This weekend I went to a departmental conference that was held at a nice hotel near the beach. Usually when a bunch of biologists get together there are long sessions of talks followed by posters and eventually someone breaks out the wine. So I figured that this conference would go similarly and I prepared myself for a pleasant and predictable weekend.
The first part went much as I thought it would: A series of short talks followed by a break and then a poster session. Dinner, however, was the start of something a bit different. First of all, the food was good (anyone who's been to a conference knows that this is almost unheard-of). Then this random old British professor comes and sits with our table full of only students and we proceed to have great conversation. After most people are done eating and have moved on to some serious wine consumption, the program begins and a picture of our table's prof comes up on screen. Before our confusion goes much further we discover that we have been chatting and drinking with a renowned department chair who has published over 300(!) papers, dozens of chapters, and multiple books! And now he is receiving an award from the department as he steps down from the chair position!
We all feel rather silly now for not knowing who he was, and I sat there thinking, wow, this guy is so nice! He didn't expect us to fawn over his achievements, he just wanted to hang out and have a good time. When the dance party started (another surprise for a conference) he was one of the first ones on the floor, asking students and faculty to join him. And you know what, he and some of the other profs could really move! It was so much fun just being a bunch of people dancing and not caring about students and postdocs vs faculty. Usually there is a certain reservation that each group has about letting loose around the other.
In many ways, that is a good thing. I wouldn't want to see the faculty falling down drunk and I'm sure they don't want to see us dancing like we do in clubs. Therefore, we aren't completely letting loose, but I am beginning to have as much fun being somewhat reserved as I used to have going completely crazy. Is that a sign of maturity or just that I haven't gone out partying in a while? Either way, I like it. I suppose my spectrum of fun activities is shifting from where it was as an undergrad. On the tame end, reading a magazine was fun. Now, I can find pleasure in a paper. Having a wild night used to mean needing two Excedrin and a gallon of water the next day, and now it more often means going to a new bar or just meeting interesting people. Sure, I can still party like I did when I was 19 if I want to, but I just don't want to as much anymore. I've found my happy medium, and I hope to keep it roughly where it is.
Oh no, I'm turning into the stereotypical biologist! I only want to talk about research! I think the other scientists are "cool!" I like to read papers, for goodness' sake! Somebody stop me before I throw out all my heels and buy my own subscription to Nature! Aaaahhhh!!!
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