In general, what we're expanding on
(and what you've probably heard the
most about already) is this idea of per-
sonal initiative, dictating where you go
and what you gain.
As Schoem described it, "Most stu-
dents go through a college campus as
tourists, constantly visiting but they're
never quite there. Be a citizen [of the
campus] and you'll get so much more
out of it."
A good friend and mentor I met dur-
ing a business-school orientation event
called me up one evening around 9 to
meet him at a cafe on a Friday night,
saying he had something important to
share. So I trekked from Hillel through
the snow to meet him across campus.
I sat down with him and a few others
who were talking about bringing to U-M
a satellite conference by the nonprofit
group TED, whose mission is to spread
ideas. Specifically, the group wanted to
celebrate some great accomplishments
of students and faculty through an all-
day conference.
While I didn't play a significant role
in the event's progression, we ended
up staying and chatting past midnight
(which made the cafe folks happy) to
plan a spectacular event for an oversold
crowd of 350. In a mere 31/2 months, we
really did create what my friends called
a rollercoaster for your brain. From 7:30

spend some of the summer
unleashing your inner artist

workshops & art camps for a

a.m. to 5 p.m., we
heard stories of
perseverance, suc-
cess and survival
and it was all com-
pliments of a com-
mitment to make
campus a little bet-
ter than it was.
From the small-
est things, such as
getting to know
classmates to
creating a campus-
wide network of
contacts that will
later aid in creating
a major event, it all
comes down to this
initiative.
As I think about
how quickly my
first year went by
(and you should
A freshman dorm room look-
have no reason to
ina pretty tidy.
believe yours will
be any different),
I marvel at how
nice it would have been to hear first-
much was packed into one year. And
hand from someone who just completed
while much of it just becomes natural
that first year balancing it all; and so I
over time, one thing I had to remember
attempted to outline a few pointers.
was to take a step back from it all and
So as you look more broadly at all of
just look around. That was how this arti-
the madness, despite what you find, I
cle was conjured up. I thought of how

---

COLLEGE

KNOWLEDGE

fir the Jewish Student

ft!,

David Schoem

r elt-alY7t. u, ircr•, andlthwumerrfrd

luiri

Author Schoena is a U-Dri soci-
olog-y professor.

think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Not
necessarily because things may not feel
too different just yet, but because it's
actually happening.
Checklists are done, transcripts are
in, recommendations sent, bags packed.
You're on the craziest ride you've never
ridden; and this time you dictate where
it goes. The only thing left to do is go
there. It has created a lot of memories
for me in just one year's time; and now
I think I know why everyone says four
years are not enough. @

Seth Samuels, 19, of Franklin is a sophomore that the
Univerity of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

ceramics

drawing

fashion illustration

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August 26 • 2010

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