Play – 4.19.2024

Dear College of Science Faculty and Staff,

In 2024 the College of Science has so many degree recipients that we will have two events – one for undergraduates and one for graduate students. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help with these wonderful celebrations! This time of year, with the celebrations soon upon us, I’m finishing up my Commencement address. I like to have a succinct theme each year. In 2022, Walking; 2023, Advice and this year is Play. Every address includes huge congratulations!, and encouragement for the future. Here’s where I am…

“At this time, I know you’re planning your next steps – some of you have chosen where you’re going next, others of you are thinking. But it can be a bit unsettling, even scary.

So, I thought I’d tell you a story about something that helped me and may help you.
Growing up, far away in South Africa, our house had a room we called the porch. It was a regular room with a bed and chest of drawers, except the windows had no glass, only screens. When it rained, we rushed to pull down thick brown canvas roller blinds to keep the rain from coming in. In elementary school, I liked playing there because it was set on the side of the house, and so private for out-loud activities. My favorite play in the porch was School where I was the Teacher, and my stuffed animals were Students. I had a small blackboard taped to a cardboard box, and some white chalk. Even in elementary school, I loved science, and my class studied mathematics – fractions and long division. We grappled with understanding how the seasons worked, we did projects on tea production or how trains ran, and we compared leaf structures across samples collected in the garden.

Now my dad took a nap in the porch every afternoon. He had epilepsy and had to take medicines to control his seizures, and these made him sleepy. Anyway, in the middle of a lesson one day, my dad came into the porch for his nap. I got up to leave, but he said, “no, it’s fine if you stay and keep playing. Play is very useful, he said, “because it helps you choose what you want to do when you grow up.” My dad’s words were really important to me, both because they made sense and were encouraging, but also because my dad did not talk very much. The medicines he took in those days dulled him and made it hard for him to put words together. So, these clear sentences stood out for me as something to treasure. I’ve thought about them a lot, and my dad was right, as I’ll tell you.

It turns out that many animal species play, often throughout life. For example, when honeybees are given tiny wooden spheres, they push them around, and come back to the activity over and over. Tortoises enthusiastically play ball with one another. Many a crow has been seen dropping an object like a stone from a roof to the ground, flying down to pick it up and doing it again and again. And if you love dogs, you will know they’re always ready for a game. The purpose of play is hotly debated by scientists, but the point that so many different animals play suggests that it must have some benefit for the species.

Interestingly, play doesn’t seem to make animals more skilled at particular tasks, or better at solving specific problems. But there is clear information that without play, a part of the brain involved in decision-making, the pre-frontal cortex, seems to develop less. Moreover, with play, animals are better able to cope with unexpected or new experiences they encounter. In fact, play may do exactly what my dad said – give you confidence and brain circuitry that helps you decide how to deal with your future!  My Dad was doubly right – playing helped me decide that I love to teach.

And that’s important for you. All the play you did as a kid and as a Northeastern student has been valuable! The clubs, the hikes, your extracurriculars are a kind of play that has helped you be able to decide what’s next. Every time you’ve practiced an interview in front of your mirror or tried out a complex conversation before the real thing has set you up to succeed. In science, you may know that a playful mindset can uncover wonderfully creative approaches to solving research challenges.

I think there’s even more. While playing at any age, you’ll default sometimes into what you’re naturally good at. It may be writing, running, knowing what colors go well together, storytelling, baking, cartooning, organizing things, etc. When you consider what career path to follow, incorporating something that’s easy for you can be a great idea to add a fun dimension to any work. Overall, playing can develop your ability and confidence to decide what next step to take, play may uncover some of your natural skills, and play may be helpful as you decide where to put your talent and your time!”

That’s part of the message I’m working on. I’ll post the final talk after Commencement.

For our Jewish members celebrating Passover that begins on Monday evening, Chag Pesach sameach!
Warm wishes to everyone.