Last weekend I attended the Soulcrate Music concert at Maya Janes. I was blown away.

 I wasn’t just impressed with Soulcrate– although they were amazing performers. I was astounded how many people came to listen to the music. The bar was packed, and I literally had to shove my way to get to the bathroom or to try to find my friends. I have to give props to Todd Radigan, owner for Maya Janes, for creating such a great environment in such a short period of time.

 But although I’m impressed with how many students come downtown to listen to music or socialize, I wish they knew how much is available in other establishments that aren’t just open in the middle of the night.

I was speaking to Paula Keller the other day, who helps lead the downtown association, and I wasn’t surprised to hear that they are concerned that college students don’t know what is available downtown.

 In news, there’s a saying that “if it bleeds, it leads.” At USD, the following saying could apply: “If there’s beer, students will be here.” If a downtown establishment doesn’t have a liquor license, they will be hard pressed to become a hot spot for college students.

That’s unfortunate for a number of reasons. Not only does it imply to the community that the lives of USD students revolve solely around alcohol (which, let’s face it, isn’t entirely wrong); it also contributes to the struggles the smaller local businesses downtown have to face.

If you’re not from around here (aka, you’re not a townie like me), you may not get off campus during the daylight hours. So let me highlight a few places that you should visit before you graduate (and this list is definitely just a few of the many that are available):

Sharing the Dream in Guatemala- Sharing the Dream is a non-profit organization that sells Guatemalan goods. There’s fair-trade coffee, beaded jewelry, weavings, carvings, and much, much more. 90 percent of the profits go to the poverty-stricken artisans in Guatemala; the other 10 percent go for overhead for the business. It’s a great place to shop for gifts and support others

Pressing Matters- Need speciality paper for resumes or projects? Need anything printed? Pressing Matters is the place to go. Plus, they have a great selection of pre-printed notepad paper (featuring the Greek letters from the chapters or the USD Coyotes logo). Also a great place to get business cards printed for cheap.

Raziels- One of the newest additions to downtown, Raziels is an awesome restaurant. I’ve gone several times, and have been impressed with the quality of service, the food and the very short wait time. Last time I went, I had the pleasure of listening to live piano music. It was a wonderful dining experience.

Sand and Soul- Andrea Feller is the masseuse and owner of Sand and Soul, a massager therapy/reflexology business downtown. I had a wonderful hour long massage for Valentine’s Day last year, and I was impressed. Andrea has a very calming, soothing personality, and I have never felt so relaxed. Plus, compared to other massage therapy places near Vermillion in Sioux Falls or Sioux City, Sand and Soul’s prices were incredibly reasonable.

Coffee Shop Gallery- Although I don’t go to the Coffee Shop very often (not being much of a coffee drinker), I always enjoy my experience there. The CSG has a very artsy, trendy feel to it, and has awesome drinks (if coffee isn’t your thing, I recommend the italian cream sodas or their Fantasias). It’s a great place to get away from campus and relax with your friends.

The places I listed are just a few of the great places that people tend to forget about when they think of things to do in Vermillion. Instead of heading to Wal-Mart or skipping Vermillion for Sioux Falls or Sioux City, please think about spending your money downtown. You won’t regret it!