The fall semester has started. Students are getting back into the routine of attending classes everyday, studying in their leisure time, and hanging out with their friends mostly on the weekends. But what about during the week? What do students do when they are not studying, working or going to classes?

“I go to the mall a lot and hang out with some of my friends at IHOP or Waffle House,” said Kim Forest, junior, Spanish and Business major. Forest said that a daily basis there isn’t a whole lot to do. “There’s the mall, bowling, mini-golf, movies, things like that, but after 9 or 10pm there isn’t anything open that isn’t a bar besides IHOP and Waffle House.”

“A lot of people think there’s nothing to do in Joplin but get drunk,” said Nathan Mills, freshman English major. “Don’t get me wrong, I like to have a beer now and again, but there’s other fun here, too, if you just look for it. Looking for it is the hard part, though.”

Forest said she wished that there were more places for college student to hang out at in Joplin.

“I miss Dioko because you could just go and sit with your friends with out paying a lot of money.”

Mills said a lot of college students can hang out and have fun in Joplin.

“There are probably hundreds of bars in the area for those that are into that kind of thing. If you like karaoke, you’re in the right place,” he said. “As for those under 21, I think they definitely need more to do. Maybe that’ll keep [people under 21] from doing stupid stuff like bashing mailboxes and egging cars.”