Bea Bennett Bea Bennett My face was illuminated by the bright glow of the pop-up alert on my screen. I was seated in the back of the room and while the computer screen was visible to only me, I still jumped up to cover it. Little did I know then, this message would change my life.
My day had started like any other as a student at the University of Virginia. I woke up in my Kent-Dabney dorm room, rolled over and pressed the off button on my alarm clock. I sat through my two hour and a half long lectures, grabbed a Chick-Fil-A from the Pav, and then stationed myself at a computer - where I remained for five hours.
While libraries were once home to millions of dusty, paperback books, they now house brand new @Cafes filled with a variety of seating layouts and abiances. Some still serve food and drinks like the first @Cafe that was created forty years ago in New York by government employees Glenn McGinnis, Nicolas Barnes and Chris Townsend. They range from silent rooms with desks aligned in straight rows to community spaces with bean bag chairs and hammocks.
There are many types of computers available to use - desktops, laptops, and tablets. All computers are linked to the @Cloud so we can log into and access our saved information from any location. Anyone is able to visit an @Cafe after their eighth birthday when citizens can apply to receive a unique username and password. Every applicant must pass an @ssessment before being approved.
I remember my eighth birthday so vividly. We prepared for it in class at school where we talked about norms of the platform, intended purpose, and best uses. I made my family quiz me on any possible question and scenario before I sat for the exam. What I did not realize was it is not the type of quiz you need to prepare in advance. It focused instead on your personality traits and how you would act in certain situations.
As we get older more and more features become available on computers @Cafes:
Since the internet has always been regulated and organized by our government, people can only connect to it from specified locations known as @Cafes. This is extremely nice because it allows us to have a location to visit when we need to be connected but also a space for when we need to “turn off”. When not at a computer lab or at work, we live in the moment and socialize with those around us.
Some popular @Cafes around grounds are @1515, @Alderman, and my personal favorite spot is @Cafe Clem or @CC as we like to call it. There’s even @Bars such as @Trin that have finger foods, beer, and computer access. Games provided include virtual, no-mess pong which you can play with friends at the same or different location as you and SpaceBar, a competition to see who can press the spacebar more than others.
Anyways, I diverge - back to my story. It had always been a dream to be initiated into a secret society. I wondered to myself who would have sent this message? Are they watching me? Could this really be… a secret society? Or is it one of my silly friends playing a prank?
The University of Virginia is known for its mystical secret societies that often uproot societal norms. All across grounds large Zs, IMPs, and 21s are painted on buildings and many computers are marked with an “@” sign. Could it really be them?
I looked at the clock - I only had an hour! I quickly packed up, rushed home, put on black leggings, and started towards the Rotunda.
When I arrived, I saw a letter on the Rotunda steps. It was addressed “@Bea”. I broke the wax seal to reveal the note:
I screamed with all my might. As soon as I finished the final syllable, nearly fifty people ran out from the Rotunda doors dressed in black cloaks and embraced me in one big hug. I was the newest member of the @Society. A wide grin spread across my face.
As a member of the @Society I learned more about what a computer actually is and the science behind it. Through K-12 school, we often used computers as a source of education and recreation; however, we never learned about a computer’s inner workings. I assume this is because the government is nervous that people would start to tamper with hardware and use it for unintended purposes. I learned about what it means to code and was shocked to learn the internet was based on 0s and 1s. I quickly implemented the new languages I picked up such as C#, SQL and JavaScript to play pranks on my friends working at @Cafes.
The @Society revealed internet secrets unknown to the general public and imagined life with a private internet. They explained that based on your @ssessment results, the government would be more likely to observe your actions. Creating your own @Cafe connectivity was not difficult - people had never been given the instructions!
I questioned why this information wasn’t more readily available and why we did not teach coding to kids. Learning about it provided me with a new view on life and a sense of freedom. When I graduate, I wonder what would happen if my secret society wasn’t so secret anymore...
