The student hangs against the building, waiting for the magical energy to dissipate as you head down the sidewalk that leads to the main part of campus.
There, That's Handled
The sidewalk leads between Carter Hall on the left and Gilman Hall on the right. Gilman houses the physics, math, and computer science departments. Its brick is pristine, its windows clean.
Next to Gilman, Carter looks like its down-on-its-luck sibling. Ivy climbs its side, thrusting tendrils into mortar. Windows that aren't fogged by years of neglect have paper taped to them.
Carter's where the college hides the departments that it's faintly embarrassed by. The crafts design department. The commercial arts department. The interdisciplinary history department that draws on the other two.
It's a disguise, of course. Winfield Phillips can't admit it offers the premier college degree in pattern magic, training new practitioners and preparing them for a life of secret research and adventure.
As a department faculty member, you won't get much in the way of respect from other professors outside the department. As the department's newest member, you'll have to fight for recognition and resources.
But this is the position you dreamed of since you were in school. Let the STEM professors make "Underwater Basket Weaving" jokes to you and ask how many of your students will end up driving their students around in a rideshare. It's okay if your fellow faculty snub you.
Because You're Going to Be Amazing