The annual college magazine may not feature this, nor would the elaborate ‘Student Life’ section on the college homepage. But the fact remains that after the mournful destruction of the Green Benches, the spine of St Xavier’s College has shifted further west and out of the campus, settling right outside the Short Street entrance.

It isn’t about hype or hoopla at the “Back Gate”, as it is popularly known. Rather, it is a more traditional form of college hangout, with no frills on offer. Yet no one returns unsatisfied. “Cool is a cliche that works well here. Also, add quirky, queer and dramatic,” describes Arijita Das, a second-year student, while Danish Haider, a third-year student, feels Back Gate — which runs from the popular eatery Delights till the Hungerford Street Cafe Coffee Day and a little beyond — is “a community that is patriarchal, where girls are permitted to co-exist”. Before the many colours of the statement are held up to scrutiny, let’s just say that the girls readily agree.

With the non-availability of a basic hangout zone inside the campus, the Back Gate fills in as a zone for “discussions, creative arguments and other freeing activities, including the use of cellphones”, adds ex-Xaverian Faisal Rahman, who often walks his way back here to catch up with his old and new friends from college.

The adaptability of the place — one of the hallmarks of a good hangout — is astonishing. If to some Back Gate means “long conversations in between classes or relaxed hours of Sudoku under the shade while smoking”, to a few others, like second-year student Suryarshi Mitra, the photogenic graffiti on the yellow wall or the quiet sidewalk where the first few notes of his band’s music were written spells “consciousness, rejuvenation and freedom of the creative mind”.

“During summers, we often push our adda sessions inside the CCD, where we can hang out for quite a bit without paying for the AC, television, radio or the loo. Eating is not even an option for most of us here,” grins Avik Ganguli, a third-year student.

Food at Back Gate comes in the form of aloo chaat, phuchka and a little this and that from Delights, but the most popular remains the combination of a cup cake and Slice from Classics, the heart of Back Gate.

On the downside, with the growing popularity of the place and a lack of alternatives in or around the campus, Back Gate is now often “overcrowded with wannabes”, as Mallika Circar, a second-year student, puts it. While Danish advises against the chaos that lasts for about an hour every day when school gets over, Arijita cautions about the “crow shit” that may cause you to relocate yourself after every few minutes.

With Delights and Classics to sustain you, music and other odd games of “higher” creativity to entertain you and indefinite hours of hustle-free space to comfort you, Back Gate remains a natural winner in the hangout struggle.

Which is your favourite hangout in town? Tell t2@abpmail.com