monday and Tuesday and a night class on wednesday. a couple friends and i still managed to go out every night.
if i tried that schedule now, i wouldn't make it through a week.
if i tried that schedule now, i wouldn't make it through a week.
Oakland in the summer was great. Less crowded, a little more laid back and everyone who was there was going out a lot so you got to make a lot of new friends. I only actually took classes one summer term. I had a 10AM O-Chem 2 class followed up by a 12 noon recitation at Peter's Pub.
I also liked walking up to get a cone at Dave & Andy's before hopping a bus down to Three Rivers to watch Sunday afternoon Bucco games.
I also liked walking up to get a cone at Dave & Andy's before hopping a bus down to Three Rivers to watch Sunday afternoon Bucco games.
Lived in Oakland every summer once off campus after freshman year. I figured I was paying for an apt for the year, why not actually use it. My roommates left and I had the entire apt to myself.
I would spend the day at work and then get home and go for a run through cmu across panther hollow bridge, and back to my apt.
There really wasn't any good stories per se other than being on my own for the 1st time.
I would spend the day at work and then get home and go for a run through cmu across panther hollow bridge, and back to my apt.
There really wasn't any good stories per se other than being on my own for the 1st time.
I agree with what everyone is saying. Summer classes were awesome! I worked for the University during the day and had a class at night; typically two or three times per week for each session.
Bars were less crowded, classes were smaller, campus was less crowded so you could find parking spaces, etc.. I still enjoyed attending a larger college, but it was nice to have a change of pace for a few months. Lived in the same house as during the school year, so it was great; just a more laid back environment.
My buddies and I had a blast. During the week, we worked, went to class, and played a lot of homerun derby at the field by Frick Fine Arts building (behind the Forbes Field wall). We also went to, what we called, Marino Park, in South Oakland to play basketball. It had a great view of downtown.
At night during the week we went out to the "local bars" - Zelda's, CJ's, Caleco's, The Attic, Peter's, Thirsty's, Mitchell's. If we ran out of money, we would just sit on our porch and drink a few beers and hang out. It usually turned into something.
On the weekends we would golf and go to bars outside the area; Shadyside, Southside, etc. We explored more during the summer than the school year because there was much more free time.
I was really glad I took classes over the summer. Even the professors/instructors were cooler. We drank a few beers with them after some classes.
It took a few years, but I finally talked a few of my buddies to stick around for the summer. They loved it, too.
In the week before Fall classes began, sunbathing on the lawn of soldiers and sailors with a hundred or so other "student bodies" in the late 80's. Probably the closest thing to a mass pick up joint outside of a spring break trip.
That place was actually my favorite of all of them. Top of the O next. I only went to Zelda or Peters at behest of other friends.
Nothing to do with this topic but a time that stands out particularly of my time at Calecos was the night Buster Douglas upset Mike Tyson. We were at Calecos for that. At first nobody really was giving it much of a thought other than curiosity of how quickly and brutally Tyson was going to plaster this tomato can in the first 5 minutes as he typically was doing to everyone. But then he didn't. And then Douglas was hanging in there. And then he scored some shots. And then ultimately won. I am no boxing fan and I'd imagine most in the place weren't either, i doubt anyone really had gone there that night specifically to watch that match ... but it was wild how the whole place just stopped and everyone suddenly was following this match and cheering it.
Was fortunate. Grew up in Pittsburgh so when I lived off campus (beginning my 3rd year and lasting through the summer of my 5th year) all of my summers were in Oakland. Wasn't worth subleasing and my family was close enough that I could see them quite a bit. So I got 3 summers there.
Mostly just went to Hemingway's with whoever happened to be in town at that time. Played a bunch of hoops at Trees and Bellefield. Would randomly hit up the other bars whenever a group of friends was spending a night there. As somebody who wasn't looking to pull tail (my now-wife was from out of state so went home every summer) I loved being in Oakland in the summers. Bars were way more sparse and people were way less busy so you could go out with friends and just hang out, talk, and get hammered.
I miss Oakland greatly. Still go to Hem's for at least lunch every time I visit Pittsburgh.
Mostly just went to Hemingway's with whoever happened to be in town at that time. Played a bunch of hoops at Trees and Bellefield. Would randomly hit up the other bars whenever a group of friends was spending a night there. As somebody who wasn't looking to pull tail (my now-wife was from out of state so went home every summer) I loved being in Oakland in the summers. Bars were way more sparse and people were way less busy so you could go out with friends and just hang out, talk, and get hammered.
I miss Oakland greatly. Still go to Hem's for at least lunch every time I visit Pittsburgh.
All these stories just reenforce what every alum misses about not playing FB games on campus.....memories!
Respect that opinion, but the football stadium was on campus for all my years at Pitt (incl two years living in Oakland after grad) ... And I went to the football games ... probably around 30 in those years give or take. They were fun and all. But they didn't factor into the top memories of my time there.
