The Commons – A Microcosm of Us All

    I'm a bit of an outsider to the CoC. I’m a third year Polymer and Fiber Engineer (to freshmen: don’t worry if that doesn’t sound familiar; even some graduate students don’t realize that’s a major here) minoring in Computer Science and working towards a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management.  I regularly frequent the study lounges of my department, the Management building, and pretty much every other public location on campus. Passing through the library or the Student Center lounges, I would be surprised to see anything more than the backs of heads or to hear anything above a muted rumble. 

    All that changes, though, when I enter the CoC commons.  Suddenly those empty walls are covered with large, bright posters competing for your attention with huge ads for clubs and LAN parties.  At eye level, dry erase boards sit, filled with everything from childish stick-figure drawings to bits of ridiculously complex code. Surrounding what looks like picnic benches with backs, I hear the sounds of excited (or, when an assignment is due, panicked) voices and smell the rich aromas of pizza and Wingnuts.  It’s like the world shifts into color.

    If an entire community could be described in one image, the CoC commons embodies the CoC community.  When I’m there, I am always surrounded by fun, interesting people with quirky thinking, in a relaxed atmosphere that’s worlds away from any other location on campus.  In a word, the Commons are the embodiment of community.  That is really what impresses me about the College of Computing: exactly how much of a community it really is. 

    Take a second and think about it.  Where else can you be guaranteed—24 hours a day—to find people in states of activity ranging from flash games to senior design projects, all of whom are willing to stop and chat for a few minutes?  What other department's professors take an active role in hosting and participating in events for their students?  Can you name a class outside of the CoC which has TAs from more than two different majors?  What other major can lay claim to such cool events as a week of hands-on instruction by Yahoo employees or a campus-wide gaming tournament?  The list goes on, but I think you get the point.

    I'm affiliated with various clubs and organizations and know pretty much everyone in my major, but when I think of my community of friends on campus, I have a relatively short list.  Compare this to the CoC community, though, and it seems miniscule. It seems odd to say it, since we are just dedicated and active a bunch of students as any other department, but so much of what we do is visible and aimed at helping all of us survive our time at Tech that I can’t help but feel as though I could be friends with anyone I met in the College of Computing.

    So the next time an upcoming test has you frazzled, or you are wondering where to go to spend a little time unwinding after a big project, or even the next time you need a sounding board for an idea you want to work on in your own time, consider stopping by the commons.