Off Campus

There are so many reasons to love the Marshall University campus, but there are also some pretty good reasons for Marshall students to hop off campus for a while and enjoy a change of scenery, some fresh air, good exercise and good eating — maybe even squeeze a job into their busy schedules to earn some cash.

Marshall’s home community of Huntington, West Virginia, has much to offer the Marshall crowd, whether they’re looking for a spot to relax, some outdoor fun or a job that feeds the bank account and, if they’re lucky, maybe even their soul a little bit.

We caught up with some Marshall students to ask about a few of their favorite spots around town, and we’re happy to share the strong ties some of these beloved spaces have to the Herd. Here are just a few examples of where Marshall students are hanging out.

Around Huntington

Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream

When Anna Lantz is not working toward her doctorate in clinical psychology at Marshall, she can be found working her job at Austin’s at The Market.

“I’ve been working here for almost four years. I love it,” she said. “It’s so much fun. It doesn’t matter what kind of ice cream you give someone — they can never be disappointed. My favorite joke is, ‘This is going to be your hardest decision of the day — picking out your flavor of ice cream.’”

What drew her to the job was her ties to Austin’s co-owner Taylor Strickland Chambers, whom she met through volleyball. Chambers is not only a two-time Marshall grad, but also a former volleyball coach for the Herd. After about 10 years of coaching and working for The Big Green foundation, Chambers decided to officially jump full-time into the family business and open a second location of Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream. The original location in Ceredo has been open since 1947. Chambers’ grandmother, Joyce Snyder, had been running it since the 1980s.

A smiling employee stands behind the counter at Austin’s Ice Cream, with flavor boards and ice cream display cases visible in the background. — Taylor Strickland Chambers at Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream in downtown Huntington.

“My mom and my brother (Kim Adkins and Timothy Ruff) stepped in, about 10 years go, and Mimi passed it down to us finally,” Chambers said. “I got involved when my brother and I opened here in downtown Huntington (in 2018) at The Market.”

They also operate a food truck and just opened a third location as well in Barboursville.

“In our mission statement, we’re all about community involvement, just bringing a great atmosphere and contributing to this area,” she said. “I always said I was going to move away when I was younger, but as Huntington started to grow, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to contribute to that.”

We love adding something special to the community and staying involved and bringing our family’s ice cream to everyone. It’s our recipes. It’s everything my grandmother built, and I want to continue to carry on that legacy.

Taylor Strickland Chambers

Her master’s degree in human resources management helps her run the operation. And while they collaborate on everything, Ruff does a lot of the recipe creation for the flavors, and she is the designated “taste-tester,” Chambers said.

“We love adding something special to the community and staying involved and bringing our family’s ice cream to everyone. It’s our recipes. It’s everything my grandmother built, and I want to continue to carry on that legacy.”

They also love employing and supporting Marshall students along the way. Not only do they hire Marshall students, but they offer multiple NIL (name image and likeness) deals to Marshall athletes to support their journey and promote the company.

“I love to just see their success. I get to watch them all grow,” Chambers said. “There’s a slew of kids who have come through, and I see them in their professional careers now, and it’s so fun to watch.”

Two students sit at an outdoor table enjoying ice cream from Austin’s Ice Cream, sharing a laugh in a downtown Huntington alleyway seating area. — Ashley Ferguson and Karli Panaro, enjoying some good company and good ice cream from Austin’s at The Market.

Ritter Park

Another place you’ll find a lot of Marshall University students is Ritter Park, whether they’re taking a stroll on the trails or reading in a hammock between the trees. As for Sage Sigdel, you can usually find him destressing on the pickleball courts.

“Whenever I play pickleball, I always go to Ritter Park. The courts are somewhat new, and there are always people there to play,” said the Marshall senior, who is majoring in biological science. “I usually play with my friends from Marshall during the semesters. Even if I do not go with them, I often see many students I know from Marshall at Ritter Park.”

Sage Sigdel returns a shot at Ritter Park, a favorite off-campus escape for a summer game.

So what is it about pickleball that everyone loves?

“I enjoy pickleball because it is a simple-to-learn, competitive game that gives you a workout without you noticing,” he said. “It feels nice to get exercise while having fun.

“Pickleball is a great way to destress. Yes, there can be competitive moments, but it often gives me a space where I do not have to think about other events occurring in my life.

“I think more people should try pickleball. It is a simple sport, and everyone at the park is friendly. Whether it be giving you tips or letting someone borrow their paddles, everyone is willing to aid in some way.”

