A Chat About The Chat
It’s 10:10 AM and you’re exhausted – who isn’t that early in the morning? You just left your 8:30 class, and after sitting in place for an hour and 40 minutes, you want to go home, back to your apartment, or your dorm, or wherever it is you stay. The dilemma? You have a 12:20 PM class. Is it really worth making the trek just to have to make it again? Suddenly, you feel a tap on your shoulder. “Hey, you wanna go get breakfast with me in the Chat?”
My sophomore year, I was one of those very lucky individuals with both an 8:30 AM and a 12:20 PM class. The first week I was here – my first year was fully online – I felt I was making no progress: I couldn’t figure out how to spend the two hours in between classes, I didn’t know where on campus to eat, and perhaps most importantly for a new college student, I didn’t know anyone! But this changed my second week when another student in my 8:30 AM Business Law class called over to me afterward.
“Wanna go to the Chat?” I had been there once, maybe twice, just in passing, but I never sat down and I hadn’t even used one of my 80 meal plans at this point. I decided I had to be daring; I took the offer, and walked with my classmate to the Chat. I was expecting to just grab food and leave, but he decided to sit down, so I followed. We got to know one another; in just an hour and 30 minutes, talking about our classes, hobbies, and so much more.
Afterward, the Chat became sort of a staple location for me. I would go to grab breakfast or lunch in between classes, and use the time to interact with classmates or acquaintances in the space. I realized pretty quickly the Chat is pretty versatile. Sure, everyone loves a good meal, right? But, for me, the main purpose of the space has always been to communicate with others. I’ve made some of my closest friends at Arcadia by sitting with classmates, then meeting their friends. I’ve heard about and attended events that are happening on campus because people made plans to go to them while we were eating together. The Chat has been the social focal point of my entire time at Arcadia university.
Imagine another scenario:
It’s 5 PM. You have a paper due tonight. You try finding space to work in the library. All the study rooms are taken. Now what? You debate writing the paper from your home, but the idea of putting on TV and taking a nap is too tantalizing to ignore. You think to yourself. “Why don’t I finish this paper up in the Chat.”
Most of the assignments I have written, at one point, have been written in the Chat. While it does exist as a social space, it also is a great spot to sit and work. I often find myself popping in headphones, playing an album or two, and popping out a few paragraphs. Even during the after-class rush hours, I’ve always found it easy to disengage with the noise and focus on myself. When I’m in my apartment, I find myself distracted too quickly, while at the library, the silence can feel too loud. The Chat offers the perfect balance I’ve always needed to work on my assignments.
All of this to say that I believe that the Chat is the central area of Arcadia. It is located between many crucial parts of campus: the Haber Green, the Commons, the back parking lot, and the Kuch Center – places where many students frequent. The Chat also can be considered a cross section between the many different groups of people on campus. Students of every major, year, sport, interest, and so on will most likely step into the Chat at some point, which is why it is such a crucial part of Arcadia’s student culture. There’s so much to do and see, so many people to meet and catch up with, and most importantly, so much freedom to make the space your own.
