There’s Always Another Chair: Circle Tables as a Conduit of Hillsdalian Community

Written by Ashley Luke

When coming home for breaks, most Hillsdale students are asked the same two questions, “How do you like Hillsdale?” and “What’s your favorite part?” When I was asked the second question, I paused for a moment thinking over the numerous visits I had paid my sisters while they were at Hillsdale and replied, “You know, I really love the circle tables in the dining hall.” Now, this might seem like an odd answer to such an important question. Yet my answer, though strange on the surface, hints at something integral to Hillsdale’s culture. It’s easy to see that the College values community simply by glancing at how the students interact and by noticing the different types of tables in the dining hall (affectionately known as Saga). For your convenience, I have included a rough breakdown of who sits where.

  • The Booths

The booths wrap around the outer perimeter of the dining hall and seat four to eight people (though the numbers may vary according to the amount of Olds girls you squish into the small space). These booths are ideal for a quiet breakfast with a friend, a lunch with a small group of people, or a “Hillsdate.” 

  • The Long Tables

The long tables inhabit the more awkward portions of the dining hall, near the kitchen conveyor belt, and the far-right corner by the piano. These are generally reserved for athletes, rambunctious Gallowegians, fraternity brothers, and freshmen who don’t know where to sit. They are also home to enthusiastic prospective students on visit days, and they provide a safe harbor for small friend groups in the sea of Saga. 

  • The Circle Tables 

Hillsdale strives to “develop the minds and improve the hearts of its pupils,” and the circle tables, strangely enough, uphold this principle. The circle tables provide an excellent eating space for a variety of people. Numerous Olds and Mac girls regularly flock to find seats around these beauties that have a view of almost the entire dining hall. You have not lived until you see how many Simpson men can fit around one of the circle tables; rumor has it up to 20! Professors and donors intermingle amongst these groups, often chatting eagerly with students. While these tables are ideal—both in shape and location—for a group of friends, they are also subject to both large cup towers and sky-coning, an odd, mostly male-oriented tradition of dropping ice cream cones from the balcony of the upper floor of the Union on the heads of innocent diners.

It is clear that Hillsdale’s dining hall was designed with the purpose of community and discussion in mind. Whether you choose to take part in a quiet heart-to-heart in one of the booths, a lively chat at the long tables, or an enthusiastic debate around the circle tables, the dining hall allows its students not only to fuel their bodies, but also their souls and minds.

Yet I believe that the circle tables have a special element of community that is just slightly different from the others. They encourage the intimacy of close friendship and the feeling of family. Because of their shape, they foster a community that welcomes and invites others to join in a larger, encompassing conversation. So next time you are in the dining hall, plate of food in hand, don’t be afraid to join a crowded circle table and debate about the best variety of warm cookies or question Dr. Arnn about The Good. There’s always room for another chair!

Ahsley LukeAshley Luke, ’28, plans to study humanities with a special interest in languages and writing. In her spare time, she loves tending to her sourdough starter, perusing art museums, and reading poetry.

 

 

 

 

 

Published in November 2024