Iulian, rough draft, theme #2
I spent a few hours in the Student Center, and it was an amazing experience. Though there is no formal setup, or some written rules, things tend to happen there in a certain cycle, like in a miniature Universe. There, in the Student Center, friends meet friends and make new friends, say jokes and laugh; this is the place were students hang out after chapel.
Every morning, all students merge in a quiet flock towards the Allen Arena, ready for the morning worship. After half an hour of exaltation or relaxation depending on what time every student finished his homework the night before. Some days, people are very quiet on Allen Arena, meaning that a hard day has started; but things always seem to get better as most of those who were in Chapel go for the Student Center, ready for lunch, for another look over the class-notes, or just to kill the half hour before the classes start.
It is interesting to watch such a big diversity of people that have so different personalities. But what I find more interesting and exciting is that every single one of them has a dream, and all these dreams travel together through university. It is probably a very short common way if we compare it to the years that they have ahead, but it has more impact than most of the places they have ever been to.
The first interference that students have is at the entrance door, where students that keep the doors open exchange smiles and receive thanks from those who enter. Guys seem to be especially kind towards girls. Students are a many times very polite to each other. Entering the Food court during “rush time”, feels like entering an ant-hill. There are people everywhere: in lines waiting for food, on the floor, on the couches, booths, and anywhere else people might stay.
The students who go there just for lunch seem not to be very sociable comparing to the others, as many of them like to enjoy their food in quietness. These students do talk, they don’t laugh that much. By analyzing the structure of the “eating groups” I could determine that that they are usually formed out of people that are familiar to each other.
The students that go there just for a last look over the courses are making a compromise. They want to learn, but in the same time meet with their friends. If they would want isolation and silence they would not be there, but in any other building in campus.
The third category includes the ones that are eating lunch and hang out, while waiting for the next class. This group is the most interesting one, because here I could see different personalities coming together and communicating. The different groups are large, up to twenty people, and have no physical boundaries, meaning that anyone can join the group at anytime, barely knowing the people in. I was surprised to see that after fifteen minutes of discussing a random theme, a guy that I believed to be in that group, introduced himself to the others. He was in the group for a long time, not knowing anyone by their name. The group was like a social club that accepts anyone and is always in a rush. I could not determine if the people were grouped around some popular personages, as it seemed to me that everyone had the same importance and impact in the group. Of course there are some dominant personalities that keep the group alive. Each person that joins the group does it in a different way, according to its personality. Some guys might say a joke when joining, while others would shout a personalized greeting to everyone or a verse from a song. Girls are not as loud as the guys, but many times they do a nice entrance. The same group usually spreads over more than one couch, on the floor and on the chairs without anyone to feel mistreated.
By getting closer to one of the groups, I remarked that the group was very diverse, having people from different states or countries, with different accents or native languages.
The discussions in the group were very interesting, as each of the member’s answers were coming from a different experience of life, a different culture or/and education. The general attitude of my study group was very optimistic and cheerful, as each member contributed to it.
These groups are the starting point for new friendships and connections that are to develop. They also are like an open world atlas or dictionary, where you can find many new and interesting stories. Many of these friendships will last for the rest of our lives. The thirty minute break in the Student Center could be the only chance to meet some people that are not very extrovert. A smile can make the difference between a wonderful and a miserable day.
“Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. What do we live
for if not to make the world less difficult for each other? “
-- George Eliot