Stuff In My Office is a weekly series where I pick something in my office, and talk about it. Want to share the things that are in your office? You can! Submit the stuff in your office, and it may get posted here!
This is Skids. Skids is the stuffed version of Skids Scribner, Skidmore College’s mascot. Skids has many different versions scattered around the college, but this little stuffed guy is my favorite.
This Skids was given to me on my first day at Skidmore, which I don’t remember much of, because it was a hurried blur of forms, parking passes, and meeting new people. I distinctly remember getting lost on the campus, which is about as small as my alma mater’s, but completely unsurprising. I’m terrible with directions. I also remember it was a gloomy day outside, because I was wearing a rain jacket. It was one of those days where it was too cold outside to leave a jacket at home, but then as soon as you walked inside, you immediately started sweating. I was self conscious all day about pit stains.
I finally made it to my office after a long morning, and was introduced all around. I tried so hard to remember names, but it was impossible. Luckily, most everyone in my department had a nametag on their door, and I first started memorizing people based on where their nametag was in the office, then who sat in those offices. It took me a week, maximum, to figure it all out.
After working for a company that had an open office floor plan, I was excited to have my own office again. A door to shut when I wanted to focus, and a space to decorate as my own. I didn’t quite get it all…we don’t have ceilings…but it’s a lot more than what I used to have. It was weird to see an empty office with bare walls, but then I looked down at the desk and saw Skids. He was a little welcome gift to me, and my first introduction to Skidmore’s culture.
A lot of Skidmore alumni have a similar stuffed Skids, and he often goes on fun adventures, or “on the loose” as we call it. The pictures are absolutely adorable, if you need a smile.
Skids hangs out on my shelf, just looking out the window during the day. Sometimes he is featured on the Skidmore College Instagram, but for the most part, he lives a pretty nice life.