Kiera McGuire
Features Editor
On Friday, Sept. 13, Common Grounds hosted “BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) Night” from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Common Grounds is located at Gable House, south of Morgan Hall and Westminster Church House. According to their business card, it is a “substance-free environment for Wooster students to hang out on campus.” With events every Friday and Saturday, they aim to provide a space for students to connect.
“[Common Grounds] is an alternative to the party scene,” said Common Grounds president Reagan Pazol ’25. BYOB Night exemplified this message, as students and customers alike spent time inside reading and unwinding while also enjoying drinks and snacks. Students could order non-alcoholic drinks (choices of tea, Italian soda, club soda, hot chocolate and coffee mixed with fruit and sweet flavors of Torani syrup), pick up snacks (popcorn, rice krispy treats and ice cream) and grab a book to read of their choice.
“I want people to know that we have a chill place to decompress after a long week,” Pazol said. “[We’re] a place to socialize and talk about things people have in common, which can often be books that they like.”
The BYOB event also provided an environment to do homework, chat with friends, play games and color.
“I enjoyed the chill energy and tasty hot cocoa!” said patron Gabriel McCreath ’25. “It was nice to have a place to go and read my book (and get some writing done), and relax with other folks. Common Grounds is always such a welcoming environment.”
Common Grounds also hosts events with other College clubs.
“[Common Grounds] often do[es] collaborations with Don’t Throw Shoes, events with Knot Another Fiber Arts Society, a Cappella groups…and lots of craft events,” Pazol said. “We have a good place here to study, especially on weekends with the library closing early, but our Wii [console] is always available to use, we have our little bookshelf and lots of craft supplies when we don’t have an event going on.”
“Common Grounds is a really great space and I invite everyone on campus to come to one of our events,” said Anna Whiting ’26, Common Grounds’ secretary, events manager and recruitment manager.
With multiple activities, drinks and snacks, the Common Grounds provides a place to connect with others or yourself on the weekends.
Visit Common Grounds this Friday for Minecraft night and Saturday for ‘Sip and Stitch: Fiber Arts Night’. For more information on events and specials, visit Common Grounds on Instagram @cgwooster, sign up for their newsletter and check for event postings in the POT.