It’s an awkward time on our campus right now. No one really knows what to say or what to do.

The ominous group silences and clumsy conversations can only be explained by one thing: the point in time we are at in the semester. It has been a couple of weeks since spring break, which means it’s too far gone to ask what someone did. That’s old hat by now. Besides, if you didn’t care enough to ask what they did before this week, it couldn’t have been that exciting anyway.

On the other end of the time table, we are too far away from finals to start asking when people are finished with their last tests. No one knows his finals schedule yet, so it’s way too early to get into that topic.

Let’s face it. We are very unoriginal when it comes to making small talk. Without general subjects like these to keep us going, it is difficult to think of something to say to that person you sit by on the bus or pass going to lunch in the residence halls. These people are our casual acquaintances. You may see them every single day of the week and yet might not even know their names. You don’t really know much about them at all, except that you say hello to them whenever you see them and they are usually game for some light conversational banter during that two to three minutes before class starts or when you’re in line at the grocery store.

When we talk to these people, it is always the same thing: “How was your summer?” or “What did you do for break?” or if you really want to go out on a limb, “So where are you living now?”

Even if we have no real desire to find out the answers to these questions, we can’t seem to help ourselves from asking them. This impulse is comparable to how we never fail to ask a person’s major and hometown when we first meet them. True, it sometimes can be interesting information, but let’s be honest. Most often it is not.

As I firmly believe every problem has a solution, I have come up with some other topics for people to discuss when they are racking their brains for a few minutes of conversation.

For one, why not complain about how many dang birds we have around this place! What is this, an Alfred Hitchcock movie? If I had a nickel for every spot of bird poop that I saw on the sidewalk, I could take the entire university population out for pizza. When discussing this subject, there is always the possibility of someone having a really great a-bird-pooped-on-my-head story to lighten the mood. Taking a wild guess, I’d say that approximately one of 10 students has been pooped on or at least known someone who has, so your chances here are pretty good.

Try talking about planning your schedule. With the exception of those leaving us for the real world at the end of the semester, registering for classes is just about as general of a question as the “When are you done with finals?” interrogation, but with more potential for further conversation. Several other topics can stem from this one. For instance, you can ask when they will graduate, figure out if you have any classes together, or if you get to sleep in later than they do next fall. Go wild! Be creative!

Most importantly, keep it general. To tell the pinky-swearing truth, we don’t want to know all the intimate details of our casual acquaintance’s life. Too many details, and you are crossing the line. The results could be disastrous. Feel free to talk, ask questions and enjoy yourself, but keep yourself in check.

A third topic of discussion could focus on the blood drive being done on campus. This kind of talk could only go on for a week, of course, but at least it will tide you over until you can start asking what they’re doing for the summer. This could even be interesting. Lots of people have had crazy blood-donating experiences or can tip you off to which cookies are the best at the recovery table.

We’re only a little over a month away from finals season, so bear down. You’ll make it through those casual conversations. Just keep in mind that everyone is going through the same thing. Now is the time to break new ground with your acquaintances, learn new things about them.

Give it a try! Start asking and answering questions with a renewed vigor.

“How are you?”

“Well, so far no birds have pooped on my head today!”

The possibilities are endless — let yourself be free.

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Joanne Roepke is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Aurora.