Dear Agony Aunt,
Walking down the corridor of my residence hall, I am in constant dilemma over the proper norms of interaction with my floormates. How should I greet them? With a smile? A nod? A friendly ‘How’d you do?’ Should I greet them at all or just walk past, with them in blissful ignorance of my corridor fanatics and I theirs?
Sincerely,
Polite & Organised Student from the Halls.
Dear P.O.S.H.,
This is the refrigerator on your floor. Who am I to give you advice, you ask? My darling, I’ve seen it all (too much, rather)! I’ve seen awkward pantry chit-chat between a should-be MasterChef contestant contemplating dropping out of Ashoka to start their own restaurant (because the course is killing them) and a potential supermodel (who doesn’t care about their grades) cat-walking in their bathrobe. I’ve heard classmates comparing scores on their tests: with the eventual C-grader on top of the world and the eventual A-grader in depression on the inside, while they both complain equally about how tough the course is. In fact, I’ve empathised with those weird greetings when one person goes in for a hug and gets embarrassingly manipulated into a handshake. Trust me, I know each and every one of you—by the way you caress me during your evening snacks or the way you breathe in my aroma of chilled food or even when you’re so frustrated that you slam shut my door and almost hurt my feelings. I’d just say—be you. Cause that’s what you bring to the dinner table at Ashoka—your originality, your character, your style! Greet people the way you wish to be greeted.
And be gentle on my door, mind you!
With love,
The Floor Refrigerator.
By Lavanya Goswami, Sahana Inuganti
Dear Agony Aunt,
Hoping I don’t fall asleep in my 1:30 class, I run to the mess to get some food, cursing myself for skipping breakfast yet again. I join the never-ending mess line because it physically hurts to see my Google Pay transactions to Subway and Fuelzone, and hunger has taken over my ability to think. How do I convince myself that it’s okay to blow money on Peri Peri fries and Hot Chocolate? Also, how does one have breakfast every single day?
Sincerely,
A UG24 who only had 2 months on campus before all hell broke loose
Dear concerned UG24,
Hello! I’m that morning person you see at the mess when you decide to wake up in time for breakfast once a week. Yes, it seems like I have my life figured out, but that’s far from being true. I’ve just seen the lines that extend all the way to Subway and Fuelzone too many times, and dealt with the struggle of rushing to get to class on time (don’t even get me started on the lifts). Unfortunately, a cup of coffee can only take you so far when you have 3 quizzes and a paper due on the same day. All those late-night movie sessions with friends don’t seem as entertaining when you’re sitting in class, clueless and starving. Trust me, watching the sun rise over an almost empty campus and heading to breakfast in your pajamas is not so bad; at least you know you won’t have to wait in line then. Give it a try, and definitely get yourself those fries when you’re craving them.
Lots of love,
Another ashokan trying to figure it out
Sahana Inuganti