CS Hot Chocolate Social

Sometimes, RSVPing for an event can be more of a harrowing process than it should be. There's the lurking fear of “what if something comes up?”, the constant worry of which friends or acquaintances may or may not be there; even, sometimes, the periodic thoughts of “am I even qualified to attend this?" In a place as big as Maryland, figuring out the unsaid rules of department-event-going can be more than a little stressful, especially when your major alone has twice as many students as your high school.

The Computer Science Department's Hot Chocolate Social, held from 4 PM to 6 PM Wednesday, January 28th, was a marked relief from these undergraduate worries. It was a much-appreciated time for faculty and students of all levels to take a respite from a cold and bleary day to enjoy some nice hot chocolate and donut holes – and to usher in the start of a new semester.

The buzz of conversation tended to stay among similar lines: inquiries about everyone's holidays and new Spring schedules, debates about whose morning class was the earliest and/or hardest, and – of course – murmured appreciations of all the free food available. (This is college, after all.) In total, it was a way to commiserate as a group: to appreciate a moment away from all the work we'll soon find ourselves wading through neck-deep.

-- Marcus Fedarko '18