Last week, something noteworthy occurred on campus and immediately struck me with inspiration. I was riding the elevator with a random girl whom I had never spoken to or even seen before. As we ascended, she suddenly turned toward me and said, “Elevators are so awkward. Nobody talks to anyone! We need to have music in here.” I was dumbfounded. It was like this girl had totally read my mind.
Since I’ve arrived in college, I’ve had plenty of uncomfortable experiences in elevators. Usually, I’ll stand there with random strangers—some playing on their cell phones, others glancing at their watches or at the steadily increasing digital numbers. Maybe once or twice has somebody actually spoken to me and attempted to make conversation, including this one girl.
She suggested that we have some tunes to play in the elevators as a way to alleviate the tension, and I wholeheartedly agreed with her. But WHY should we? Why must we rely on technology to get us through potentially awkward social scenarios? Can’t we at least try to make small talk with the person standing next to us?
I think we can. So here’s my challenge for all you Oswego students: Talk to a random stranger. Ask somebody a question. Give the person next to you a cordial smile, along with a compliment (“I like your shirt!” or “Hey, that’s a pretty bracelet!”) Make a fellow student’s day. You never know—it could make all the difference.