Potato chip bags pop, low voices murmur, fingers tap away at keyboards, footsteps patter in the halls and students yawn.

These noises are coming from Coleman 3762, a study lounge on the third floor of Coleman Hall.

In a building floor with little sanctuary, English students congregate here to relax and unwind in between busy class schedules.

Without the flyers posted on the hall’s walls promoting the cozy lounge, students can easily mistake it for something else.

The lounge is about half the size of a normal classroom; it does not feature massage chairs like the 24-hour Lounge, coffee machines like Java Beanery and Brewery or Chick-Fil-A like the University Food Court.

However, something that does set this small study area apart from others is its supply of free snacks.

Professor of English Terri Fredrick said faculty from the English Department sometimes bring in snacks for students.

All snacks the professors leave are pre-packaged, and paper plates and silverware are also available.

As of now, Pop Tarts, crackers and boxes of raisins fill the shelves near the back of the lounge next to the black refrigerator.

Members of the English Department store Jello, string cheese, sparkling water and other perishable snacks for students there.

The snacks are meant for any students to take and eat as they please, and a lone wish list for new snack items with some general courtesy rules is posted on the fridge door.

However, the note clearly says, “No promises.”

The only item written on the wish list is the word “popsicles” in purple Sharpie ink.

Orlando Cooper, a senior creative writing major, said he visits Coleman 3762 at least once a day.

The lounge is in just the perfect spot, he said, because all of his classes are in the same building.

He likes to come to the lounge to finish homework and relax before his next class, Cooper said.

He also makes sure to take advantage of the free snacks when he can. Cherry Pop Tarts, Cooper said, are his go-to snack at Coleman 3762.

“I appreciate (the free snacks) because (students) are here all day, and when you have an empty stomach, it’s hard to pay attention in class,” he said.

Freshman English major India Worstell said she is also in the lounge everyday, and her favorite thing about it is the lulling stillness and silence the lounge exhibits.

She said larger, more popular study spots, like the University Food Court, prove to be poor places to unwind and study because of the loud noise.

With a busy set of classes ahead of her each day and seemingly little time to get everything done, Worstell said she is grateful for the snacks the English Department provides at the lounge.

“I eat just whatever is here honestly,” she said. “I’m really bad at eating, like at all, so I usually skip breakfast and have something here between classes.”

Considering the large number of empty pockets that pass through the doors of Coleman 3762 every day, Worstell said she is grateful that faculty from the English Department get snacks for the hungry students.

For one, the free snacks are another attractive aspect the quaint study hall holds, and on the other, it shows that the department really cares, she said.

“I think it’s a really good idea. I think that being broke college students, we don’t always have access to everything we need, and having something here for someone that might not have what they need at home is a really good way to look out for the student body,” she said.

Logan Raschke can be reached at 581-2812 or at lrraschke@eiu.edu.