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• How to avoid eye contact on the Quad

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Listening to your iPod is one way to avoid looking up; just pretend like you LOVE the song you're listening to.

We’ve all been there: we’re just walking on the Quad, minding our own business, when (don’t look now!) we see someone we kinda sorta know headed in our direction. We don’t really want to talk to them and maybe we don’t even know their name. So here are some helpful avoidance tips, in no particular order. The following situations may or may not be improved while wearing sunglasses, so as to avoid any further eye-contact. Godspeed.

1) The stare ahead:

“What’s that ahead? Is that the Union? I’m just going to stare at it for a while, just to make sure it doesn’t go anywhere. Eyes on the prize.”

2) The look around:

“Oh is that the English building? I don’t want to go there. Oh hey, Davenport. What’s behind me? Where am I? Watch out for that bike! Who are these other people? Look! Grass!”

3) The iPod:

“I just had this urge to listen to a song which I have to look through my 3,324 song library to find. Better find it, or else it’ll be stuck in my head all day. These iPod thingys are really nifty!”

4) The cell phone:

“What? Is that my cell? Oh wow, so many text messages. Oh man, someone’s calling. I can’t help how popular I am!”

5) The backpack.

“Uh-oh, do I have my keys? I better do a full search of my bag right here while I’m walking. Maybe I might need to go to that bench and give it my full attention.”

So, next time you see that girl from PSYCH100 you studied with once, that guy you made out with at that party, or your high school ex-boyfriend's younger sister, rather than the awkward, "oh, hi...long time no see..." just avoid them all together. They'll appreciate it.