While stopping by the Student Lounge

The Cambridge Campus of Anoka Ramsey Community College, like most colleges, boasts a modest Student Lounge. This lounge has a little coffee shop and eating area with several tables. In an alcove there is a flat screen television hook up the cable. The alcove is also fitted with the more comfortable seating options of a couch and a few matching chairs. These amenities draw various students to the Student Lounge throughout the day.

As I sat there one afternoon writing a poem, I absorbed the conversations going on around me. In the alcove there were several people in their late teens dressed in various shades of black. They were discussing art and a show that was in the early planning stages. One, in particular, expounded on the philosophies of art. I pegged him as the catalyst of the group. All the others were asking him questions about the show and art, in general. He always gave an appropriate answer. At one point he said, "I want this show to show people that there are different kinds of art."

In the cafe portion of the space, there were a couple of men in their forties. One wore a name tag bearing the emblem of the college. The other had a pile of books before him. He said, "They've changed the way they do everything since I was last in school." At the table behind him, A woman in her forties sat before an open book and a notebook. She furiously erased something written in the notebook. A young man came up to her. "How's it going," he asked. She blew out a frustrated breath and said that she was having trouble some problem in the book. She went on to say, "And the tutor isn't in the center when I can be here." He added, "Yeah, they don't even have a tutor for two of my classes." So, he sat down and tried to help.

Overall, the conversations were diametrically opposed. It was interesting to listen to the extremes play out in mere feet of each other. The art crowd in the alcove was hopeful. The enthusiastic catalyst thought the show was shaping up and they were hopeful that it would educate. He was most especially keen on the idea that it would show a new slant of the typical art standbys. The rest nodded eagerly. They exuded youthful hope. It was in sharp contrast to those in the cafe. They were somewhat discouraged, if not pessimistic. They were having a second go at higher education. Only this time around they are saddled with bills, kids, house care, and spouses. They were frustrated with trying to fit into an educational system that is built with fresh high school graduates in mind. All under one roof, so many varied people can be gathered with so many varied concerns.