I’ve been going to the CoHo everyday for the past three years of my life. I’ve gone through a ridiculous amount of stamp cards getting my daily coffee, frequented Pickles for a sandwich or bagel, and have routinely debated whether or not I should buy a pastry from Swirlz. I love the CoHo just as much as the next UC Davis student, but this year I have found that I am not spending nearly as much time there as usual. Why? It’s too damn crowded.
Now I’m not oblivious to the fact that the CoHo has always been a busy place (it is the center of campus after all), but this year it seems significantly more busy than in years past. The lines are longer than ever before, there’s somehow less seating on a regular basis (which I didn’t even know was possible), and you can forget about finding an outlet.
So why the sudden change? Is the CoHo just more popular this year? Everyone knows the CoHo is awesome, and maybe the word is getting out to more freshmen that it’s the place to be. But I don’t think that’s it. Maybe the service is just slower? Granted, there are a lot of new hires on the front lines of the Marketplace, but that’s never really been a problem in the past. So what is it? How about the fact that there are simply just more students on campus than ever before — approximately 1,100 to be exact.
Ever heard of the 2020 Initiative? If not, it’s essentially a system-wide UC plan set forth by President Napolitano to increase student enrollment by 10,000 by 2020. And Davis is well on its way to contributing to this initiative. This fall UC Davis admitted over 1,000 more students, about a 13.5% increase from last year. As a result, UC Davis has experienced an increase in construction around campus, larger class sizes, and more crowded common areas.
So if you find yourself wandering the CoHo for a seat, waiting in a ridiculously long line to get your morning coffee, unable to find a place in the library to study (even when it’s not midterms season), or having to show up to lecture 10 minutes early just to find a seat… you’re not imagining things; it’s real life.
For now, resorting to sitting in the Quad or heading to the Arboretum is a fine alternative to our beloved CoHo. However, you may want to start seeking out a new study spot soon because if you haven’t noticed the leaves are starting to fall and the temperature is dropping… winter is coming.
Study Spot Suggestions:
- Mishka’s
- Delta of Venus
- 3rd and U Cafe
- Davis Public Library
- Temple Coffee