A theater student’s getaway: the Dodge Room Courtyard…

As a student at William & Mary, I can say that nothing is better than a beautiful, warm, sunny spring day in Williamsburg. The campus comes alive on these days; everyone is outside enjoying the warm weather and the pleasant atmosphere. When that happens, I enjoy nothing more than finding a nice place on campus to just chill with my friends. My favorite place on campus to go to simply enjoy a spring day is the courtyard by the Dodge Room. Next to the Phi Beta Kappa Hall, the main stage theatre building, there is a small eating area with tables and park benches.

Last spring, when I was a freshman, I discovered the Dodge Room courtyard well into my second semester here. I had already been going to school for seven months and I hadn’t even known that it existed! But my upperclassmen friends were quick to tell me that courtyard had always been there and that it was a great place be on campus. It is located next to the Dodge Room, an eating area on campus that is separate from the three main dining halls at which one can use his or her meal plan. It’s a great place to grab a quick bite to eat when you are in a hurry (which for me is quite often) and need a little sandwich or snack to get you through the rest of the day. But sometimes, I eat there just to sit outside in the courtyard and slow down for a while – to take time to enjoy my day. Since the courtyard is pretty much removed from the rest of the campus, it also provides a great place to study.

As a theatre major who “lives” in the theatre building during production times, the Dodge Room has become an essential to life. I see people bringing food from the Dodge Room into their next class, hoping the professor won’t mind the muffled noises of hungry students eating their semblance of lunch. Through our mad rush, getting food at the Dodge Room has become a fun routine and something special for theatre students. Whenever I go I can almost guarantee I’ll see a classmate, fellow cast member, or friend. The experiences and familiar faces definitely cement the Dodge Room courtyard as one of my favorite places on campus.

– David Mendler ’11