Owen Seiner

An Ode to Novack: A Campus Destination for Studying and Socializing

As I write this, I'm sipping on an iced coffee (yes—it is 10 PM on a Sunday night and a crisp 40 degrees outside), but I'm kept warm by, not only the company of my math problem set, but also: friends. In a world where proper social distancing is so important, Novack Café has fulfilled a unique desire for current on-campus students; it's a place to study, hang out with friends, and grab a snack—all while staying COVID safe.

Personally, I go to Novack almost every day, using it as my primary study space, since I find my room too distracting and the library too quiet. For example, today I arrived to Novack, grabbed breakfast, and then sat down in the study area until after the sun set, crunching away at problems, an essay outline, and biology notes for far too long, before heading off to the Class of '53 Commons Dining Hall to have dinner with a friend. 

Katherine and I snapped a selfie in Novack Cafe, one of our preferred study spots!

While I love Novack as a study space during the day, stopping by Novack at night to use my late-night swipe has become a little bit of a tradition of mine since getting to campus. On nights when I'm hanging out with friends in a tent or a common room and we all start to get a little snacky and then head to Novack, I can't help but find myself super happy that we're still are able to have the college experience of a late night snack with friends, all while staying safe.

Tonight, I decided to stop by, order a coffee with my late-night swipe, and do a little bit of work in Novack. Of course, I ran into my friends throughout the night, leading into discussions about every topic under the sun: from the satire of punk music to the election. Reflecting on the night, I feel like Novack Café has become a little hub near normalcy on campus in a constantly chaotic and weird world, and—maybe—that's why a lot of students, including me, are almost always there.