By LYDIA WILLIAMS

Let’s set the scene, it is early Friday afternoon, I am weary from a long week of class and work. I shuffle into Commons to sustain myself until the weekend. I spot corn dogs and begin to think this is a sign of good things to come, boy how wrong I was. All of a sudden, as if a nuclear bomb had dropped from a warring country, a heinous banging of tables began in the center of the dining room. A poorly tuned orchestra of 2000’s white-girl music filled the air, much to the chagrin of literally every single person just trying to get lunch. 

It’s been nearly two and a half months since we all arrived at campus and I have kept my opinions to myself in the hopes that people will soon understand that this is in fact a college and not Camp Rock. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. So I have taken it upon myself to educate the masses in case they somehow don’t know how bothersome flash mobs are in the middle of a class day. Let’s begin with places where it is not appropriate to sing at the top of your lungs:

• Commons: At all hours of the day
  • People just want a sub-par meal and cannot escape the noise
• Pearsons: If anyone is studying
  • Yes, there is a piano there, no you should not play it if people are actively trying to pass classes. With the library disappearing, Pearsons is the main study space. 
• Dorm building common spaces
  • Keep that S*$! To your personal space, I just want to make ramen in peace.

And because I am infinitely generous, here is a list of  places it is appropriate to be musical:

• Bits and Pieces: acapella club
  • A very friendly, twice-weekly club that performs at the end of the semester
• C-Haus Karaoke
  • Follow @chaus_beloit on Instagram for event updates, plus there are drinks!
• Outside between the hours of 6pm-10pm
  • Probably 3pm-11pm on weekends 

All Jokes aside, please be considerate of the space you take up and who is around you. It is easy to get caught up with your friends and get too loud for a few moments, but there are other people in these common spaces who are not having fun. There are plenty of places where singing, laughing and dancing are welcomed and appreciated. College is supposed to be fun and silly but also a place for everyone to feel comfortable. To those who witness people being inconsiderate in public, do not be afraid to ask them to stop, this is your home too. If you or your group of friends is either asked to be quieter or sense that people are beginning to get annoyed with you, please tone it down. These are your neighbors, peers, and friends whom you should want to be mindful of. 

Glee is a fun show, but not fun to live.