By Kayla Perry, Editor-in-Chief
The Laurentian Beach has always been a favourite among university students and community members alike: from the nearness of the beach to the campus residences, and the annual frosh Beach Day which is held there, the beach has become something of an LU staple.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the university’s beach ranked among the top 30 universities with beaches internationally.
Found on onlineschoolcenter.com, the article ranked Laurentian University as number 21 on the list, citing the beach as a “quiet, sandy cove” on a campus that is described as a “true gem.”
Laurentian ranked above universities such as the Deakin University’s Geelong Waterfront Campus in Geelong, Australia, the University of Madras, in Chennai, India, and the Point Loma Nazarene University in California, USA.
Other schools on the list hailed from South Africa, Malaysia, and the Cayman Islands, with the Florida Gulf Coast University in Florida, USA, ultimately taking the top spot on the list.
Even more impressive, the lake is only one of five freshwater lakes on the campus, which in total spans 765-acres and is complete with an Olympic-sized pool, conservation trails, multiple libraries, and a planetarium, among other highlights.
“(The beach) is awesome because you can walk down on any afternoon and spend it with friends by the water. I’m not surprised it made the top 30,” said Kyle Wilson, who completed his undergrad at Laurentian and is currently working to complete his M.A. in Applied Psychology.
“How many other schools in Canada can boast about having a beach? There are also beautiful lookout spots and rocks to jump off of and into the water.”
The article, titled “30 Amazing Colleges at the Beach”, cited a methodology of research of other articles on similar topics, measuring the distance of the beach to campus buildings, and factoring in the ease of accessibility from the school to the beaches.
The article also notes that beaches were also ranked on scales of natural beauty sustainability for swimming, surfing, and other water sports (a scale on which one can assume Laurentian’s beach suffered, due to the eight-plus months of winter experienced in Canada).