What is your routine for the first few hours of your day?
I’m not a morning person, so 6:30 a.m. is the best I can do. I stretch a bit, then go immediately to shower and really wake up. After getting ready, I take my very patient dog, Carson, out for a quick walk, and then it’s into the office with a large, unsweetened iced tea. I spend a few minutes talking to my colleagues on my way to the office, do a quick swipe through duty logs and email, and then it’s time to start on the billion projects and issues waiting on my desk.
What is the last thing you read, watched, or listened to that changed your perspective?
I saw “McNeal” a few weeks ago at Lincoln Center. It starred Robert Downey Jr., and is about AI – much of which has quietly invaded our understanding of the concepts of cheating, integrity, and creativity, while also impacting our interpersonal relationships. It was fascinating, and I’m still trying to sort it out in my head.
What is one piece of advice you wish you had received earlier in your career?
To not waste time feeling like an imposter. Don’t spend your time worried that you’ll be “found out” for not knowing something you should know. Ask questions, study, practice, and become good at it.
What is your favorite campus dining hall meal?
Midnight breakfast during finals week. I don’t eat it, but I (and colleagues from administration and teaching faculty) prepare and serve the meal to our students. It’s a terrific event, and it gives us all a chance to see each other outside of our natural habitats. It has built up a lot of connections for me over the years in areas I didn’t know or people I wouldn’t typically work with, which has strengthened relationships and opened doors with others on campus – I didn’t realize this could be so helpful.
What is something that someone has done for you lately for which you were most grateful?
When an aunt died recently, a dear friend (and former colleague) put together a snack bag for my drive back to Ohio, filled with snacks and water. It was bountiful, and I shared it with others and still had enough for my ride home.
What tool does every campus housing pro need to know how to use, and when was the last time you used one?
An Allen wrench. They’re so handy for things like tightening furniture joints, locking or unlocking doors, or tapping on your desk when you’re trying to figure out a solution to a problem. I keep one in my drawer all the time. It’s like a visible representation of how simplicity can often be the exact thing you need to resolve a difficult situation.
What was your favorite class when you were a student?
Always literature classes. I have two favorites. In high school, I had a marvelous teacher, Arlene Grohl, who really loved what she did and encouraged our creativity. She made Romantic poets exciting.
In college, I was able to take a class taught by visiting professor James Baldwin, which was, as you can imagine, otherworldly. He was a great teacher and brought the idea of writing with a purpose to us in a clear and challenging manner. At the end of our semester, he invited the whole class to his apartment, and we had a lovely, informal night hearing all kinds of stories about his life, as he listened to our hopes and dreams for our lives.
What hobby would you pursue if time and money were no object?
I would travel. My favorite kind of travel is to spend lengthy times in specific areas, connecting with the people living there – really seeing their worlds through their eyes and getting to know more about their lives, dreams, and challenges. Then I’d like to be able to write about it to share with others.
What is your favorite tradition from any campus where you have worked?
I love first-year move-in day. It’s filled with anxiety, excitement, and expectation. We have a ceremony where our new students enter the gates to our campus, and they and their loved ones are welcomed to our campus community by faculty, staff, and returning students. It’s a great start to their year and to this new adventure.
What song do you count on to hype you up to start the day or help you celebrate at the end of a long one?
My go-to, the song I would listen to for the rest of my life if I had only one song I could hear, is “Hey Jude” by the Beatles: hands down, the song that pulls me from any valley I’ve been stranded in and lifts me out of despair. It also catapults any joy that I’m feeling on days that are good. It’s all-purpose.
Maribeth Griffin is the director of residential programs and staff at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. Would you like to see yourself or a colleague included in the Snapshot column? Complete the questions on this form or share the link with someone you think we should get to know better.
