The transition back to in-person learning has hardly been an easy one. This board congratulates these students, and any others new to campus, on their ability to adapt quickly to the ever-changing conditions of a university running in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

That being said, this board wishes to raise a number of minor concerns that, when taken together, create an inconvenience greater than the sum of its parts. If you’re  tired of  getting inexplicably dirty looks from fellow Brandeisians while in the library,  the dining hall, the residence halls, or behind the wheel, this editorial is for you. 

Library 

Though there are no signs that say this, many areas of the library are unofficial quiet areas. In general, if you’re not in Farber Library or the main lobby of Goldfarb Library, err on the side of whispering. The lower levels of Goldfarb Library tend to be quiet study areas.

Dining halls

Believe it or not, you don’t need to stand in line at every station — feel free to skip past the ones that you have no interest in taking food from! 

Additionally, forming lines is great practice, but this should be done in a way that doesn’t interfere with the general flow of traffic: this is commonly a problem at Sherman’s entree and pasta stations — simply form them in opposite directions.

Residence halls 

Being a good roommate is a skill that often comes with practice. But to save you the trouble of being hated by your dormmates until you figure it out on your own, we’ll tell you right now that leaving dirty dishes and overflowing trash in communal spaces is a big no-no.

 Be conscious of others whenever possible. Ask yourself how you might feel if someone else monopolized the dorm’s best shower or filled the communal kitchen trash with their own personal waste from their room. Self-awareness is a dormmate’s best friend!

Driving

If you’ve ever driven on Brandeis’ campus, you’ll notice that the entrance features a four-way intersection. At this intersection, three of the four ways have stop signs, while the fourth does not. This board has noticed that this set up has caused much confusion for Brandesians behind the wheel. But not to worry — we’re here to explain.

Cars coming from the direction with no stop sign always have the right of way over other cars, no matter what. If you are coming from this direction, do not stop (unless there is a pedestrian or emergency vehicle), as this causes confusion for drivers at the stop signs. If you are coming from one of the directions that has a stop sign, you must first let the non-stopping car go before then going in order of arrival at the intersection. 

Walking

This editorial board loves to see our fellow students making friends! That being said, this board also believes that keeping those friendships is contingent neither on walking side by side in a line nor in a manner that blocks the entire sidewalk, nor on stopping in the middle of the pathway to strike up a conversation. If you’re in a high foot traffic area during the passing period and want to spend time with your friends, consider keeping to the side of the pathway.

No matter where you are on campus, if you’re not sure how to navigate a particular aspect of in-person college, listening to, observing, and communicating with your fellow Brandeisians are all great ways to help foster a more cohesive and conscientious community.