The Clocktower: One of my favourite spots to write.
I’ve never been the type of person to get involved in school. In high school and university both, I spent my time quietly with friends or with a few good books. In fact, writing for CHSR has been the first extracurricular activity since a grade 9 play. Being back in the comfort of Saint John, I’ve decided it’s finally time to get involved. After all, this is my school (Fredericton and Saint John both), and it’s something I want to be proud of. I have CHSR to thank for getting my foot in the door.
The trouble of getting involved was: how?
After weeks of browsing the UNB events page and the City of Saint John events page, and finding nothing, I turned to those I trusted most: my best friends. There was always something that drew me to people who were deeply involved, probably because I never had been. Not only did I learn more about the goings-on of the campus, but learned about things my friends were doing that I had no idea of.
Fast forward to today. The stress is somewhat unimaginable—in the best way. Maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with school projects, personal projects, and a full workload of classes. Specifically, volunteering for the Lorenzo Society with the wonderful Dr. Margaret Anne Smith, working hard with my closest friends for the possible creation of UNBSJ’s English Society, writing for CHSR (always a pleasure), volunteering for events in the Quad, and slowly moving from a full-time to part-time job. Work, volunteering, always continuing to write, and I’ve begun to wonder how I’ll ever have time for it all on top of a full-time semester.
Jenna Albert’s books–for one semester alone.
I began thinking about one of my closest friends, Jenna Albert, third-year BA student. If there’s anyone more involved than she is, then they probably don’t sleep. Ever. So I asked her what it was like to be doing so much for the school (Arts and English), even going as far as to spend most of her summer on it as well. “I try to be constantly involved with the university,” she said, “I’m an Editor for Vox, UNBSJ’s Arts Annual as well as a Learning Community Leader. Being involved … isn’t only for personal growth and enjoyment, it also holds opportunities for scholarships and employment. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed … [but] School is about more than attending class and maintaining marks, it’s about developing as an individual, both socially and academically.”
Well said, and I think I’m going to enjoy my new busy lifestyle.
