Help! I'm Stuck in a Small Town!
Marissa Nedved
Issue date: 9/30/09 Section: The Pulse
If Frostburg did not have a college, most people would never know about it. It is common knowledge that Western Maryland is beautiful and scenic. But, excluding painters and photographers, a nice landscape does not keep one occupied during free time.
For those who are not so artistic, some ideas are needed to make some fun. The truth is, unfortunately for a student coming from areas like Baltimore and Washington D.C, Cumberland is a sleepy little town. There is not a club or major shopping outlet to be found. What is a city-raised college student stuck in the mountains supposed to do? Embrace the small-town life, of course. The city of Cumberland's website boasts that over 21,000 surveyed people would not live anywhere else and all those people have got to be doing something with their time.
Frostburg's closest neighbor is LaVale. LaVale is the town where one can find Wal-Mart but there is also a mall attached to that Wal-Mart, but that is easily missed in the supercenter's shadow. Most importantly, that mall has an AMC Movie Theater which plays different movies than those that are offered at Frostburg's 1-2-3 Theater. Features coming soon include Sorority Row, Surrogates, Pandorum and Fame.
For those looking for something involving a little more than sitting down, LaVale has places for that too. Most college students have even thought about their old roller blades since childhood. Those wheels are feeling neglected. Dust off those skates and take them to Starlite Skating Rink on National Highway. Starlite has a large, newly re-done skating floor and a smaller beginner's rink for those who need time get the hang of it again.
The concession has some questionable snack items, but the arcade has some old-school favorites and a pool table to dominate friends on. For a game of pool without kids skating around, Bob's Billards is right on the way back to Frostburg. The owner is a very friendly man and there is a jukebox, complete with Hinder, Creed and Nickelback, to experiment with.
For those who are not so artistic, some ideas are needed to make some fun. The truth is, unfortunately for a student coming from areas like Baltimore and Washington D.C, Cumberland is a sleepy little town. There is not a club or major shopping outlet to be found. What is a city-raised college student stuck in the mountains supposed to do? Embrace the small-town life, of course. The city of Cumberland's website boasts that over 21,000 surveyed people would not live anywhere else and all those people have got to be doing something with their time.
Frostburg's closest neighbor is LaVale. LaVale is the town where one can find Wal-Mart but there is also a mall attached to that Wal-Mart, but that is easily missed in the supercenter's shadow. Most importantly, that mall has an AMC Movie Theater which plays different movies than those that are offered at Frostburg's 1-2-3 Theater. Features coming soon include Sorority Row, Surrogates, Pandorum and Fame.
For those looking for something involving a little more than sitting down, LaVale has places for that too. Most college students have even thought about their old roller blades since childhood. Those wheels are feeling neglected. Dust off those skates and take them to Starlite Skating Rink on National Highway. Starlite has a large, newly re-done skating floor and a smaller beginner's rink for those who need time get the hang of it again.
The concession has some questionable snack items, but the arcade has some old-school favorites and a pool table to dominate friends on. For a game of pool without kids skating around, Bob's Billards is right on the way back to Frostburg. The owner is a very friendly man and there is a jukebox, complete with Hinder, Creed and Nickelback, to experiment with.