an end to small talk

The scene: any BYU classroom at any time during the last two days
Person 1: Hi, is anyone sitting here?
Person 2: (nervous grunt) oh no, go ahead.
awkward pause
1: So, what's your name? Major? Hometown?
2: answers
1: Oh cool, you're from Sammamish? do you know so and so (also: insert Jake Heaps comment here. He's from the other side of the plateau, people!)
2: No, sorry.
1: Oh, ok
awkward pause
2: Looks like this will be an interesting class
1: yeah
awkward pause as both people nervously check their phones and countdown until the professor comes in.

My new campus initiative: Let's end the small talk! I mean, there are only so many ways you can spice up how to say your name, major and hometown.

Let's just dive into real conservations, people!

The beauty of having all comms classes today was that I knew most people in both my classes, but yesterday was full of awkward encounters. In my pledge to get rid of the ridiculous amounts of small talk on this campus, I just started diving into conversations with people
To the boy in my world politics class wearing slacks, fancy vest and pink dress shirt: "Wow, you look daper on the first day of school"
To the nervous freshman girl on the other side of me: "Gotten lost yet?"
Art History girl in global comms: "Cool, art history. Tell me about your favorite painter"

other than my plight to rid this university of awkward conversations, my last first day of school was fairly uneventful, although I did score a free water bottle on my way to campus.