Wednesday the University of South Dakota’s annual late night breakfast took place once again. Students lined the hall way and staircase of the Muenster University Center (MUC) on campus in eager anticipation of the event. The MUC ballroom was filled with chatter about upcoming exams and who is prepared and who is not.

The breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, and fruit is sponsored by the university and faculty as a way to show their appreciation for all that the students have accomplished throughout the semester.

It is important for students to take time out to relax just as much as it is to study for tests. It is an important way to communicate with other students. Some agree that it helps alleviate stress. Gavin Zimmerman has been a student at the University of South Dakota for three years. He is a senior chemistry major hoping to become a pharmacist.

 “It is a nice way to relax with friends after a long day of studying. I’m physically exhausted from studying, and by that time I’m getting hungry and ready for something to help keep me focused,” said Zimmerman.

Food is always a good way to helps students connect on another level. It helps them to discover who the people around them are and that they have lives outside of school as well.  Not only are students able to get a free meal, but they pick up something just as important, and that is the ability to be more social.

So many times we see kids that are plugged into their computer or phone and their eyes are glued to the social media account on the screen. This helps students, especially freshman, to break out of their shell and become more engaged in their education, which is so important now more than ever. When the real world comes knocking at their door will they answer or will they even hear it through their headphones?