Greetings from sunny North Carolina! It’s the first day of spring, March 20, and we’re looking to enjoy a high of 81 and sunny today. Aren’t you jealous. Well soon enough, you’ll be here on this lovely campus with me. A friend of mine from here in admissions, Lars Farabee, has written up some of the things you should know and look forward to about the High Point area. (Please note: I use the term “friend” rather loosely because he looks like a maniac in the below photo and he may or may not be…) I thought this was too good not to share! Enjoy!

 

I hope that all is well with you and that you are gearing up for your last few months of high school.  I know that they are going to fly by, so make sure to enjoy yourself as much as possible.  You have worked very hard for all of your achievements, and you should feel very proud of all that you have done!

 

We’re excited for you to become part of our community here at High Point University.   Being a part of this community not only means that you are going to be on one of the most exciting and extraordinary campuses in the country, but that you’ll also be living in North Carolina (which, as someone from the north, I can tell you is fantastic!)

 

In this email, I’d like to share some things to do in the town of High Point as well as the surrounding area so you’ll be a little more accustomed to your new home when you get here.  First off, we’re about 3 hours from the beautiful beaches of the Carolinas.  My personal favorite is Wrightsville Beach, which still has the local charm that other tourist destinations have lost.  We’re also less than 3 hours from the mountains, so if you like to ski, have no fear, you’ll still be able to head out to Asheville and Boone for some terrific spring skiing.  We’re also less than an hour away from Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock, which provide wonderful hiking opportunities.

 

As far as what to eat while you’re down here, we obviously have a fantastic dining plan here on campus.  However, there are other options for students off campus as well, and you should absolutely visit them during your time as an HPU student. There’s The Doghouse on Main Street, which serves up fantastic hotdogs and grilled cheese sandwiches.  It’s a true North Carolina experience that many of our students enjoy on the weekends.  Lexington, NC is only 25 minutes away, and it is by far the BBQ capital of the Southeast.  Jimmy’s Pizza is located downtown, and is a popular hangout for many of our clubs and organizations.  Feeney’s dishes out terrific frozen yogurt that you create yourself.  And you absolutely have to get a Chicken Biscuit with honey from The Biscuit Factory.  It is out of this world!

 

High Point, North Carolina does not have your typical downtown.  However, there are many things that you have to experience during your time here as a member of our community.  High Point is the hometown of John Coltrane, one of the most influential figures in jazz music.  A statue honoring him is located at the intersection of Hamilton Street and Commerce Avenue.  There is also an exhibit showcasing his life at the High Point Museum, which is another great venue to check out while you’re here as a student.  The High Point Museum is home to one of the stops of the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, as well as many other local productions.  Also, don’t forget to take a picture of you and your friends in front of one of the nation’s largest chest of drawers, located here in the furniture capital of the world.  If you’re looking for cultural experiences, there are plenty to find here in High Point!

 

This area is terrific if you are a sports fan.  First off, High Point University is home to the Panthers.  Our fans are very spirited, so one of the things that you have to do before you leave High Point University is to paint yourself purple and cheer for HPU in the Panthers Den!

 

It’s also great to support other local teams as well.  Whether you like, love or despise the teams involved – or perhaps don’t even know what basketball even is – one thing that you absolutely have to do is go to one of the local sports restaurants in town for a Duke-UNC basketball game.  You should catch a fly ball at a Winston-Salem Dash or Greensboro Grasshoppers minor league baseball game.  You should also visit the Miracle Fields at the High Point Athletic Complex on a Saturday morning to cheer on or volunteer with the Special Olympics participants.

 

High Point is also a member of the Piedmont Triad community, which means we’re only about 25 minutes away from both Greensboro and Winston-Salem.  These two larger cities provide a multitude of things to do for college students, including downtown hotspots, concert venues, and art museums.  There are also nine other colleges and universities in this area, meaning there are plenty of other college students to interact with on top of the amazing group of students that will make up your family here at High Point University.

- Lars Farabee

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 9:40 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.