Late Night Activities in the Observatory
by Mike Hewitt
Even with the creepy noises of thudding and creaking coming from the pipes, I still find the “observy,” as I affectionately call it, to be a haven away from the drudgery of regular studying. Here I have the opportunity to drink some cocoa and relax in a comfy chair. When I take my copious study breaks, I can choose to play a game or engage myself in a round of cards with my fellow slackers. Using the slow computers gives me plenty of time to talk on AIM as I’m waiting for various web pages and documents to load. Sometimes when there is more than one person upstairs, I find myself talking to them every couple of minutes, which I’m sure they don’t find at all annoying. I like to discuss a wide range of topics, saying things like, “It’s hot up here,” and “Gosh, it’s really hot up here,” and “Maybe I should open a window.”
Another diverting way to waste time is to play some paper-wad basketball. Prank calling the KC front desk is never a good idea. I’ve also viewed, but not participated in, some hardcore studying downstairs. There are people who spend whole hours at a time reading text or leafing through pages of notes attempting to remember pertinent information. Later in the early morning I’ve seen people sleeping all around this building. Lounging in purple chairs, sprawled out on the sofa, and stretched out on the table upstairs. Even though we’ve been recently endowed we might consider charging money to let people lie here after a late night of cramming. Even once or twice I’ve been caught dozing by the cleaning personnel, who, I’m sure, have some interesting stories of their own.