The shrill of the bell rings throughout campus. A daily indicator that school is over. Some students make their way towards their cars, while others congregate around the tree in front of the freshman building, waiting to be picked up to go home. At home, they might spend their time doing various activities like homework, napping or scrolling through TikTok. However, for some students, such as Elizabeth Nguyen (9), Ty’Neshia Qualls (12) and Madelyn Golden (11), an after-school routine might look a little different.
“Depending on the day and how busy we are, me and my friend walk over to Sprouts after school and hang out there until our rides pick us up,” Qualls said.
For Nguyen, every Thursday after school begins with the Dungeons and Dragons club. After the meeting ends, she meets up with her friend Katelyn Morton (9), then walks towards Ramblin’ Joe’s. Previously known as Ugly Mug, Ramblin’ Joe’s is a quaint coffee shop just off of Poplar. With a variety of beverages and food to choose from, Ramblin’ Joe’s has become a hit hangout spot for students both before and after school. The proximity to the school is another factor that makes students like Nguyen and Morton keep coming back.
“We really started going because of how close it was, and that was what really kept us going back,” Nguyen said. “Since we can’t drive, we wanted somewhere to go while we waited to be picked up, [and] going [to Ramblin’ Joe’s] just worked out the best.”
Qualls’s go-to after school hangout spot is Sprouts. When Qualls and her friend are both available, they head towards Sprouts as part of their after school routine. Though the walk is short, it gives the two time to catch up and talk about everything from school to social media. At Sprouts, they spend time browsing the grocery store for a quick bite to eat, then sit in an area designated for taking a break and chilling out—a spot where many other students can be found at the end of the school day. The wide variety of food, short distance from the school and friendly nature of the employees puts Sprouts on the list of frequented after school spots for many students.
“We just talk; sometimes we might even do our homework together,” Qualls said. “We just hang out until our rides come and pick us up.”
Golden visits Target just about any chance she can get. She goes there around three to four times a week; possibly even more if her busy schedule of meetings and work do not get in the way. Even when she has to pick up her younger siblings from school, they all make the time to visit Target. For Golden, Target has a way of ‘sucking’ her in. She could spend hours and countless amounts of money there if possible, especially if she could browse through the clothing section. Since Golden is constantly at Target, she has a lot of great after school memories there, specifically from last year.
“One time, my friend picked up a soda off the shelf and was shaking it, and then it exploded all over us in the middle of the aisle. We just left it there and ran out of Target,” Golden said.
From grocery stores to coffee shops, Spartans spent time with friends at many different places at the end of the school day.. Some prefer to spend the afternoon alone reflecting on their day. Others, like Nguyen, Qualls and Golden find that their afternoons are better spent with friends, soaking up moments within each other’s company.
“I remember this one time, [my friends and I] had to pick up something for an afterschool meeting and we just started goofing off inside [Target],” Golden said. “It was so much fun, we had a lot of good laughs that day.”