But he enjoys the park off the pickleball courts as well.

“When I was younger, I used to love riding my bike there, but now I have switched to enjoying walking and running on the gravel paths,” Sigdel said. “It is more enjoyable compared to exercising on a treadmill.”

Nomada Bakery

You’ll find a lot of Marshall employees stopping by Huntington’s Nomada Bakery, which has been named the No. 1 Best Cake Shop in the United States the past two years in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It’s co-owned by Marshall University political science Professor Shawn Schulenberg and Ariel Barcenas, the chief creative officer behind the recipes that make the cakes and pastries so popular amongst the Marshall and Huntington community, as well as visitors to the city.

Nomada is also where you’ll find Marshall psychology student Rhys Cottrill — one of the faces behind the scenes helping give everyone a special experience. Usually working as a barista, Cottrill has also been known to work in the kitchen and help wherever it’s needed.

Rhys Cottrill loves the atmosphere of Nomada Bakery, where he works as a barista and helps in the kitchen.

He loves the laid-back atmosphere of the bakery.

“This place is unique — taking things from other cultures and bringing them into this area and making something beautiful,” Cottrill said. “We have a lot of food and baking styles from South America, Argentina and Panama, and influence from our West Virginia culture.”

It makes for a wonderful combination, he said, giving foods a delicious twist. One example is the pepperoni croissant — a fresh take on the classic West Virginia pepperoni roll.

Schulenberg said he and Barcenas started Nomada because they missed many of the flavors they had come to love from Central and South America and wanted to have them in Huntington.

“Many of the recipes we feature are especially meaningful to Ariel because they remind him of home,” Schulenberg said. “We figured that if we missed these foods, others might enjoy discovering them too. I love introducing people to something they’ve never experienced before and watching it become a new favorite — an alfajor, a medialuna, or explaining the difference between dulce de leche and caramel.

“I also get to do a version of that introducing every summer, when I lead Marshall’s study abroad program in Argentina,” Schulenberg continued. “One of the things I love most about taking students abroad is watching them discover new foods, traditions and ways of experiencing another culture. In many ways, Nomada lets us recreate a small part of that experience here at home. We can’t take everyone to Buenos Aires, but we can introduce people to flavors and traditions they might never have encountered otherwise.”

Nomada Bakery infuses flavors of different cultures into its menu items, such as these cupcakes.

Cicada Books

Courtney Burgess started going to Cicada Books because she needed a place to hang out during her long lunch break between classes. Owned by a mother-daughter duo who are Marshall alumnae, Dawn Hylbert and Katie Norman, Cicada Books is located about 10 minutes from campus, on Huntington’s West End.

“After going there once, I loved it so much that it became a part of my daily routine on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” said Burgess, a sophomore English Education major.

“The first thing that drew me into the place was the immediate vibe. The aesthetic of the place was very fitting for me, and I felt very welcome as soon as I walked in. The workers there are very friendly and always have a warm greeting for everyone.”

Burgess loves the small room in the middle of the store, which has a cozy couch and decorations.

Courtney Burgess relaxes on a couch at Cicada Books, holding a mug in a cozy reading space with a colorful quilt hanging behind her. — Courtney Burgess enjoys a quiet moment with a mug at Cicada Books, a welcoming independent bookstore and café near Marshall University.

“It is the perfect place for me to focus on finishing my homework for class or working on my novel while drinking an always delicious coffee,” Burgess said. “My favorite order there is a salted caramel latte, with the heart bagel. So, so good.”

She likes the vibe there so much that she even notices herself getting more work done there, in the comfort of her favorite couch.

“It’s nice to have a place like this off campus because it draws people similar to me together,” Burgess said. “It’s always comforting to see a fellow Marshall student sitting for a coffee or a quick bite to do homework or catch up with a friend.

“I genuinely don’t have a bad thing to say about this place. My coffee is always good, and that bagel is always delicious (add honey to it, trust me). They are so welcoming to everyone, and they have all my favorite things. Books, coffee, records, and a place for me to write.”

It’s nice to have a place like this off campus because it draws people similar to me together.

Courtney Burgess

Courtney Burgess enjoys the ambience of this cozy spot at Cicada Books, her favorite place to spend quiet time off campus.

Off Campus

Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream

Ritter Park

Nomada Bakery

Cicada Books

Keep Reading

Amy Parsons-White

Called Back to Community

Exploring the Unknown