Caffeine & easy banter

Chemical Engineering major Zainab Nandawula '11 is writing a weekly column on life at Lafayette.

It's 11.00 p.m. on Sunday and I am trying hard to study for a quiz. All this quantum mechanics seems like gibberish and the squeaking bed in the room right above mine is not helping.

As I contemplate another confrontation with the neighbors upstairs, I'm reminded of the many aspects of college that nag me on a regular basis. There should be prisons for people who break dormitory rules, I think to myself. I decide to shift the studying to Gilbert's Café.

As I wait on my food, I can't help but eavesdrop on a couple's flirtatious conversation at the next table. The guy brags about his culinary abilities and the girl appears genuinely impressed. She giggles. It must be a first date, I think to myself and smile.

In that moment, quizzes and noisy hall-mates are out of mind. Most days, it's easier to concentrate on the unpleasant stuff, but to be honest, there are a couple of non-obvious things that have at one point or another made life at Lafayette a bit easier, nicer or even fun. I present: A Few Small Pleasures at Lafayette.




Van-Wickle's Rock Display

Some days when I am feeling a bit low, I walk through Van-Wickle's rock museum in the hallway, and at the risk of sounding like a poet, all my blues fade away. For me, this is without doubt the most beautiful, wondrous place at Lafayette. Fourteen times this week, I have tried to write a sentence to describe these magnificent stones, and each time, I have failed. So, I suggest that you go and see them for yourselves. My favorites are the quartz crystals.




The Fountain

I always fondly think of this place as it is the site of my first kiss at Lafayette. Alright, so that was a lie, but I bet it's true for someone out there.




Gilbert's Caramel Milkshake

Yummmmm.




Lambros Galanos

For giving us Campus Pizza, Lambros deserves to be on this list. This place doesn't just make pasta worth all the calories, it's also one of the reasons The Spot will never be the party center it was meant to be.



Professor of Chemical Engineering Javad Tavakoli, a.k.a J.T.


I could write a whole column about Professor J.T. He is intelligent, kind, patient, and helpful with every breath. But, he is in this column because he says some of the funniest things in class. One day, completely serious and oblivious of his humor, he said, "Since I wrote all the other equations, to be fair, I will write down this one so it doesn't feel cheated."

Dr. Levinson is another funny one. However, since he still teaches me and I do not want to come off as a teacher's pet, I will not write about him.

I am certain that all of you have had that one professor who makes you laugh. On those days, I am sure the class was a bit more bearable or even fun.



Dean John McKnight

My girls assure me all the ladies know what I am talking about.



Pardee's Elevator

How some people manage to climb the stairs all the way to the fourth floor in Pardee is beyond me. For all those times I did not have to risk a heart attack, I will always think of this lift with affection. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, seeing as this is the most populated elevator in all of Lafayette.




The Quad

This is the route for many students' "walks of shame," and for this reason, it makes the list. On many cold mornings, these students, mainly the girls, have been a source of a few chuckles and entertainment.