Oracle Online

While graduating seniors may think they have to hang up their shorts and sandals after entering the workforce, the spring can offer some twists to the every day routine of pushing paper, deleting e-mail and listening to your co-worker’s sad story of remodeling his bathroom over the weekend.

Now, I am not talking about taking off work an hour or two early for a round of golf. Golfing requires you to cut short your eight-hour workday, which means less money for happy hour. That’s bad.

Spring in the workplace should provide you and your co-workers with “team-building” activities and opportunities to let your hair down.

Sitting at your desk for four months during winter has left you and your colleagues a little stuffy and full of bottled-up energy. The longer hours of sunlight and the melting snow are the catalysts your office needs to celebrate spring.

When you think spring, the first thing that comes to mind is barbecue-the smoky smell of burgers and brats on the grill. But grilling is not for weekends anymore. There is nothing stopping you and a few of your co-workers from having a tailgating party during lunch in your office’s parking lot. Throw the Weber in your trunk and store a few pounds of meat in a cooler. And make sure you save a little for the bulky security guard. It always helps to be prepared.

With the warmer air, the craving for some afternoon delight-ice cream-grows stronger. When the clock hits 2:30, you really don’t want to be in the office anymore. Trust me: that feeling never goes away. Load up a few of your friends in a car, preferably a convertible, and head down for a little Grand Ole Creamery, Dairy Queen or Cold Stone. Ice cream is the best mid-afternoon treat to get your creative juices flowing.

The workplace can be a little stressful at times, especially when it’s really nice outside and you are buried under a mound of paper. Sometimes you need to pull out your beach ball or rubber ballčyou’ll need one at your desk for a multitude of reasons.

A quick game of dodgeball in the front lobby can work out a lot of energy and aggression. The idea is to be playful, not to harm anyone and anything. You should make sure breakables are put away.

It doesn’t matter if you are age 21, 31 or 51; the challenges of working in the spring never go away. It all comes down to how you manage your work commitments and springtime yearnings. Just remember to work hard and play hard.

-Darin Broton ’99