It’s mid September, and you are rushing to your 9:00 am class. The trek from Muntz to Flory seems innumerable. But wait! A beacon of hope, a guardian angel just a few steps in front of you. Will they bite the bullet and endure those few nanoseconds more to hold the door and let you into the portal of warmth before them? WHAAAM! Think again.
Doorway located next to the Bleeker St. Café existing Muntz hall to the courtyard.
We ALL encounter this awkward 10 second decision on a daily basis. Whether you’re the one hoping for a door wielding hero, or the one left with the annoying task of letting everyone in before you, this encounter is one that we are very familiar with. You’re not alone. Today I took on a task, I observed a doorway entering/exiting Muntz Hall on a bustling Friday afternoon. I set up a tally system for our situational door holding encounters, and then, I began to count.
1…
2…
3…4..5!
How many monsters could let the door of shame slam down unto another mans brow?! Thank heavens, our count made it’s sizzled termination at six! In American culture, holding the door is a custom that has been deemed polite and taught to generations in a set of manners to be followed. But, how many would be willing to hold the door for peers trailing them a little farther behind?
Sixteen students held the doors for students that followed them immediately after, and most of those that decided to take on their civil duties were actually carrying a load! The students that had their hands full tended to be the ones struggling to hold the door for people behind them. They seemed more self-aware as well as “selfless” aware of other students.
Outside observations were noted. Some of the students entering or exiting the building.
alone, and had no students following to hold the door for, this was tallied to ten students. Twelve students that had the door held for them, came in pairs or small groups, leaving the door holder responsible for more than one student entering.
A majority of the six students that failed to hold the door were wearing headphones or looking down at their phones. See! It wasn’t their fault! Our generation is intelligibly coming down with an infection bearing a treacherous virus. Some of us, including myself, are befalling to what I like to call, “IPhone zombies,” and it affects our comprehension and absorption of what is happening in the surrounding environment. So out of the six that didn’t hold the door, four of them were probably not aware that they even failed the person behind them, especially one unlucky student struggling to carry a poster-board and an arm full of books (don’t worry, I got up to help her).
So in conclusion, more of us help out than you would guess, even when it’s not comfortable. Holding the door has become rather instinctual for our culture, and it acts as a small nonverbal gesture showing that you have some traces of thoughtfulness for those around you. Unfortunately, this instinct is under attack, and when distracting technology is thrown in the mix, it seems to cloud what it happening in real time.
Unplug, power down, and hold the door.
