Walk by Coffman Union’s Commuter Lounge any lunch hour and you’ll see them: dozens of University students, sodas and pizza in hand, fixated on their favorite soap operas.

Some said they enjoy the beautiful people, others cite addictive storylines or hot sex scenes, but most of these soap opera fanatics said they agree that when it comes to soaps, they’re hooked.

First-year student Nadia Momin said, “I enjoy all of the drama that goes on. I know it’s corny, but you want to find out what happens next.”

For Momin and other University students, soap operas do not just provide an escape from the day but another bonding environment on campus.

A daily routine

Every day during the late morning and early afternoon, the same groups of students fill the lounge to get their daily doses of melodrama and scandal.

Some of them said that they have been coming to watch soaps since the renovated Coffman Union opened in 2003. Others are commuters who said they have become addicted just this semester, determined not to miss an episode of their favorite storylines or characters.

The daily schedule of soap viewing depends on the day and who is in the crowd.

The routine is typically divided between two groups. The first, which takes over the Commuter Lounge at approximately 11 a.m. for “The Young and the Restless,” usually disperses by noon.

“Days of our Lives” and “Passions” are popular with the second group, which typically lingers around longer, from noon to midafternoon.

The veterans

Some of those faces in the soap opera crowds have been returning regularly to the Commuter Lounge.

And for some, catching soaps at Coffman Union has allowed them to continue a lifelong hobby.

“I have been watching ‘Days of Our Lives’ since I was in the fourth grade,” Kaylee Sandstrom said.

The newcomers

Sitting beside the lifers are the newcomers, who said the Commuter Lounge was their first introduction to the world of soaps.

“Ironically, I started watching because I came in here on break from my class between 1 (p.m.) and 2 (p.m.) and got hooked,” student Brittany Mammenga said.

Momin said, “I come in here to watch soaps five times a week, but this is my first semester of watching soaps in the Commuter Lounge.”

Some of those new to the experience said the Commuter Lounge gives them a break from their hectic days and watching soaps on campus saves time.

“The reason why I watch soaps in (here) is because I live in Maple Grove, (Minn.) and don’t have time to go home and watch,” Momin said.

Sandstrom said, “I like to escape and realize that somebody else’s life is more (screwed) up than my own.”

Regardless of why they watch, these daily soap opera fans said they agree that it is a tradition that will not stop anytime soon.

“It creates bonds between people by asking (each other) what happened on ‘Days,’ ” Sandstrom said.

The watching will continue, just like the days of our lives.

Freelance Editor Steven Snyder welcomes comments at [email protected].