Living on a college budget and still holding down a meaningful social life can be quite difficult. That’s where the Explore Columbus program here at Ohio State comes into play.

Supported by the $15 student activity fee, Explore Columbus is a discount ticket program that “provides undergraduate, graduate and professional students at Ohio State with access to cultural and sporting events” around Columbus.

“We purchase tickets to local events or venues and sell them to students at a discounted price,” said Deb Cunningham, coordinator for Explore Columbus. “We usually aim for a 50 percent discount. Sometimes it’s a bit more, sometimes a bit less.”

General discounted tickets as low as $5 are available for a number of Columbus area venues including COSI, Columbus Museum of Art and Gateway Landmark Movie Theaters. In addition to offering discounted tickets, students can get $25 gift cards for just $15 to popular eateries such as Champps, Dave & Buster’s and Red Lobster.

Cunningham says it’s a crime for students not to use the services the program offers because once students graduate and get out into the real world, they’ll see just how expensive events can be.

Students can go to the Explore Columbus Web site and suggest an event to be offered through the program. Ideas also come from Cunningham’s student information system specialists, Jenna DiCiccio and Steven Zehring, who usually interact with students and do much of the ticket distributions.

Zehring, a graduating senior in accounting, said he remembers a Flogging Molly concert that was a hit among students, similar to an upcoming Metallica concert which will cost students only $30.

Cunningham said there is often confusion between Explore Columbus and the Ohio Union Activities Board.

“OUAB is more of the free events here on campus while Explore Columbus is public things that are around the city,” DiCiccio said.

With no professional basketball team in Columbus, Explore Columbus will give students will have the chance to see an NBA match between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards Oct. 24 at the Schottenstein Center. Tickets are $25.

“There is such a huge Cleveland community here and a lot of students will travel up to Cleveland to go see a game,” Cunningham said. “They will go (to the game) and stay at home, so it’s really no extra cost to the students.”

Columbus Crew and Blue Jackets tickets are also available through Explore Columbus. Tickets are available for the Crew’s Oct. 26 season opener for $10,

“We’re always looking and changing to keep the program fresh,” Cunningham said.

All tickets, sold on a first-come-first serve basis, are available at the temporary home of Explore Columbus in the football stadium between gates 22 and 24 until the completion of the Student Union. A Buck ID must be presented when purchasing tickets. For more information, visit the Explore Columbus Web site at www.explorecolumbus.osu.edu or call 614-688-4696.

amila Williams can be reached at [email protected].