Top 5 Reasons to Befriend Barnard Security

Did you know that the people sitting behind that desk in your lobby are actually really cool? It’s not the easiest job, but someone’s gotta do it. Why don’t you help make their day a little brighter by striking up a conversation? Besides simply doing it for the sake of being a good person, there are actually great perks that come with being friends with Barnard staff. Here are five benefits of being their amigo, and five ways to help you get the conversation started.

Perks that Come with Your Friendship with Barnard Staff:

1) As their bestie, they will most likely be nicer about the vexing ID-showing situation. You definitely will not need to whip out your card every time you want to go in your building. 

2) You won’t need to pay a $20 deposit to borrow one of those moving carts (because really, who’s holding a wallet when they’re lugging duffels and kitchen supplies in and out of their building?)
 
3) You’ll avoid all of the awkward moments while waiting for the elevator that seems to take years to come. That daily routine when both of you are not saying anything, with the tension creeping up your leg, and you are scrolling through your phone looking for someone to text so you seem busy…
 
4) These people work at Barnard, so they’ve seen the good, the bad, and the WEIRD.  They are excellent sounding boards for you to test out your social skills –they won’t judge you. Well, they might, but their judgments will be unspoken. So, try out a story on them before you go off and tell it to your latest love interest. 
 
5) Some of the security staff are truly AWESOME—I met one guard who used to work at a topless bar, another one with whom I always chat about cooking. Having a conversation with these cool people is a great way to both make more acquaintances on campus as well as get more cultured. You’ll end up learning about people who have interesting and different backgrounds; they might even speak an exotic foreign language!

Ways to Become Friends with the Security Guards:

1) Start with the basics: ask them their name, and tell them yours. Repeat until both of you remember it! I’ve seen many people complete this endeavor  in the early morning hours after returning from a campus bar. Whether you want to do it mid-day or after a late night with your confidence juice still flowing, it’s the only way to start up the friendship. So…take your pick! 
 
2) Bring them FOOD—leftovers from Hewitt, chocolate from some McAC event in the Diana, soda left over from big sub…they get bored and hungry sitting at that desk during their 7 hour shifts, so treat them to something. It will most likely make their day/night and it really doesn’t cost you anything anyway.
 
3) Along the same lines as #3 from the section above, shmooze with them while you are waiting around in the lobby for a friend or elevator. Non-committal, non-threatening.
 
4) Tell them something ridiculous that just happened to you. They might not care, but they won’t tell you they don’t! So you make yourself look like a fool for the pleasure of others #worthit
 
5) When you sign someone into your building,  introduce the guard to your friends. Why should they know your friends’ name without knowing yours? Start a discussion here!
 
THE POINT IS that if you greet people with a smile, they will return it. Be the one to break the ice—not just with security guards, but with anyone who works on campus really. This is your home for four years, so make it a warm one!