The Tube
People shape an office space – but so does the space shape the people. Student Recruitment and Advising and the International Student Initiative (aka “Tubers”) share the infamous Tube – a space that is bound up in the culture of the two units.
Colleagues from the Vancouver campus are often pleased to hunker down in The Tube (come on down!), whether in one of the recruiter office spaces or at the communal tables in the centre.
Quickly, they are pulled into the positive atmosphere, where “teammates help make the Tube an enjoyable social space even though it’s our workplace. From potlucks to coffee runs and lunchtime walks, we’re able to take a momentary break from work and enjoy just being around such a great group of people” (Shuchita Hussain).
Defining The Tube
The Tube is defined by its narrow, long hallway which enables recruiters to communicate in a most old-fashioned way: by speaking with one another rather than emailing or Skyping. Before hollering out of our offices, we Tubers must ensure that there are no visiting students or parents awaiting campus tours. They may not (after all) be as interested as us in the inner workings of event planning or communications timelines.
Student Ambassadors are key to the Tube community. Not only do they provide invaluable support of our recruitment initiatives, but they keep us honest. Just today, Emmy Chahal informed me that she was born in the year I began tape recording songs off Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 for my Walkman. Hm.
Another ambassador, Zach Taylor, notes how all Tube staff “complete their work in an efficient manner, operating as a cohesive unit in order to achieve the best result. At different intervals throughout the day, you will see many faces in and out of the tube, all leaving happier than when they arrived.”
While part of this happiness comes from shared food (as mentioned frequently throughout this blog post), it is also derived from summertime bocce competitions and lunchtime debates over everything from animal rights to House of Cards – not to mention working together on a variety of projects and initiatives (goes without saying!).
Fearing The Tube
Considering the friendliness associated with the “Welcome Centre,” is there anything to fear upon entering The Tube?
For Amanda Victoor, a day isn’t right if it wasn’t started in the company of The Tube: “If I’m in after 8:20am, I fear that I’ve missed the Starbucks coffee run for the morning as it’s a great time to catch up.”
For most, it is a fear of the festive goodies, sweets and treats that are deposited at the communal table, which is conveniently placed near the photocopier and ambassador work stations – two places frequented by all Tubers. In such an environment, fears of growing waistlines and impending diabetes are a reality.
The food we fear is also one of the Tube’s greatest joys, and nobody holds back from depositing leftover Halloween candy (Dayna Li’s children brought in quite a haul) or experimental desserts (chocolate basil cake, thanks to Halyna Petryshyn) for communal benefit. Come on by sometime for a bite!