101 Things to Do at Principia

Fun, frivolous, and even educational, here are 101 things to do while at Principia College.

1. Make your own music in our professional-grade music studio.
2. Play in the dodgeball tournament.
3. Submit a movie to our annual student-run Film Festival, complete with awards and a red carpet.
4. Perform in Plus One, a student-run a cappella group. You might even make a music video with the group.
5. Take part in the Halloween flash mob in Alton, often choreographed and performed by Principia students and community members.
6. Join the Principia Waterski Club.
7. Climb on our rock wall.
8. Host your own radio program on Principia Internet Radio.
9. Have dinner with a renowned speaker like Henry Paulson, Madeleine Albright, or astronauts from the Apollo 13 mission.
10. Hear top bands at the Pageant in St. Louis.
11. Join the PAC Board and help plan the oldest student-run conference in the world. Topics range widely, from cybercrime to sustainability. The 2015 conference focused on social entrepreneurship.
12. Join one of 40+ on-campus clubs and organizations—or form your own.
13. Audition for Lazy Zipper, a student-run improv group.
14. Perform at a Starbrooks open-mic night.
15. Visit Forest Park, named the Best City Park by Thrillist. “Nowhere else in America will you be able to walk manicured green space, look at a Van Gogh painting, and visit with polar bears and red pandas—all without spending a dime.”
16. Bee-come a member of Principia’s Beekeeping Association—one of the many Sustainability Center activities on campus.
17. Volunteer at Three Rivers Community Farm on campus.
18. Play an intercollegiate or intramural sport—you’ve got lots of options!
19. Enter our annual cardboard canoe regatta.
20. Soar through the wooded hillside on the zipline in nearby Grafton.
21. Engage in summer research alongside a Principia professor. The College will cover room and board.
22. Learn about the Middle East and help others #prepareforpeace with the Euphrates Institute.
23. Choreograph a dance for our annual Dance Production, performed and produced with maximum student involvement.
24. Cheer for the St. Louis Cardinals at a baseball game, or watch the St. Louis Blues play hockey. (The stadium is less than an hour from Elsah).
25. Attend the largest Christian Science Sunday School in the world.
26. Study sea turtles in Trinidad with world-renowned expert and Principia faculty member Dr. Scott Eckert.
27. Attend the St. Louis Symphony once a semester—for free!
28. Design, test, and build a solar car and drive it in national and international competitions.
29. Broadcast live election coverage on Principia Internet Radio.
30. Grow fruits, veggies, and flowers in the community garden.
31. Participate in the Howard House Lizard Run, the Lowrey Rumpus, or Buck Breakfasts—a few of our most popular house traditions.
32. Run for Student Government.
33. Get hands-on training in GIS, radio telemetry, and other biotelemetry instruments, and earn technical climbing and chainsaw certifications through our Land Stewardship program.
34. Go out for the rugby team.
35. Volunteer at the Grassroots Grocery co-op in Alton.
36. Conduct church services as a CSO Reader.
37. Explore the cosmos at the Institute for the Metaphysics of Physics (IMOP).
38. Study with our Annenberg Visiting Scholars—experts on topics ranging from social change in China to multimedia art in action.
39. Help direct the annual International Perspectives Conference.
40. Go ice skating at the Steinberg Skating Rink.
41. Take one of Principia’s signature classes on the Life of Mary Baker Eddy or the Christian Science Movement.
42. Enjoy the Transylvania Treats variety show and Halloween party.
43. Work in the campus greenhouse.
44. Join the mediation team and compete around the world.
45. Perform original work at a poetry slam.
46. Play rec tennis in Hexberg.
47. Belt out your favorite hymns at Sunday evening hymn sings.
48. Participate in an internship in the U.S. or overseas, or go on an externship—like the popular one-week immersion in the film industry.
49. Join a dance class.
50. Write for the Pilot, our student-run magazine.
51. Attend the homecoming dance.
52. Dress up for Spring Formal.
53. Create your own pub shake. With more than 13,000 served each year, they’re popular!
54. Perform musical works in progress at weekly Music at Davis concerts.
55. Enjoy a latte at the popular Maeva’s Coffee Shop in nearby Alton.
56. Join the Land Stewardship crew.
57. Play pool in the Student Center, right next door to the College Store.
58. Defend your house’s reputation in House Olympics.
59. See the stars up close at the on-campus observatory.
60. Round up your friends for some karaoke in the Piasa Pub.
61. Learn how to play our 3,069-pipe Casavant organ.
62. Play Frisbee on the Chapel Green.
63. Play top-of-the-line Steinway pianos across campus.
64. Become a Resident Assistant (RA) and help freshmen get acclimated.
65. Start a snowball fight on the Chapel Green.
66. Hone your photography and videography skills as part of the Media Services team.
67. Conduct firsthand research on a topic of your choice while studying abroad.
68. Go apple picking at Eckert’s Farm.
69. Play pickleball.
70. Play in the annual Ultimate Frisbee tournament.
71. Attend the Whole World Festival.
72. Do everything from kayaking to climbing with the Outdoor Club.
73. Add your voice or instrument to the mix in choir, band, or orchestra ensemble.
74. Go for a jog on our cross-country trails.
75. Submit a poem or essay to the Mistake House literary magazine.
76. Tap trees and collect maple syrup from our FSC-certified forest. Then create and market maple syrup products in Sugarbush Management class.  
77. Engage in class discussion with world leaders when they visit campus.
78. Prepare for the future with mock interviews, résumé fine-tuning, dress-for-success tips, and more at our annual Career Conference.
79. Hear Christian Science Monitor correspondents discuss the news at Monitor Night Live.
80. Enjoy sun, sand, surf—and spiritual refreshment—during the spring break retreat trip.
81. Play beach volleyball—Principia’s newest sport. (Varsity play is for women only, but everyone can participate in intramural competitions.)
82. Challenge yourself on the Velcro wall and obstacle course—or try human foosball or jousting—at the Winter Carnival.
83. Suit up and dive in at Crafton pool parties.
84. Warm up around the bonfire at the Half-Time Shed.
85. Attend FergCon, an annual gaming night sponsored by Ferguson House.
86. Explore our 2,600-acre campus, from sunny bluffs to shady woodlands.
87. Become a member of the campus Fire Brigade, established in 1935.
88. Zip around campus on your longboard.
89. Help plan the annual Earth Day celebration.
90. Shop for vintage clothing in the “Loop” in St. Louis.
91. Enjoy pasta-your-way in the Dining Room.
92. Learn to play the carillon (bells) in the Chapel
93. Serve on your house board.
94. Stargaze with friends on the Chapel Green.
95. Get your Leadership Certificate—it’s a great résumé booster.
96. Watch the sunset overlooking the Mississippi River.
97. Take part in community service activities on and off campus.
98. Decorate your house for the holidays—all of them!
99. Get paid to plan social events for the rest of the campus.
100. Bowl a strike at a Pajamarama-themed bowling night in Alton.
101. Work out at our state-of-the art athletic facilities (with a pool, batting cages, track, workout rooms, etc.). Then relax in the hot tub.