The apathy that existed on the UMBC campus existed outside of the Shipka Spaces. Oh it existed alright and still does: it's the nature of a commuter campus. Going home every evening and every weekend is the cause of the lack of genuine relationships on campus. It's even worse on a city campus. Not true of a rural campus. There's no way to get away from each other. You are part of the university community days after day for 15 weeks and there is no where to go or retreat. As in the Shipka Spaces, one has to quickly learn how to get along with each other and the community or be labeled "un-mutual." In the Shipka Spaces and on a rural campus, you'd never survive without forging friendships. On commuter campuses and city campuses where you meet for small limited windows of time, the atmosphere sets up a "What the Hell do I care about you" mentality counter-productive for collaboration.

Here and there, I would spot groups of two who worked heavily as mini "think tanks" and highly depended on each other to pass information back and forth. Most of these mini think tanks were rare on commuter campuses and city campuses. How they formed I don't know. Well come to think of it I do know. I had my own little think tank on Farmingdale campus, a group of four, and we came together across mutual interests: the need for a light. Yes, the need for a light, just like movies in the 40's. "Hey buddy, you got a match?" One thing would lead to another and a conversation would ensue and we would find we had many various interests. One friend would introduce one to another and eventually we were a group of four mathematicians and engineers trying to figure out the coursework and partying together. As always, people come together across common interests and communication lines.