Students report closing more internship connections in transit than in class
NEW YORK — Students living in a Greenwich Village NYU residence hall have begun describing their building’s notoriously slow elevator as an unofficial but genuinely productive networking venue, with several students reporting that internship leads, study group formations, and even a minor business partnership originated during shared elevator waits that regularly stretch past four minutes.
The elevator, which serves a nineteen story building housing several hundred undergraduates, has become infamous within the dorm for wait times that residents estimate average between three and six minutes during peak morning hours, a delay long enough, students say, for genuine conversation to develop naturally.
How the Trend Started
Sophomore Devon Okafor said he first noticed the pattern last semester after striking up a conversation with an upperclassman during an unusually long wait, a conversation that eventually led to a summer internship reference he would not otherwise have obtained.
“We were both standing there for almost five minutes,” Okafor said. “Normally you would just look at your phone. But five minutes is long enough that looking at your phone the entire time starts to feel weird if there is only one other person there. So we talked. Turned out she worked at a firm I wanted to intern at. She forwarded my resume the next week.”
Okafor said he now deliberately avoids taking the stairs even when he is in a hurry, on the theory that the elevator wait represents a higher expected value use of his time than a faster but socially empty trip up the stairwell.
A Recognized Phenomenon
The pattern has become common enough that several students interviewed used nearly identical language to describe it, independently referring to the elevator as either the networking elevator or, more commonly, elevator LinkedIn.
Resident advisor Camila Fuentes said she has noticed the phenomenon herself and has, half jokingly, considered posting a sign near the elevator suggesting students exchange contact information while waiting, though she has not yet done so.
“I have seen genuine business cards exchanged in that elevator,” Fuentes said. “I have seen a study group form for an organic chemistry class entirely because two strangers happened to be waiting at the same time and one mentioned failing a recent midterm. The elevator has more networking value than some actual campus events I have attended.”
The Business Partnership
The most notable outcome attributed to the elevator involves two juniors, Sarah Kaplan and Owen Vandermeer, who met during a wait last fall and have since co founded a small campus tutoring service that now employs six other students.
“We had never spoken before that day,” Kaplan said. “I mentioned I was looking for a math tutor. He mentioned he tutored math. By the time the elevator arrived we had exchanged numbers. Three weeks later we had a business plan. I genuinely credit that elevator’s slowness for something that has become a real source of income for both of us.”
Vandermeer confirmed the account and added that the pair has since discussed, only half seriously, sending the building management a thank you note for never fixing the elevator’s speed.
Building Management’s Position
A representative from the university’s housing office acknowledged that the elevator in question has experienced longer than average wait times, attributing the delay to the building’s age and configuration relative to its resident population, and said maintenance and potential upgrades are periodically reviewed as part of ongoing facilities planning.
“We are aware wait times in that building can be longer than ideal,” the representative said. “We take resident feedback about building systems seriously and any improvements would be evaluated through our normal facilities review process.”
Asked whether the university was aware of the elevator’s secondary reputation as a networking hub, the representative said this was the first time the office had heard that particular characterization.
Student Sentiment
Not every resident views the wait as a benefit. Freshman Priya Mehta said she finds the delays simply frustrating, particularly when running late for class, and has not personally experienced any of the networking benefits described by upperclassmen.
“I have stood in that elevator plenty of times and mostly just stared at the numbers not changing,” Mehta said. “Maybe I am doing it wrong. Or maybe some people are naturally better at turning an annoying wait into a career opportunity, and I am just annoyed.”
Looking Ahead
Okafor said he plans to continue relying on the elevator as an informal part of his networking strategy for the remainder of his time in the building, regardless of whether maintenance eventually addresses the underlying speed issue.
“If they fix it, good for the people running late for class,” he said. “But I will genuinely be a little sad if my competitive advantage disappears. Right now, most students on this floor still have not figured out that the wait is an opportunity rather than an inconvenience, and I would rather keep it that way for as long as possible.”
More Coverage
Further reporting on unexpected networking venues can be found at Bohiney Magazine, and a British perspective on university housing quirks is available at The London Prat. Additional material is collected at NewsThump.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com