As the old fable goes, a student entering the library sees another student exiting Branford and waits to hold the door open for him or her. Although clearly hyperbolic, it does seem to be based upon a true phenomenon. Outside the library, in particular, it is difficult not the notice the prevalence of individuals holding doors open for others who are doing an ambivalent walk-jog-shuffle to cross the courtyard that separates them. Door holding, although on the surface a simple gesture of kindness, is fraught with serious moral dilemmas. The root of which is the controversial question: what is the defining line at which we stop holding the door?
The answer to this question can divide friendships. Talking to roommates Jackson Murphy ’14 and Evert Fowle ’14, the tension was palpable. While Murphy maintained that “the door holding radius” is generally 15 feet, Fowle rebutted that this was “absurd” and that 10 feet was his threshold. Both acknowledged, however, that there is a large gray area, especially when individuals are on crutches or are carrying something. Murphy ultimately came to the conclusion that “you just have to go with your gut.” Fowle went on to point out that the efficacy of door holding is undermined if you exceed the appropriate door holding radius, expounding his “Jogging Theory.”
In sum, the Jogging Theory postulates that holding the door when someone is at such a distance that they feel compelled to jog negates the fundamental goal of door holding. Fowle argues that at this point holding the door “is no longer an act of decency.” Speaking from the perspective of the individual who is having the door held for her, Hilary Nigrosh ’14, pointed out the burden of discomfort. Supporting Fowle’s thesis, she explained, “It’s really awkward when someone holds the door and you’re far away enough to feel that you are obligated to jog up to the door to catch it.”
So the question remains, how do we assess when the distance is too far? Nigrosh asserts that it really is up to your intuition. Sal Bigay ’16 suggests that it might be a public service to paint a yellow line in front of the library to demarcate the point at which door holding is acceptable, saying, “We should make a task force for this.” Although reaching a definitive consensus on such a contentious debate seems nearly impossible, almost everyone agreed that it was in fact a disservice to hold the door so long that the individual who it was intended to benefit feels pressured to alter his or her pace.
Others highlighted more specific difficulties inherent in the door holding interaction, such as, what if there are two doors in a row like in the library or in Cro? Some raised the issue that they were unsure whether two “thank you”s (one for each door held) were necessary, or if one would suffice. Others said that they dashed in front to return the favor on the second door. Others nuanced the distance issue by building, saying they were more apt to wait if it was a dorm, lest another student have to fish in their bag for their Camel Card.
After grappling with these challenging questions, it became clear that, despite there being no clear “door holding radius,” the act of door holding is an important microcosm of Connecticut College culture. Even if we may be a smidge overeager, it only symbolizes our willingness to go out of our way to make life a little easier for one another.
