I n light of the ongoing contract negotiations between the University of Michigan and members of the Graduate Employees’ Organization, I felt moved to write a piece that details my experience with Graduate Student Instructors and the tremendous impact they have had on my educational experience here. As a dual-degree student in both LSA and the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, I have had wonderfully supportive relationships with the vast majority of GSIs I have had in my courses, and it is mostly because of the support they provided through an extraordinarily high level of instruction that I find myself where I am today. The work GSIs do more than warrants certain benefits such as an annual 6 percent increase in salary to cover the high cost of living in Ann Arbor and instituting a hard 20-hour work-week cap. The inability of the University to properly compensate its graduate student employees will make it difficult for them to perform at a high level. This consequently detracts from the educational experience of both myself and all other undergraduate students at the University due to the significant number of classes that have GSI instruction and the help provided to undergraduate students by GSIs in their pursuit of an education. One of the most prominent and helpful experiences I’ve had with graduate student instruction was last year, in my second-year written theory course. This required course built on the concepts taught the year before, which I did not put much effort into learning during my first go-around as a freshman. I arrived in my first- semester, second-year class determined to make up for lost time. After struggling through my first few assignments, I quickly realized that I needed extra assistance. My professor referred me to a few graduate students who would be able to tutor me and help me catch up on concepts. I worked countless hours with a graduate student and progressed from a D the previous semester to a B in my first term of second-year theory and an A in my final term. This graduate student helped me effectively reach the point where I not only understood the material, but I was able to teach myself to understand it on my own, helping me gain educational independence. I believe that part of the educational experience at a university is learning how to learn, and in this context, it was because of the tremendous dedication of a Graduate Student Instructor that I was allowed the opportunity to do so. After succeeding in theory and finding an interest in the field of communications studies, I took it upon myself to complete the prerequisite coursework for declaring a major in the Department of Communications. The instruction I received from the GSI in the introductory courses was paramount to my success and ability to pursue this major. At each stage in a difficult term- long research project for one of the prerequisite courses, my GSI met with me multiple times and reviewed my work. His feedback, both related and unrelated to my project, was essential to my educational interests, career goals and personal development. Without this GSI’s assistance, I would not have the same understanding of the narrative power of advertising that I do today. Moreover, the services that my GSIs have provided me transcended merely helping me understand the coursework at hand. They not only helped me to know the purpose behind the concepts I was trying to understand, but also the context in which they appeared in the real world and what I could do to take what I learn to affect change in the world as a student and professional. My communications GSI, serving as both an instructor and mentor, gave me valuable insight into the broader field of communication studies, what my professional opportunities were with a communications degree and helped me understand the relevance of what I was doing in regards to my future coursework as a communications student. It was the experience that I had with this GSI — and other GSIs ever since — that, more so than professors, brought my learning full circle, as he was able to connect the metaphorical dots for me in a way that I could not have done on my own at the time in a one- on-one, personalized setting. The invaluable help and guidance that I received from my GSIs is not unique to me. Without GSI contributions, my education and the education of many other students would be undoubtedly lessened. GSIs routinely make themselves available to help students like myself with coursework through holding weekly office hours that supplement those of professors, which makes the attainment of an education at the University more accessible. These office hours served me with the valuable link between material mentioned in lecture and the important concepts that I retain for use on exams and future academic and professional endeavors. The impact of the work GSIs do is significant to undergraduate student’s educational experiences, and because of this, the University should collaborate with instead of combat the bargaining efforts of the GEO. Without GSI instruction, both my own educational experience and that of other undergraduate students would not be the same. I ’m sure many of us have heard “social media is bad” and “it’s ruining millennials’ lives” enough. I won’t add insult to injury, but as someone who quit social media almost two years ago, I can safely say I have felt winds of change, and I am better off because of it. I was a social media “enthusiast.” When I was in 7th grade, some of us didn’t have cell phones yet. So, when AOL Instant Messager became popular, almost everyone had an account. I spent my entire summer glued to the computer screen. The sense of privacy and direct messaging was precious throughout my angsty teen years. About this time, people were moving away from MySpace to Facebook. While MySpace allowed us to customize our home pages, Facebook had new features such as photo albums, status posting and “like” buttons. These new features were highly attractive; I was constantly told to be “photogenic” and “funny,” and I found myself craving more of these accolades. I posted statuses that would draw in attention and edited selfies to invite more compliments. I knew I spent a lot of time on Facebook, but my excuse was the classic fat talk: “If everyone else is doing it, why can’t I?” Shortly after Facebook grew popular, Instagram was launched, and it was better than Facebook in many ways. Instagram specifically targeted the younger generation, and it was a photo-based social network, so aesthetics became relevant. People posted pictures of food, outfits, traveling and perfectly-edited shots of themselves that fit the theme of their page. One would cut another’s throat to have a more “artsy” Instagram page. