At 9:00 AM on a refreshing Friday morning, the student center is alive with the chatter of passing students as they head to class and kitchen cutlery as the chefs are preparing the students their breakfast, the most important meal of the day. You can hear them all the way from the other side of the student center, the air open to all the sounds and chatter within the building.

The left side of the student center is cluttered with chairs, sporting simple geometric patterns and reflecting blue, grey, and green. It meshes well with the floor, giving the center a sleek, comfortable look. The cushion beneath me is not as soft as one could be, but its warmth on my legs does the trick. Music plays in the background, whispering so softly that I am not able to hear it from where I am sitting. The air in here smells clean, but you can detect an underlying scent of the foods that are being served in the cafeteria, mixing with the fabric softener scent of the clean air.

Speaking of the other side of the student center, one female student sees another sitting at table on her computer. Assuming that they shared an eight o’clock class together, she asks her why she isn’t in class, but remembers that it is not the Friday 8:00 class she shares with her, but another.

Behind the stairwell that leads up to the second floor, you can clearly hear a male student chattering with a friend about an incident in class with another friend. It is a surreal thing, hearing the voices of people you cannot see, a conversation taking wing in the air, coming from nowhere, but somewhere at the same time.

Two teachers walk across the walkway. One is holding a pile of green binders in his arms. One would assume he had bought them for a class, but another would wonder what assignment they could be for. He is a bible teacher and I wonder if it could be assignment on analyzing certain pieces of scripture.

Two of Belhaven’s hardworking housekeepers are up and about, changing the trash bags on trash cans, coming in and out of the bathroom. Two of them meet up at the trash can sitting outside the bookstore, whispering to each other before they depart. One wonders further into the student center toward the kitchen while the other goes out the side door across from Irby.

The talk about dogs and cats between one pair of friends fills me with happiness. A conversation about pets is always welcome in any setting. The student center is alive with students waiting for their next class, discussing anything that pops up at the front of their minds, light and friendly and welcoming. And though you are not a part of these conversations, hearing them makes you feel like you are a part of them.

Tell me, as you are getting ready for your first class for the day, how do you spend your mornings? As you eat breakfast in the cafeteria, what do you talk about with your friends?