Anthem

Samantha Wong studies her textbook. Jim Heiliger studies his textbook. Parth Subramanaim studies his textbook. Pamela Wick flips back and forth between two different pages, frowning at each. Jenna Li hunches over her computer. James Gonzalez studies his textbook. Jasun Singh clears his throat loudly and swallows the rest of his phlegm. Sunjay Rupani studies his textbook. Patricia D’Silva plays a game on her phone. The sound of squeaky shoes from students walking on the concrete floor. Jim Heiliger chats dully with his friend. Samantha Wong pulls her hair. Parth Subramanaim puts on earbuds. Jenna Li’s finger skates on her trackpad. Ambient temperature is 20°, made warmer by coats and too many people. Pamela Wick writes something in her textbook and promptly erases it. Jim Heiliger laughs loudly and is shushed by someone beside him. Parth Subramanaim studies his textbook. Sunjay Rupani  studies his textbook. Patricia D’Silva talks with a friend who happened to be randomly walking by. Andrew Ping types excitedly. A grey day outside and heavy snow. Patricia D’Silva is told to keep it down by a library monitor in a yellow shirt. Samantha Wong studies her textbook. James Gonzalez studies his textbook. Parth Subramanaim studies his textbook. Jim Heiliger leans back in his chair, his legs open at 90°. Bill Eichenwald stands up and adjusts his hat, and sits back down. Jenna Li coughs on her computer screen. Sunjay Rupani studies his textbook. The overall decibel level of the room is too loud. Parth Subramanaim studies his textbook. Jasun Singh runs his hands over his face. A library monitor looks like she’s considering telling Patricia D’Silva to shush, but changes her mind and walks away. Rustling papers and clacking keyboards. James Gonzalez studies his textbook. Jim Heiliger bites his nails. Parth Subramanaim’s music is too loud, and disturbs the people around him. Bill Eichenwald chokes with laughter at a YouTube video. Pamela Wick’s pencil tip breaks, and she scrambles in her case for another one. Ambient temperature now hovering around 19°. People walking around like herds of cows. Andrew Ping bounces his leg against the desk while studying his textbook. James Gonzalez studies his textbook. A disturbingly neutral smell, or maybe one you’ve merely gotten used to. Parth Subramanaim adjusts his chair, which makes a loud squeak. Jenna Li’s back will remain hunched when she’s 60. Jim Heiliger’s hair is blown back from a person walking by. Sunjay Rupani studies his textbook. Pamela Wick slams her book closed. Samantha Wong studies her textbook. Jasun Singh’s jaw is slack. Bill Eichenwald stares at the ceiling. Almost no one is happy. Kim Poon sits down and opens a bag of Hero Burger onion rings. Patricia D’Silva swallows her gum. Jenna Li goes into a coughing fit that makes everyone around her scooch away. Buzzing fluorescent lights. Jasun Singh’s face appearing lifeless and droopy. Samantha Wong studies her textbook, making little tears at the edges of each page. Ambient temperature back at 20°, give or take. The lights harsh and warm, like spotlights. Andrew Ping studies his textbook. Pamela Wick studies her textbook. A cackle from somewhere like the voice of death. Sunjay Rupani studies his textbook. Jim Heiliger studies his textbook. Every person here spends a full 1/3 of their day in a sitting position. James Gonzalez studies his textbook. Bill Eichenwald’s eyes glaze over browsing Facebook. A friend stops by Kim Poon’s desk and grabs one of her onion rings. Samantha Wong studies her textbook. Parth Subramanaim studies his textbook. The A/C making roughly the same sound as a jet engine. Clomps of high heels. Sunjay Rupani’s hemorrhoids are acting up, and he gently shifts his position on his seat. Ambient temperature perfectly calibrated to enhance studying efficiency. Patricia D’Silva looks outside at the snow. A little bit of drool hangs from the edge of Parth Subramanaim’s mouth, and is quickly sucked up. Samantha Poon thinks that if she died over her textbook like this, no one would notice for days. Kim Poon studies her textbook. Sunjay Rupani studies his textbook. Jim Heiliger studies his textbook. Andrew Ping studies his textbook.

         Inspired by David Foster Wallace