April 23, 2024
One of my favorite parts of SMPA is what happens in between things. We spend a lot of scheduled time together in classes, events, meetings and the rest of the formalities that structure our days. Those are important and often interesting. If it weren’t for the classes and events (and meetings that make it all work) none of us would be here. But the unstructured time and space between these things can be the best part of our time together.
Most of my favorite conversations happen when we aren’t officially doing anything. In the past few weeks I’ve talked about politics and soccer by the elevators, heard about families in the hallways, and have learned about conspiracy theories in my office. I love sitting in the control room on the fifth floor watching you work and chatting during lulls in taping.
These in-between encounters, the interstice conversations, turn us from students and professors into people. We chase ideas from class discussions, share lunch and reading recommendations, and lament DC United’s ongoing DC Unitedness.
When we were all online a few years ago, one of your colleagues said that what they missed most was the transition time. The settling in and chatting before class started, the packing up and walking out together at the end. Happily, those conversations are back. We’re lingering more. We are taking advantage of the small spaces in between. That, for me, is a lot of what makes SMPA special.
See you around the halls.