Workshop acoustics shape how teams hear critique

Before any pin-up night we clap once and listen. Harsh echo means mentors soften consonants and students mishear nuance. We rearrange tables into broken circles—not performative circles, just enough to dampen bounce.

Students take turns reading feedback aloud. It slows the room but catches misinterpretations early, especially when English is someone's third language behind Thai and Java.

We also limit simultaneous critiques. Two voices at once might feel efficient; it is not. The third week introduces paired whisper critiques before public notes, which shy participants use more than we expected.

We close by documenting acoustic tweaks in the cohort handbook so the next group does not relearn the hard way.