Gift Guide 2009

Writing on the Mall is presenting it’s first annual gift guide for Marietta College students.  Here are the things that WotM things you should want to bring back to campus for the spring.

Bike with Lock and Helmet

It may sound weird to place such a big-ticket item on a gift list for college students.  But trust me on this…it will be worth having.  Marietta is a small town.  Marietta College is a small college.  It only makes sense.  Take your bike on a ride downtown instead of driving.  heck, if you’re one of the unfortunate students without a car on campus, it makes even more sense.  The only place I wouldn’t suggest riding to is Wal-Mart, since there are several busy intersections with no crosswalks.  But other than that, you can go anywhere.

Another place you could ride to is the city’s bike and hike trail.  it extends all the way from the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers to Indian Acres park.  The trail is currently being extended, so eventually it will go from Indian Acres to behind Wal-Mart.

For Marietta, I would suggest a mountain bike.  The streets and sidewalks are not all smooth, plus the fact that terrain varies greatly.  Having several gears to select from could help with those steeper hills.  Also, having front and rear brakes will help on bricks, which are notoriously slick.

BMX bikes are not a terrible idea, as there is a new skatepark that welcomes them to be used there.  However, they may not provide the best ride on long-distance trips.

The lock will come in handy, since you don’t want to lose your bike.  The important things to look for on bike locks are that it has a combination, and some sort of protective covering on the cable itself.  There are many options to choose from, so choose based on what you feel meets your needs the best.

Lastly, a helmet is a legal must.  If you don’t want a ticket, wear a helmet.  Besides, if you fall, you don’t want to risk serious injury, right?

The Hangover

I don’t think I have to say too much about this one.  It was one of the best comedies of the year.  If you own a Blu-Ray player, go ahead and pick it up for that.  If not, the widescreen DVD will be what you want.

Fast Food Gift Cards

College students love late-night snack runs.  And while the Gathering Place now offers snacks, better options are off-campus.  However, those late-night treks can add up quickly.  This is why college students should ask for gift cards to their favorite off-campus hangouts.

In Marietta and its surrounding areas, you have Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Subway, Burger King, Sonic, and Del Mar’s Mexican Baja.  $25 to $50 can last someone a whole semester if they use it right (and don’t allow their friends to mooch).

Movie Tickets

There are two Regal Cinema’s near Marietta College.  And while MC students can get vouchers that allow for matinee rates at any time, pre-paid movie tickets are a nice gift that allows students to see more movies than they normally would.  They’re not good for movies that have just come out, but after a few weeks, you can see that blockbuster for free.

External Hard Drive

Students could have a computer problem at any moment.  That’s why external hard drives are great.  You can use them to back up data, ferry data from one computer to another, or use it as plain storage space.  While drives come in many shapes, speeds, and sizes, I would suggest Western Digital products.  I’ve used two of their external drives for several years and never had a problem with either of them.

If you know you’ll be moving a lot of large files, look for a drive with Firewire 400 or 800.  Try to find a drive that has no external power supply, as these drives are much more mobile than their corded compatriots.  The larger the drive, the less likely you are to have to buy another hard drive later down the line.