Mel’s Top 10 Things to Do at OU:

 #1       Become an OU Cousin  –

The unique OU Cousins program matches U.S. and international students to have fun and share informal social experiences. You can also volunteer to live on an international floor where  half of the residents are from the United States and half are from other countries.

 #2       Hear an Internationally Renowned Speaker  –

OU frequently hosts national and international scholars and policymakers during major national conferences and symposia. Over the past few years, guests have included former President George Bush; former U. S. Secretary of State Colin Powell; U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy; former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu; award-winning broadcast journalist Katie Couric; International Political Analyst Fareed Zakaria; and award-winning historian and author David McCullough.

#3       Hold Galileo’s Handwriting in Your Hands  –

OU’s Bizzell Memorial Library features the largest history of science collection in the world, and is the only place in the United States where you can hold a book with Galileo’s handwriting in your own hands: Galileo’s own copy of his work, which first used the telescope to support the Copernican theory, with his hand-written corrections.

#4       Check out one of OU’s World-Class Museums  –

OU’s two public museums, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art and the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, rank among the top university-based museums in the country.

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art’s collections total more than 16,000 works of art, including OU’s Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionism, one of the most important gifts of art ever given to a U.S. public university. The new Stuart Wing at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art provides an 18,000-square-foot expansion.

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History has more than 7 million artifacts and contains 195,000 square feet on 40 acres of land. The museum exhibits include the largest Apatosaurus on display in the world and the oldest work of art ever found in North America — a lightning bolt painted on an extinct bison skull.

 #5       Hang out on Campus Corner  –

Campus Corner is home to the best game day party in town. Located just across Boyd Street from the University of Oklahoma, Campus Corner is a small college-oriented shopping district with blocks of unique retail shops mixed in with a variety of outstanding restaurants and entertaining nightlife.

 #6       Relax in OU’s Endless Gardens and Parks  –

Every nook and cranny of OU’s impressive campus is filled with lush gardens, fountains, sculptures, benches, so you don’t have to look far to find a perfect spot to relax and enjoy a beautiful afternoon. Gifts of over $3 million have permanently endowed OU’s gardens, ensuring OU’s campus beauty for years to come.

 #7       Study in the Great Reading Room  –

Located in the Bizzell Memorial Library, this architectural masterpiece is a favorite student study place. The walls are lined with beautiful carved bookcases that hold theses and dissertations of OU graduates and the ceiling features intricately carved angels. You can look outside the large east facing windows and see one of OU’s many formal gardens, this one complete with Allan Houser’s moving work, “Homeward Bound”.

 #8       Cheer Like a Champion  –

The University of Oklahoma is home to one of the most storied intercollegiate athletics programs in the nation. The Sooners boast 26 national championships in men’s and women’s sports, 240 team conference championships and more than 800 All-Americans. Between varsity teams, club sports and intramurals, there is always something to cheer about on campus.

 #9       Volunteer  –

Check in with the Office of Leadership Development and Volunteerism in the Student Union and sign up for educational leadership programming and volunteer opportunities. This office advises The Big Event (OU students’ annual day of volunteerism), coordinates campus awards and recognition programs, advises the President’s Community Scholars scholarship program and serves as a resource for student organizations.

 #10    Toss a Few Coins in OU’s Fountains  –

OU has numerous (I lost count at 20) fountains on campus, calling your name on a hot Oklahoma day. Count the rocks in the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Fountain – supposedly there is one from each Oklahoma County. Check out Bailey’s Fountain – a special spot for OU’s four-legged campus visitors, the Pitman Parterre Fountain, the Class of 2004 fountain, Bart’s Fountain, or class of 1935 fountain. Challenge yourself to find them all.

 #11    (cause I can’t pick just 10) Discover OU Arts! –

You will never be without something to see with approximately 400 recitals, concerts, performances, and exhibitions presented each year in the OU Arts District. The University of Oklahoma has one of the oldest comprehensive colleges of fine arts in the Great Plains states, with highly regarded schools of Music, Drama, Art, Dance, Musical Theatre and programs in opera and sculpture. There’s also a monthly Arts Walk, and annual events such as Groovefest, Jazzfest, the Dustbowl Arts Market, Norman Music Festival (NMF), and the Medieval Fair in the Norman area.