by Alison Dewers

A giant burst of people walk into the cafeteria as soon as it hits noon, instantly breathing life into the dead silent area.

I roll into the cafeteria after my digital storytelling class at 11 am. At this time, there are very minimal students, with everyone spread out far from each other, all immersed in their own work. I plop my stuff on an empty table, making a loud noise in a quiet room. I pull out my laptop and start on my own work. As the clock ticks closer to noon, more people start to trickle in as they finish their final morning classes.

A giant burst of people walk into the cafeteria as soon as it hits noon, instantly breathing life into the dead silent area. What once was a calm place of serendipity instantly became a place of chaos. I’m now surrounded by groups of people laughing, eating, and talking with each other.

And it stays like this until the lunch hour is over. As soon as it nears 1 pm, the cafeteria becomes a barren island once again, as if there was no one there before.

I believe that’s the beauty of the cafeteria at UWM-WC. There is just this one hour of the day where many students come to eat and wind down with their friends before they have to face their afternoon classes. It’s a place to study, relax, chill with your fellow peers, and grab a quick snack. What more can you ask for?

Perhaps some more food than the stuff offered from the vending machines- but that’s a topic for another day.