Just about every college student considers skipping class, but with a baseball stadium right next door to campus, I’ve found the ultimate reason for skipping class. One of the major perks of taking classes at the Jupiter campus is that it’s right next to Roger Dean Stadium, where Major League Baseball teams spend all of March spring training.

Spring training lasts only a month, so time is very limited. It was the day before my birthday, so I decided to take the afternoon off and treat myself. On a sunny afternoon, it’s difficult not to take the college classes off and watch stars like St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols practice for the upcoming season.

Fortunately on a perfect March afternoon, I was not the only student who escaped to the confines of Roger Dean Stadium.

Walking toward the stadium, I heard the familiar sounds of bats crushing balls, fans talking about what they may see and vendors hawking the greatness of beer and hot dogs. Eagerly, I bought my ticket and raced toward the entrance. It’s been a while since I’ve been a spectator. The sounds and smells would easily bring back memories of the afternoons spent watching the Philadelphia Phillies playing at Veterans Stadium.

Within seconds of walking in, I noticed a few guys my age walking to the left-field bleachers. Instantly, I suspected I wasn’t the only one playing hooky.

“I love spring training,” sophomore business administration major Andrew Brown, admitting he skipped his statistics class to catch the game. “It’s nice to have a baseball field minutes away.”

As we sit back to enjoy the spring training game between the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals we notice the stands, which normally accommodate nearly 7,000 fans, are about half full. Although the Marlins and the Cardinals manage the stadium, the stands are full of fans in red caps.

Exhibition games are like auditions; the new players are desperately trying to earn their spot on the team. As the starters are playing in the first few innings, the rookies are patiently sitting on the grass.

We watched as the innings passed and new players entered the field one by one trying to impress the coaches and fans.

Overall, the afternoon was fun. I saw nine home run hits, and three hours of sitting and watching America’s pastime was purely therapeutic. All it takes is $20, a few sodas and hot dogs – much better than sitting through math class.

For more information and a look at the Major League season schedule for Roger Dean Stadium visit www.rogerdeanstadium.com.