Art Fair Maze

Racing out of the house, my sweater’s sleeves haphazardly flapping out of my bookbag, the screen door slams as my feet hit the pavement running. My heart’s pumping, my mind’s racing and all I can hear is my watch ticking. I have a mile to go and class starts in ten minutes. I emerge from the trees expecting to land on the familiar sidewalk by the Union, but instead I come to a halt. Like a disoriented ant that has emerged from an anthill covered by a picnic blanket, I did not recognize my surroundings. An odd conglomerate of pedestrians flooded the sidewalks and streets. Couples wandering around carrying lawn ornaments, paintings, metal giraffes and other odd objects I’m not sure how to define, flooded my eyes. I spun quickly around, absorbing the scene. White tents obstructed my vision in every direction. The familiar horizon of hodgepodge architecture, classical to modern and all under constant construction, was gone. I could not even hear construction trucks. I could not see fences. I was no longer sure I was on Michigan’s campus.

Calming my rapidly racing heart, I realized I only had to modify my point of view and be satisfied with seeing only the very tops of buildings to direct my path towards class. I eased into the art fair traffic, catching glimpses of sparkling jewelry, colorful fabrics and artistic creations. I continued along to class, pondering the implications of being disturbed by a sudden change in my environment.

So many of our students will be experiencing changes that leave them disoriented and unsure of themselves and their surroundings. As teachers we should work to build support networks for transfer and new students to help familiarize them with their new environments. Changes can be exciting and positive, as long as there is a friendly and knowledgeable guide for the journey.