How often do you step off the paths you usually travel? I can easily grind my trails into ruts when I’m focused using my time efficiently and on finding the shortest distance between two points. But those ruts cut me off from all that lies outside their narrow scope.

Take the stairwells of Masters Hall, for instance. How many of them do you use? I think there are five, but I did not even know about stairwell A until I had been here two years. Stairwell A is almost like those hidden passages in Clue, stealthily connecting the Lecture Hall with the College Office or providing a quick escape route from the Math Offices to the shady glen next to Graduation Terrace. Each stairwell has a distinct vibe. My favorite is stairwell D, the wooden stairs that creak melodically past stained glass and tudor beams.

The other day I decided to walk before getting to business at my desk. I was having trouble keeping my eyes open, so I figured climbing some stairs would wake me up. So as not to look odd repeatedly going up and down the same stairwell, I went up one and down another. Probably looked odd anyway.

I came across a display in Stairwell E. Along the wall the artist had arranged photographs and written reflections about loneliness. The work itself stirred a strong response, and its location in an out-of-the-way stairwell suited its theme well. Stumbling upon this unexpected discovery reminded me how much the world offers, if only I turn my head to notice it.