It was like a game of musical chairs, except on wheels-the BranVan, to be exact. I spent three Thursday evenings riding the BranVan, the campus shuttle into Waltham, and watched students get on and off at Lizzy's, Rabb, Admissions and Hannaford. The cycle repeated itself over and over, with countless pickups and drop-offs. Hidden beneath the drivers' blasting Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga, I overheard snippets of everyday conversation: "My sister just had a baby. She lives in New York, and I'm going to visit them this weekend!" But the excitement soon subsided. "I'm an uncle. And I'm only a sophomore in college. Is that okay?" An identity crisis was breaking out on the campus van.

This conversation, among many others, was a peephole into the lives of two Brandeis students. The informal setting of the BranVan fostered political discussions, deep reflection and, of course, venting about college stresses and pressures.

I first became a wallflower on the campus van in late October. As we drove down Moody Street, past Ponzu and Margarita's, students debated an assortment of pressing topics: Does Obama deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? Another group of students mulled over the Justice Brandeis Semester, while others asked, Monopoly or chess?

"You get to use money when you play Monopoly! Chess is just old wooden pieces." "But it is fake money. It's paper. And chess has real wood. It's all just, well, more intellectual."

The debate continued as the two students walked off the van into Hannaford.

Later that night, Hannaford proved to be a topic of conversation in itself among some of the riders. "We need apples, pears, carrots and grapes." "What about real food? Like Goldfish and pretzels."

We soon returned to campus, whereupon a group of students getting on at Admissions immersed themselves in debate. But their discussion centered around an entirely different subject: bottled water versus tap water. "Why would you waste your money on bottled water? Do you really think that FIJI water comes from the natural aquifers in Fiji?" "Well, do you really want to drink the water from your tap when you know it comes from Waltham?"

They agreed to disagree and moved onto a more important subject: food.

"I can't wait to eat at Margarita's. I don't think I've eaten their chicken fajitas since freshman year." "Dude, forget about the fajitas. What about the piña coladas?"

After three loops around Waltham, I left the BranVan at Rabb. But a week later, I again sat quietly in the middle of the van and casually immersed myself in the conversations around me.

Three or four students picked up at Grad had a clear destination: Lizzy's. "What flavor are you going to get?" asked a blonde. . "Flavor Flav! Well, coffee," responded her brunette friend. Their friends decided upon black raspberry and coconut. Even pumpkin pie, a seasonal flavor, was considered.

The students were soon dropped off at Lizzy's, and discussions in the back of the van replaced theirs. A conversation about Arabic and Hebrew grew into a wider political commentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Two girls tossed around names like Bernie Madoff and Fidel Castro. Some discussed their career aspirations (dental school? Peace Corps?), while others attempted to analyze love interests.

"She de-friended me on Facebook. What does that even mean?" "Man, I have no idea. But I think you should take the hint."

Other everyday stresses also surfaced. Getting on the BranVan around 10 p.m., a graduate student explained that she had a late lecture to attend. Another student vented about a chemistry lab, and two girls practiced a Spanish dialogue that they were presenting the next morning.

I decided to ride the BranVan one last time on the Thursday before Thanksgiving break. With finals in the near future, some students planned study groups: "Can I come over to your Ziv and study? I can't be antisocial for too much longer." Others had larger plans: "I think I am going to dress up like Harry Potter for class tomorrow. You can be Hermione." And others had even larger aspirations: "I think we should bomb North Korea. Why not? Let's just do it." Not to worry-his friend convinced him otherwise.

As the two scrutinized Kim Jong Il, another student with a guitar strapped across his back hummed Dave Matthews Band's "So Much To Say" to himself.

He moved onto Dispatch, but soon Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" blared over his renditions. Students sang along, some even waving their arms in the air. Commentary accompanied the music: "I love Miley Cyrus!" "Miley Cyrus is a slut." "No, she's my role model!"

I was only able to hear one side of another conversation: The student rambled on her cell phone, venting about 5:30 a.m. swim practice and her "crazy, psychotic roommate."

As we drove onto campus, two girls bundled up in winter coats and woolen hats discussed their weekend plans. "Do you know of any pedicure places in Waltham? I went to one in Watertown a few weeks ago, but I really need to get my toes done." "I went to the best place on Moody a few weeks ago. Let's hit it up tomorrow."

And as one student walked off the van, he informed his friend, "My phone broke last night. I think someone spilled seltzer on it. Who even drinks seltzer?"

Driving around Loop Road or down Moody Street, riders cleared their minds with discussions of water-damaged cell phones and Lizzy's ice cream flavors. The BranVan provides much more than free transportation-it also gives students a short respite from their daily routines.

Who needs rides at Six Flags to have fun? Next time you need a break from exams and crazy roommates, just ride around the BranVan. Call in for a pickup, sit back and casually tune into the conversations around you.