Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

"It's the same people doing the same thing every day," said John Lue, a senior biochemistry major and one of the friends who hangs out in the group.

"Considering we're in a commuter school, it's kind of rare," said Sarah Sarmiento, a junior international business major. "Most people come to class and leave. How often would you have real friends stick around with you until you have a 5:30 class?" she said.

Chris Krowl, a freshman computer engineering major, said a friend introduced him to the group, which he said "gives a sense of comfort."

Sarmiento said that on Tuesday the group had a confrontation with someone about its noise level.

"Somebody came up and hit my friend on the back of the head with a newspaper and said, 'You need to be quiet.' I was shocked," she said.

"First thing I thought was 'Did this guy know my friend?' because it just came out of nowhere," she said.

Sarmiento said the three other people sitting at the table chose not to get up but let their friend handle it himself.

"We know how our friends are," she said. "When we know they can handle a situation, we're just going to sit back.

"He could have easily asked him to be quiet," she said. "We're not going to be territorial, but at the same time don't push your luck. It could have been a lot worse. My friend handled himself well - he didn't take a swing at him.

"When it all comes down to it, we're going to stick together regardless," she said. "We're like a family."

Two past members of the group hung out here so much they might have been "kicked out of school," said Uy Luong, a junior business major.

"They hung around here all day. They didn't do their homework, because of the painting," laughed Luong. "It's cursed."

Luong said the painting has a certain out-of-the-ordinary appeal.

"Everyone here has to be perverted," Luong said. "Because we're looking at ass all day (in the painting)- look at her dangling boob! The chick's bent over looking at the fire - some naked guy looking at fish - what's more sexual than that?"

A few members of the group laughed.

"Speak for yourself," said someone else.

The group plays a card game called 13 and sometimes blackjack, partly as an excuse to get together, Krowl said.

"It kills time between classes," he said.

When asked what other common interests they shared, they said "drinking" and erupted into laughter.

They said the games (bowling, pool, video games) on the bottom floor of the Student Union were one reason they had chosen the spot.

"There used to be a really hot chick working right there that we used to holler at," Luong said laughing.

The majority of those at the table are business majors, Sarmiento said.

"Yup, we got them all into business," said Luong, laughing again.

"I don't feel left out. I just feel superior," said Lue, a senior biochemistry major, referring to the business major majority.

Luong said he thought it was a very diverse group.

"We got an African American right here," Luong said, pointing to Priyan Piyaratna, a biology senior from Sri Lanka, an island south of India. It was one of the group's many inside jokes.

"How often are you going to find a group with a Sri Lankan in it?" Sarmiento said. "Ask a random person what a Sri Lankan is, they won't know. That's what makes our group interesting."

Sarmiento said the group would continue to exist as a constant in the Student Union "until the last people graduate."

But when the last person would graduate could be unforeseeable. Sarmiento said new people join the table regularly, taking the place of those who have left.