Beat the Busy Brentwood Blues

7 November 2011Emily R

There is no doubt that the hectic pace of Brentwood life is time consuming. With the combination of arts, sports, academics and fitting in a meal or two, it seems as if there is no time for socializing, and the term “free time” has little meaning. Contrary to popular belief, the faculty here at Brentwood gives us cram-packed schedules for our own good, to prepare us for the future. Being teens, however, socializing is a mandatory factor of our lives.

A small town like Mill Bay may appear not to have much to offer, but with just a little imagination and a different approach, this village is full of many fun places to go and interesting things to do with friends.

A common getaway location is a small coffee shop just beyond our Brentwood gates. Rusticana’s (commonly known as Rusty’s) has been near Brentwood for many years in many forms. It has been a booth, a small room, and now a cute and cozy little shop where we can enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee or tea and share a nice chat with friends. Under new management, it is no doubt that Rusty’s will continue to evolve and grow to attract more Brentwood students and members of the Mill Bay community.

The small but very convenient Mill Bay Shopping Center is host to every tool a student may need to survive. Pharmasave meets any pharmaceutical, make-up or postal need; “Wear It’s At” allows access to some funky clothing for our shopping deprived girls; “Jada’s” and “Free Style” suits all your hair cut/styling needs and Thrifty’s has a fine selection of food to keep students healthy and fed (or to provide an easy option when the cafe food is not to your liking).

Many restaurants and food joints are also at our disposal. Subway, McDonalds, Mill Bay Pizza and A&W provide a quick and easy way to obtain foods that students may treat themselves to every once in a while (we all have our own guilty pleasures). But if you are in search of a more calming restaurant atmosphere, look no further than Catrina’s Grill, where one may enjoy a slightly more formal lunch or dinner.

However, there are also many places on our own campus that allow students to socialize. The Duncan and Verda McNeill Centre located in Crooks Hall is a spacious room where students come and sit, drink some tea or coffee and just chat, maybe play some foosball, listen to music and just hang out, all this with an oceanfront view of Mount Baker. If you feel like being a little more active, there are several fields where you can play sports, or (when the weather gets a bit warmer) students can come lie out and just vegetate. We have gyms on our campus for those students who enjoy working out, alone or with friends, and each house is equipped with a “common room” where boys and girls are free to mingle (only after 5 o’clock of course!) watch some TV and just hang out.

Though an active school like Brentwood is likely to keep you busy, there is always a little breathing room. What you do with that time is up to you, but it is plain to see that there are many options, places to go and things to see. The next time you find yourself with some free time, check out the places mentioned above: you won’t be disappointed with what you find. But in these first cram-packed months of the new school year, much of the spare time will be dedicated to one vital activity…catching up on some much deserved sleep!

Where Students Choose To Be