Hallway Etiquette

If you are anything like me, which seems unlikely because I obviously abstain from all things mainstream, you hate encountering vague acquaintances in the hallways. Depending on my mood at these encounters, I will choose one of several options:

1) Stare at the new flyer on the wall as if the AMA business meeting is the most fascinating thing I've ever read about, and I simply cannot peel my eyes away to say hello to you.

2) Look at you straight in the eye until you acknowledge my presence. Dammit people, you need to give me your full attention - I'm important!

3) Say hello.

Now, option 3 may seem like the most obvious choice, but it's just not that easy. Usually, I am okay with saying hi to people while in the lecture hall. It's a domain where you can definitively tell from where you know this person, whereas in the hallway this person could know you from anywhere - the bar, the rehab clinic, that weird cult you joined! It's a sad fact, but we're pretty far into the second year, and I still don't know everybody. The random POPS group assignments never fail to reveal somebody I've never encountered before in class. I'm pretty shy at first with all new people or even vague acquaintances, and will not usually be the first one to approach any interactions. In the hallway, I'm pretty sure the polite thing to do is acknowledge people from your class, but often I never make it to hello. I wish I were that friendly, like Gina of MS3 fame (she's way nice), or Mr. Hickey who said hello to me and Abby in the hall today (awkward!), but I simply get overwhelmed with approach anxiety. I think if everybody knew the same rules, I wouldn't have to feel so awkward because a standard would be set. So peruse the following guidelines of hallway etiquette, and feel free to make amendments in the comments.

Level of Friendship	Hallway Behavior Guidelines
Close friends – roommate, somebody who started a blog with you, somebody you call or text several times a day, and/or Ashot (I swear this guy is everybody’s friend)	An enthusiastic HELLO, with a wave and a smile – you can add a wink at your own discretion.
School friends – somebody you encounter only at school or at the library, and you know their name, you might secretly stalk their social agenda on the facebook	A hello, and a curt nod.
Activity friends – somebody you only see at a club meeting, but you don’t sit anywhere near them in lecture, and you don’t actually know their name	A curt nod. Remember the face if you want to facebook them later, and potentially upgrade them to "school friends"
Any other MS2s you vaguely recognize	A vague smile will probably suffice
Drunk friends – somebody you only talk to when you have been drinking in excess at an after-test party	You can look at a flyer on the wall at this point. You most likely made a fool of yourself at the last party.
MS1s	A stony look straight ahead will intimidate and let the first years know you are way too busy to deal with them.

--By Farrah, who thinks everybody should go volunteer their time at the community care clinic - you might even help a guy get a job by giving him a physical, and you won't be able to stop staring at the naked woman tattoed on his forearm
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