Brian Doyle (-- The Beacon)
By Brian Doyle, Guest Commentary
Thesis: College life is a lot more entertaining, stimulating, riveting, socially lively, funny, moving, poignant, amazing, hilarious and happily exhausting if you get your butt out of your room, pry yourself away from your slick electronic toys for a moment and apply for a (paid) job working on the student newspaper (and its various fascinating electric tendrils), the yearbook (which actually catches and preserves time and emotions, how cool is that?) or the radio station, which catches and shares music from all over the planet – how cool is that?
Proof of thesis: Me. I was a complete and utter doofus fool mule bonehead in college. Granted, that was centuries ago when Lincoln was president, I think, but still, all I did was play ratball basketball, and hang around in my hall snickering at my friends. It never occurred to me to write for the newspaper, which would have given me a chance to meet geniuses and charlatans and brilliances and mountebanks and heroes. Nor did I apply to help out at the radio station, which would have given me a chance to hear a thousand amazing artists new to my limited reptilian brain. Nor did I apply to work for the yearbook, which would have expanded my social circle by light years, not to mention given me a chance to meet charlatans and brilliances and etc.
Additional data: It's free to apply for jobs. It takes about eight minutes to apply. If you get a job, YOU GET PAID. Your mom and dad will be thrilled. You'll meet new and interesting folks. You'll open a dozen new doors to experiences on The Bluff you never imagined. A student media job will not hammer your study time. You don't have to get a tattoo.
Concluding commentary: What exactly are you waiting for? You get four years here. Might as well make the most of them, eh? Oh, you don't have the time? Really? A few paid hours a week, catching and sharing stories of the grace and creative energy and nutty debates of life at the University, a job that looks good on the old employment resume, a job that might actually help your planned career, a job that expands your intellectual and social and cultural universe, a job where you will most certainly meet riveting souls of all the genders there are – what was it that was more important than that?
Author's Note: Listen, I am older than dirt. Why listen to me? I am exactly like your dad, barking at you to do the things he never did because he was a lazy cuss when he was in college. But could it be that your dad is right when he says he was crazy not to make the most of every blessed amazing moment possible in college? Could it be he was right to regret that he did not write for the newspaper and the yearbook, and have a wild late-night radio show? Could it be that you seize the lovely chance he did not?
