February 29, 2024 | OPINION | By Julia Decker and Asa Gartrell
Does the rhythm of the Block Plan make you feel like there’s no time to catch your breath? In the Tiger Trap, our daily grind rarely strays from eating, sleeping, studying and YikYak-ing. This cycle manifests in the campus infrastructure: facilities dedicated to housing, dining, academics and athletics. By no means are these spaces conducive to vibing or chilling with one’s fellow Tigers.
Did someone say third space? Third spaces are communal environments like parks or cafes. No one expects you to show up—they are places to enjoy without obligation. Beyond Tava Quad, Colorado College has very few third spaces. While the library or dining hall may facilitate new connections, they remain embedded in our daily routines.
We need spaces separate from schoolwork and other pressures. Unfortunately, after you’ve watched your three-hour chemistry lecture and munched on some Rastall Cafe chicken thigh, you turn to your phone. You may think you have found this elusive third space but think again. Scrolling through Pinterest for 45 minutes offers only an echo of a triple-decker Tava hammock hang.
Third space usage has consistently declined. People worldwide can newly share their interests in the ultimate third space: the internet. It was not always like this. Physical third spaces were essential to pre-internet daily life. Think of Tom’s Restaurant in “Seinfeld” or Central Perk coffee shop in “Friends.” As they were then, we argue that common public areas are vital for expanding your social circle and launching you into new experiences.
Especially post-pandemic, isolation is a significant cause of anxiety and depression — whether physical (being alone) or from seeking pseudo-social interaction in social media, which is used by 84% of people ages 18 to 29. Spending time indoors and using smartphones are both negatively correlated with self-reported happiness in college students.
In a time when students spend much of their days inside their rooms and routines, what can we do to get people outside — together?
Imagine this: four multi-use stages near the big three residence halls.
Providing a place for live music, performing arts, and public discourse, these stages would facilitate community collaboration outdoors. Additionally, they would be equipped with hooks to hold up a projection screen for outdoor movie nights. When not in use, they could operate as outdoor reading nooks. Each stage would have chairs and house-lending libraries following the non-profit Little Free Library model. These multifaceted structures would bring students outside, promoting entertainment, community and time to recuperate.
Other universities successfully implemented stages to connect students outdoors during the pandemic. Carnegie Mellon University erected an impressive outdoor stage to offer a social opportunity during an isolating time. The platform hosted music, dances and movies for socially distant students when COVID-19 protocols prohibited indoor gatherings.
Colorado College can follow Carnegie Mellon University’s lead to fortify schoolwide connections. The stages would offer a safe gathering place and facilitate frequent doses of grass and fresh air. The call for communal outdoor spaces has become necessary in a world increasingly tethered to screens and schedules. Embrace the thrill of the third space, surrounded by your peers and their creations.