An anticipated step in university life is when students move out of dorms and into off-campus residences. For many, it signifies independence, autonomy and an escape from the sometimes questionable dining hall menu.  

An issue that many off-campus students run into at Tulane University is the absence of spaces they can stay between their residence and classes. Most Tulane students living off campus reside within a mile from the heart of Tulane, with some living even further. While these distances may seem trivial, they are often trekked in over 80-degree weather, with some students not having access to cars or other reliable forms of transportation. With busy schedules often only providing most students with a 50-minute break between classes, many do not have the transportation nor the energy to walk back home for a mere 20 minutes of rest before their next course.  

What would mitigate this problem and greatly benefit both on-campus and off-campus students alike is a physical space outside of the home where students can connect with their community: third spaces. Third spaces do not revolve around eating, nor do they impose the quiet protocol and manner expected in the library.  

The term was first coined by Ray Oldenburg, an American sociologist, to describe “the places outside the home — the first place — and the workplace — the second place — where people go to converse with others and connect with their community.” Simply put, it is a middle ground between staying at home and an area dedicated to work. It is a space that students can visit when they feel like being creative, when they feel like relaxing and in the case of many Tulane upperclassmen, when they just need somewhere to comfortably lounge for a few hours. 

Tulane has attempted to create more spaces such as this. The Small Family Collaboration Hub opened just last fall, a large space equipped with both study rooms and rooms filled with televisions, encouraging students to use it for both studies and recreational use. It may also be important to examine that a decrease in third spaces is prevalent everywhere, with Tulane’s campus just presenting itself as a symptom.  

As consumerism increases and our culture becomes more productivity-focused, there is a notable lack of public places where people are able to just relax without a price sticker attached to their time. Third spaces are important for mental health, socialization and for both on and off-campus students to have a space that offers comfort when they are not able to go home.  An emphasis on more spaces like this for students would not only be beneficial for Tulane’s student body, but for the university as well, reinforcing a sense of community in campus life and a culture that encourages students to treat the university as a place to live, not just work.