Hundreds of students, faculty and staff crowded Washington Mews on Tuesday evening for “Around the Longest Table” — a dinner designed to prioritize conversation, part of NYU’s new device-free initiative.
The two-hour event, organized by SPS hospitality students, saw around 300 attendees and was part of NYU IRL, the university’s program for screen-free events. Briana Gonçalves, senior administrative manager at the Office of the President, said that the event drew inspiration from “Around the Table,” a semesterly dinner series that seats faculty and staff from across the university, and The Longest Table, an idea born in Chelsea which now brings neighbors together for shared meals in public spaces across the country.
“We combined a very bespoke NYU thing with this New York City concept, and put our NYU IRL spin on it,” Gonçalves told WSN.
Attendees stored their phones in drawstring pouches and were called table by table to a buffet-style spread, which included Mediterranean staples like falafel and pita, Italian options such as pasta and Caesar salad, and a station where guests could customize cupcakes.
The table was divided into sections, each with a designated leader equipped with conversation cards to facilitate discussion. GSAS graduate student Wensui Li, one of the student leaders, encouraged her group to approach the conversation as “an invitation rather than a directive,” telling them there was no pressure to have perfect answers.
NYU IRL launched in February to offer resources for professors to move towards device-free courses and spaces for students to socialize without their phones. The initiative held a March fireside chat with Stern professor Jonathan Haidt on the consequences of smartphones on younger generations, and nearly two dozen other events are scheduled for the rest of the semester — including meditation sessions, creative workshops and a final pizza study session at Bobst Library.
Temperatures dropped below 50 degrees after the sun set, prompting organizers to distribute blankets and hand-warmers. Despite the cold, many attendees stayed through the two-hour event, with some exchanging contact information using pen and paper.
“I thought coming here, expanding my network and meeting new people would be a good opportunity,” Temuulen Erdenebayar, an SPS Masters student said. “I’m graduating in just a month, so there’ll be less chances for me to meet fellow NYU students.”
Contact Grace Marshall at [email protected].