I’ve told the story a million times before — but never in reference to what it does to my mental well-being.
It’s the story of being The Daily’s editor in chief. I spend between 10 and 12 hours in the newsroom five days a week. I get home at 2 a.m. to find at least an hour’s worth of e-mail correspondence waiting for me. When I wake up, there undoubtedly will be an hour more.
I’ve already dropped one class this quarter, but I still have three that require attention at some point. Fridays or Saturdays, I suppose; or at 3 a.m., when the e-mails are done; or in the morning, minutes before I’m supposed to show up, ready to learn.
My roommates frequently remind me that with my aforementioned schedule, it’s probably not a good idea to pick up the PlayStation 2. But it is what I do to keep my sanity.
The situation is intense, and I often worry — seriously worry — about whether I will have my degree come June. That’s difficult to accept for someone who maintained an A average in his sleep in high school.
Thankfully I’m not alone — student groups provide safety nets. Associated Student Government President Mike Fong explains that his group “shifts the burden” when certain members need a break from the grind to attend to obligations such as like midterms.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, student group membership inherently requires being keen on the mental state of your fellow members. It’s a big task, but ultimately it is a lesson about life and community that cannot be taught in the classroom.
I’m also not alone in feeling pressured to maintain — and exceed — the standards NU student groups have established over time. You don’t have to be a member to know what they stand for:
The largest student-run philanthropy in the nation. Thirty hours and $462,613 in 2003.
Attacking hate on campus. Uniting the black community. Co-sponsoring events to promote cultural understanding.
The Pacemaker and Gold Crown awards. The top college newspaper in the nation. A public forum for the community.
For members of Dance Marathon, For Members Only, The Daily — and every other group on campus — achievement runs much deeper than reputation. Our individual histories of excellence that got us accepted to NU call on us to make our groups bigger, better and more productive than the year before.
But part of me wonders if it is really necessary.
Wouldn’t it make sense that if I work 45 hours per week, and someone new joins The Daily and works 20 hours, then I should now only have to work 25? And if 15 people join, then we all only need to work three hours to produce the same amount I once did alone?
Of course I’m being facetious. We all know the need for leaders. Commitment levels vary from person to person, group to group.
But what’s the alternative? That we stop caring how much money we raise for DM, that we stop comparing our student newspaper to the rest of the country? It’s not our nature. We didn’t get into NU because we didn’t care.
In fact, when the choice is between studying for a midterm or doing something perceived as vital for your student group, I would hold that every campus leader would choose their organization over their homework. Certainly every leader I spoke with agrees.
So where does that leave you, those who think college is only about partying, or those who care only for your prestigious degree that will get your prestigious job or get you into your prestigious law school?
It leaves you in the position to help my sanity.
I don’t expect everyone to fill the shoes I wear as a student leader. But student group involvement should be the four-year equivalent to civic engagement. We provide each other with events and services and opportunities that administrators cannot.
And we provide each other with a social safety net, in which we watch out for each other in tough times.
Who wouldn’t want to get involved with that cause?
