Spring is a season of great change — the foliage regrows after a season-long winter hiatus, the sun emerges from behind El Niño-driven clouds, and the signature warm California days go into full effect. But there is also a darker shift, one immediately visible upon any wayward glance at the quad: a distinct lack of seating. Once, in a bygone era, colorful quad chairs adorned the grass, offering a fashionable seat to all who might seek one. But now these chairs are long gone to the landfill, and students must embark on various journeys if they are to find new places of rest. It is high time that the campus’s seating be replenished and quad life blossom back into its former splendor, for the good of not only the comfort of the students but also the diversity of the quad community.

Although we already have picnic tables scattered throughout our campus, the number of students who must grit their teeth and persevere through a grounded mealtime experience suggests that we need more. The past popularity of even the flimsy lawn chairs shows that the demand is present for new seating.

The solution is clear — the Paly campus needs more seating, in any form possible. Ideally, the new seating would be mobile, like the old lawn chairs and include picnic tables as well. This would allow them to be rearranged for any number of configurations and allow people to sit with new people in new places whenever they please. The result would be a more bonded and relaxed campus, with less of a hectic rush during lunch and preps to get to the most desirable seating. The difference seems small, but the cumulative effect on the student body’s diversity could be a far-reaching one for all.