Most students know the places to be on campus for fun, camaraderie or intense studying: In recent years, the Student Center, the library and the music building have been top go-to stops due to their high-level offerings in comfort and convenient locations. 

However, coming back on campus during the pandemic has forced administration to place restrictions on indoor gatherings in places like these; eating in the Student Center is completely blocked off and the library stays closed during tutorial and lunchtime. As a result, once-popular student hotspots are now frequently desolate.

One exception is the music building, which bustles with activity during tutorials and after school. 

Before COVID-19 shut down the school, the Student Center was one of the most highly demanded lunch locations. The numerous desks of all sizes and heights, couches and bean bags were perfect for eating, working and socializing, making students feel at home. Being equally distanced from classrooms, the quad, the cafeteria and the office made the Student Center an accessible, central location and added to its appeal.

Similarly, the library often saw similar degrees of activity in the past. The availability of printers, computers and the bright working environment made the library highly sought-after during tutorials. All tables in the main room as well as both the tech and computer rooms would fill up within the first few minutes. 

But ever since the school year commenced, indoor lunch-eating was banned because constricted air transmission increased COVID-19 risks. Students’ despondent reactions and their longing for indoor hotspots show just how welcoming these places were. 

Outdoor tables are often covered with dirt, and since it has rained throughout some weeks in October and November, tables have sometimes been inconvenient to sit at. As temperatures drop, many exiled students find themselves cold and craving indoor warmth.

Meanwhile, the music building has seen few restrictions and has kept its availability just as before. Although the two-story building is considered an indoor space, M101’s 40-feet high ceilings — complete with enormous windows that allow sunlight to flood in — and vast, carpeted space in every rehearsal room are so spacious that they do not violate any regulations.

Besides its luxurious space provisions, there are 10 practice rooms upstairs, each containing a piano. Music program students — constituting 50% of the student population — gather to practice their instruments in a peaceful, focused environment.

But perhaps the music building’s foremost calling feature is its pristine bathrooms. In contrast to the other restrooms on campus, the tiled floors shine pearly white and are void of stains, the mirrors are shiny and contain no cracks, the flush sound of the toilets is not a jumpscare-inducing roar and, best of all, there is no unpleasant stench. Instead, visitors are greeted by bright lights and the scent of soap.

The comfortable restroom experience, enormous space options for work, chances to socialize and practice and consistent availability add up to making the music building the epitome of an ideal campus hotspot. 

As the pandemic situation improves and restrictions loosen, the Student Center and library will open regularly and invite throngs of students into its doors once again. But for now, the music building is the hottest hot spot on campus.