There are many social events and organizational meetings occurring on campus every week, but none of them are quite like the one occurring at the table that sits beneath the stairwell by Dunkin in the Ceddia Union Building. Last fall, more Shippensburg students began to frequent this table regularly and ended up cultivating an area to share laughs, traditions and belonging.

Senior Jeremy Satyawan Putra is most often spotted nearby, introducing friends to one another or evoking a belly laugh from the general area. Upon being asked about his experience at the table, Satyawan Putra first offered a selection of coconut flavored pastries. “We call ourselves the ‘minority table,’ which, of course, is a funny name, but if you look at the general demographic of our table, we have a lot of diversity and a lot of minorities,” Satyawan Putra said. “In a way, that helps us educate one another on everyone’s culture.” 

The table acts as a non-committal social club, serving as a conglomerate of various cultures and new friends.

Satyawan Putra said the table was established when junior Juli Igarta and her friend would sit at the table to eat breakfast together, catch up with one another and complete work. Soon, mutual friends from organizations such as the Asian American Pacific Islander Organization (AAPIO) and the Latino Student Organization (LSO) began to mingle around the table. “Slowly but surely, we just grew more and more,” Igarta said. 

“This table is really friendly, and it grew way too fast,” first-year student Ziad Hussein said. “It’s like a ‘people sponge.’” 

Many of the visitors of the table laughed as they recounted their favorite memories beneath the stairwell. “I was coming out of the bookstore and saying hi to a friend, and everyone else was like, ‘get over here,’” first-year student Alex Bowen said. 

Though members of the table cannot pinpoint exactly when the group formally started, they all seem to agree that it happened quickly and group membership increased exponentially. “I first found this table when I was meeting with my friend Juli. Then I brought my boyfriend here, and realized I had so many friends who would enjoy the presence of the people here,” sophomore Celeste Salinas-Rugerio said. 

Members of the table held a “Pal-entine’s” day event on Valentine’s Day in February, bringing various foods and snacks to the table to share. Satyawan Putra also shared that he and a group of friends held a potluck in celebration of Chinese New Year in February. They also held a “Welcome Back” potluck after Thanksgiving break, sharing Indonesian and Filipino dishes such as lechon kawali and lumpia. 

Visitors of the table also congregate outside the CUB, celebrating birthdays and holding tasty kickbacks like Korean barbecues on weekends. “It’s a home away from home,” Satyawan Putra said. “Some of us are commuting from an hour away, and some of us can stop by for five minutes or stay until the CUB closes.”

In addition to an opportunity to make friends and learn about one another, the table also offers companionship. “We operate on a 24/7 buddy system,” Satyawan Putra said. “No matter if you know someone well or not, they can always be a companion and accompany you to events on campus, or even to grab food with you.”

“At first, it was a place for people who are minorities to come together and find a safe space, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t stop at people of color,” Salinas-Rugerio said. “It’s become a place for people who belong to the LGBTQ+ community, and a safe space for everyone to exist. We see each other and provide a presence that can include everyone.”

Sophomore Isaac Hudzinski found solace at the table when he came to Shippensburg after serving 12 years in the military. “Everyone at this table is very accepting, open, and they don’t judge based off someone’s background,” Hudzinski said. “They’re just looking for a group of people to chill with.”

The small table tucked under the stairs offers an inviting space for friendships to be built and for members to learn more about one another. “We understand one another in different ways. At this table, you’re free to be different, but similar at the same time,” Salinas-Rugerio said. “It doesn’t matter if you think differently, your thoughts will be respected.”

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