Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

37° Evanston, IL
Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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Roadtripper

Ah, Minnesota. The great northern bastion of the Big Ten. The Twin Cities. The friendly people. Twins fever. And here’s everything else you need to know for a Thursday night in Minneapolis.

Directions

Long trip; really, really simple directions. From The Arch, take Chicago Ave. south to Dempster Street. Go right on Dempster to I-294 South. You won’t be on this one for long, so keep your eyes open. Right around O’Hare International Airport (also known as “O’Hare”), start heading west on I-90 toward Rockford. If you really want, you can exit in Rockford and go looking for the home of the Rockford Peaches, of “A League of Their Own” fame. Or not. Keep going on I-90 West, which will join I-94 West around Madison, Wis., home of that other varmint to the north. Stay on I-94 West all the way into Minneapolis (yes, you can burn some time in Eau Claire, Wis., if you really want). In Minny, take the 5th Street exit, No. 234B. Continue on 5th Street South for a third of a mile and the baggie is on your right. See? Simple.

the stadium

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

Capacity: 76,129

Built: 1982

Surface: Artificial Turf

Tickets: Available

Fast Fact: You have to enter the building through revolving doors — or else the roof comes down. Really.

Tailgating

In a phrase: non-existent. Every now and then, random fits of fun occur on campus. But seeing as how tonight’s game in on a weekday, don’t expect to find a whole lot.

The Crowd

The Metrodome has long been known as one of the loudest buildings around, the bane of visiting teams’ existence. But the Golden Gophers don’t always fill the place, offering somewhat of a break. Tonight’s game is Homecoming, but attendance was way off last Thursday for the Illinois game, suggesting the crowd won’t be up to capacity. Alumni and boosters fill up the lower deck from the 35 to the 35, and student turnout is usually pretty good. But selling the upper deck — and thus creating an extra wall of noise — doesn’t happen very often.

The Fight Song

Quite frankly, we don’t like Minnesota Rouser a whole lot. It’s kinda catchy, but the lyrics are arcane at best. There are a whole lot of thees and thys involved, not really 21st-century kind of lingo. Plus, there’s a reference to Ski-U-Mah. (Actually, it’s ‘Rah! Rah! Rah! for Ski-U-Mah.’) We don’t know what that means, but they get a lot of snow in Minneapolis, so maybe it has something to do with that. Everyone spells out Minnesota at the end, and that’s fun. Not much else to like, however.

Best of Minneapolis

If you’re seeking sustenance or fun either before or after the game, keep these places in mind:

Must See: Stadium Village, an area on campus with lots of bars and restaurants

Best Hangout: The Mall, right in the middle of campus, where students lounge and study on a grassy quad

Best Bar: Stub & Herb’s, 227 Oak St. SE

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Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881
Roadtripper