Students at N.C. Central University have a new hangout — and it’s anywhere there’s a computer terminal where they can log onto Facebook.com.

“I think the Facebook is the new way to chill, and a new way to get to know people from all over,” said Randy Williams, a political science sophomore.

Facebook was launched on Feb. 4, 2004 by four friends at Harvard University.

They meant to create a little college network, just for fun, but they started a huge college craze.

By December of 2004, over one million students from more than 300 colleges had registered with Facebook.

Some students only spend about 30 minutes a day on Facebook.

“It’s a good, inexpensive way to keep in touch with people from your old high school,” said English education sophomore Erica Pender.

But others say they eat, sleep and breathe Facebook.

“Facebook is crack,” said business administration freshman Rodney Ward. “I gotta check it at least three times a day, and that’s on days when I’m busy. I can’t get enough. I need a Facebook support group or something — Facebook Anonymous.”

Students first need a valid college e-mail address to set up a Facebook account.

Once in Facebook, students create profiles with their likes, dislikes and other personal information. They can search for users with similar likes and dislikes, and send messages to each other. Facebook is funded by advertising and is free for its users.

One of the most popular features of Facebook is “The Wall,” a place where people come to post whatever they want on each other’s profiles.

Members are able to search for other members by name, college, high school, and more.

Forming groups is a popular activity.

One NCCU group is the The A.H.C.) [sic] or Always Hungry Club. It slams NCCU’s Pearson Cafeteria. It was established with the description: “Central has some nasty [expletive deleted] food. I starve until chicken day. That’s why I’m always HUNGRY.”

Another NCCU group was founded by Tiffany Buchanan, an NCCU chemistry junior and army reservist now serving in the Middle East. Her group description says:

“We are the future of this country. We attend this institution of higher learning in order to receive the education we need to do exceptional things with our lives. We are the future movers and shakers … we are America’s Worst Nightmare: because we are young, gifted, and black.”