One lovely afternoon, out in the quiet corridors of academia, a burst of laughter and noisy chatter filled the still, humid air. Students in baggy T-shirts and shorts were running around playing all sorts of games and obviously, having great fun. Ahh… orientation has started …

Just as the old TNL was chuckling with colleagues, recalling past orientation games held outside the library, a very agitated graduate student came into the library demanding attention. Could the librarians please stop these students from making all this noise outside? Can’t you hear the din? We can’t study!

Well, it seems, some grad students ensconced in the student lounge just found it real tough to hit the books with all the fun and activity going on outside. It is Special Term after all. And somehow all their requests to quieten down went unheeded. Oh dear, oh dear…

The grad student seem to think librarians do a better job at ssshhh-ing….. even if it is in some place other than the library. A ssshher is a ssshhher, no matter where the noise is coming from, right?

Of course, we tried our best but you know how it is with things happening along corridors of the school. Help was certainly needed. 

But that isn’t the point. TNL couldn’t wait to entice her colleagues into a discussion on who had the right of way.

A new colleague fell for it like a ton of bricks stating his stand very firmly without a moment’s hesitation. The university is, after all, a community of diverse groups involved in all sorts of activities. Come on, just once a year, let the students break out and have fun. Student life isn’t all about studying. Hmmm….Spoken like someone who had just left that student life, well, not too long ago.

The old jaded sorts, like our very own TNL, could not help but sympathise with those that had assignments due, exams to take. All these while the rest of the university is on vacation! Perchance, our grad friends were feeling a tad envious? 

Well, one of TNL’s colleagues had the last word on it – they better start bracing themselves for more because it is just only the beginning!