A new school year is beginning which means UK’s barren summer campus is revived with students preparing for the year ahead. The start of the year also means an opportunity to discover UK’s secrets and what many students may not know about their old or new Kentucky home for the next four years. This is Underground UK.

What is the most important day of the week? Depending on your social life it may be Thursday night. “Thirsty Thursday” is a name synonymous with colleges around the country for late nights, binge drinking and parties. At first glance the stereotypical parties depicted on big screens and recreated at UK on Thursday nights may seem like the only activity going on. However, if you would prefer to do anything else besides party, UK and the Lexington community offer a wide range of activities to appeal to students.

For example, every Thursday night Pazzo’s, a pizzeria and pub located on S. Limestone, hosts a Trivia Night. Trivia Night begins at 8:30 p.m. and offers participants multiple incentives including gift cards for the top three teams and specials on nachos, fries and beer.

However, if you would still like to drink, but in a more laid back atmosphere, Two Key’s Tavern offers Thursday Night College Night and an all you can drink special for $10. Two Key’s is located on S. Limestone.

While UK is obviously most known for the 8-time national championship men’s basketball team, many other sports play on Thursday night. As a UK student all sporting events besides men’s basketball and football are free. A lot of the time events such as volleyball or women’s basketball will take place on Thursday night. Students who attend these games can use the BBN Rewards app to get points which go toward redeeming prizes such as t-shirts, bobble heads and a tour of Rupp Arena. Also, the points can be used to skip the lottery during basketball season.

Another organization providing other options for Thursday’s is Christian Student Fellowship, which is an organization on campus that strives to bring Christian students together. Every Thursday night at 8:00 p.m., Christians across campus come together to worship and sing while offering support to one another. Also, CSF puts on other events throughout the week including Flapjack Friday’s and Shift for freshmen.

Lastly, Student Activities Board hosts events throughout the semester that involve students in fun and free activities such as Bingo or Trivia Night’s. These activities usually provide prizes including UK spirit packs or useful items such as laundry detergent or umbrellas.

If you are a new or returning UK student, do not worry if you feel like there’s nothing to do besides party on “Thirsty Thursday.” The worst case scenario is you can go to bed early because you probably have class in the morning.