This is what lucky feels like
You walk out of the hall feeling euphoric – the polish of the performances was almost at professional level. It makes the late nights and extra travel feel worth it, and the students were thrilled, not least because so many of their alumni mentors were there. You could definitely live without the lunch tomorrow, but it will help the department get those last few donations over the line, maybe even enough to start pushing again for the new concert hall.
You’re lost in thoughts of the amazing acousti-tech the new hall could have as you pass through the quad and head towards the east gate. The smart assistant plays a chime in your ear to warn you the last bus from campus is leaving in ten minutes. You can’t miss it because there are no staff bunks available at all tonight – you already checked. You pick up the pace and make it just in time.
As the bus pulls away you gaze back through the trees towards the small crowd of students and guests who are still mingling. It will be a late night for them, and the two with early tutorials tomorrow may be a bit worse for wear. You tuck a few loose sheets of music away in a side pocket of your bag and pull out your tablet to start annotating the first paper. It’s incredibly well-written and interesting, no surprises, but you’re having trouble concentrating. The bus is passing out of the gates of the campus as you work out how much sleep you could get if you get up earlier to read before heading back. It’s no use – by the time you get home it will be well past midnight and you need to be on the first train. You can do it now before you get to the station and swap to the train, you just need to focus.
The bus is starting to get busier as you enter the suburbs and several people get on playing music in speaker mode (why, seriously?). You tap your temple and noise cancellation kicks in. That helps and you return to the paper, noting areas for discussion tomorrow. A for-rent sign blinks into your peripheral vision and you zoom in to see the price. It’s too much – it always is on this side of the city, but you blink to note interest anyway – you got a positive vibe from the member of the promotion panel you bumped into last week. The glow of satisfaction builds and you hum a little as the bus nears the station. You’re so lucky, and you know it.
Links
Scenario (Return to the ivory tower)
Next scenario (The university of enuui)
Higher Education Futures (project page)