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was my Instagram profile. I arranged plates at restaurants to take the perfect shot of the foods I ate. I made people stop to take “celeb” shots of me as if I were a fashion model. I became obsessed with things that were aesthetically pleasing, colorful and spatially organized. Having perfect profiles at the touch of my fingers made Instagram a comparing machine. Do I have more “likes” than other people? Is my profile better-looking than theirs? Do I consistently have more followers than them? Though taking pictures and editing in moderation can be a fun and a creative process, Instagram was something else — it was a competition. Small actions, like what restaurant to go to, and important life decisions, like which friends to keep around, were all influenced by how I wanted to portray myself to others on social media. I became sick of it. I couldn’t enjoy being in the moment because I lived life through the lens. The time, energy and attention I put into Instagram was so damaging that I wanted to quit social media entirely. The transition to quitting social media did not happen in a day. It began with telling myself to go on it every few hours and then every few days. It began with deleting apps off my phone and re-downloading them several times over the months. There were urges I couldn’t resist. There were fears I would miss out on opportunities. There was anxiety without my social media presence. There were thoughts that deleting social media would mean losing my voice. But it was quite the opposite — I regained my voice and my life. Looking down at my phone in elevators turned into chats with strangers. Taking pictures before eating turned into a time to express gratitude for a wonderful meal. Scrolling through Instagram before class turned into reading the news. Taking pictures of the Law Library turned into efficient study time. Bingeing on social media after a long day turned into playtime with my dog. And with all the extra time that I gained from quitting social media, I learned to cook, work on small art projects and become more involved in my own life. My case of social media dependency is actually not that special. I personally know people who are far worse than I was, and I see similar cases of dependency everywhere — people just can’t stay off social media. I hope that my transition to a happier and healthier lifestyle can be a small reminder to focus on important things in your life and make experiences your very own. Pictures I take from trips, refined focus toward school, time I spend with friends and family and all the conversations I have with people are now my own memory, excitement and wisdom. They all became things that I want to share with others, offline. Opinion The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com 4 — Tuesday, April 11, 2017 REBECCA LERNER Managing Editor 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. EMMA KINERY Editor in Chief ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY and REBECCA TARNOPOL Editorial Page Editors Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Log out to live GINA CHOE | COLUMN What my GSIs did for me ZACHARY COX | COLUMN Zachary Cox can be reached at coxz@umich.edu. Gina Choe can be reached at ginachoe@umich.edu. ZACHARY COX I love a good snooze. Entering my beloved dream world constitutes my most consistent day-to-day goal. But it can be challenging finding a good enough chunk of time to get some shut-eye when burdened with essays, exams, emails, essays and more essays. Yet, no matter how hard I try to secure the doctor- recommended eight hours of sleep, my energy levels somehow manage to only allow me six, on average. And no matter how content I am with my zzz’s, people still tell me I need eight hours to succeed. Empirically, they’re right. Studies show time and again that adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep. But it’s also important for students to individualize their sleeping habits, as this can greatly impact overall well-being. For example, when I get too much sleep, I’m often much more tired throughout the day and find myself in need of a nap. Too little sleep, and I’m struggling to stay alert. Six hours seems to be perfect for me, which is to say students struggling with sleep-related stress should learn how their bodies react to over- or under- sleeping. Apps like the Sleep Cycle alarm clock are perfect for storing and organizing data like sleep quality and hours slept. This kind of tool can help students better understand their sleep-related needs and better acquaint themselves with their own biological clocks. Honestly, it’s tough having a non-traditional sleep schedule. When society decides to wake up at 8 a.m. and go to sleep after 10 p.m., it can be difficult operating on a different circadian rhythm. What’s even more fascinating is the wide array of slumber patterns that coexist on campus. One of my friends, for example, goes to bed at 10 p.m. every night and wakes up at 6 a.m., without fail, each morning. He then eats breakfast, exercises for a bit and finishes up any remaining schoolwork. One of my roommates, on the other hand, lives each day as an independent entity, separate from the other days in the week. I remember finding him one early morning wide awake after getting up at 2:30 a.m., going to the local mosque for the Islamic dawn-time prayer and going on a run by the Huron River. Needless to say, he crashed at around 9 a.m. In his own words, “as long as you make up your sleep at some point, you’re good.” Being around different sleeping styles makes me question why I’m such a night owl. I think it’s because I value nighttime differently than the daytime. In the daytime, I can see how much of the day is left depending on the angle of the sun and the lengths of the shadows. This creates an hourglass effect for me. No matter what time of day it is, I feel like there’s still much more to do before that ever- oncoming sunset. The day is always fleeting, and unless I can “carpe diem,” I’m left worrying about what’s still on the to-do list. But nighttime is different. It’s more quiet, more stable, more blissfully abundant in opportunities. In the night, my mind shifts into productivity mode. Creativity flows through my fingers and ink flows as I make calligraphy. Words connect in coveted eloquence as I write papers I had procrastinated. There are fewer people active on social media, fewer mass emails being sent and fewer interruptions to my focus. The only downside? It’s so hard to find an open restaurant in the middle of the night to work at. Nighttime is also filled with fewer requirements and greater discretion on how I can use my time. I have a nightly routine that really helps maximize my happiness. Happiness is an odd variable, because it can’t be quickly quantified, like hours spent working or sleeping. Based on my experiences, however, going to sleep happier, even if that means fewer minutes of sleep, keeps my stress levels low. Each night, I finish my homework, watch some Netflix with my roomies and make my best efforts to pray the night “salah,” one of the five Islamic daily prayers. Praying, for me, is a form of meditation. It’s integral to ensuring I go to sleep clear- headed and focused on what I find important. With exams right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to maximize healthiness and happiness through individualized sleeping styles. In my case, there are some nights when an extra 30 minutes of sleep seems to outweigh praying “salah.” However, those extra 30 minutes don’t offer me the same meditative and relaxing utility I get from praying. In this instance, I’m breaking free from the cookie-cutter approach to sleep in order to get a better night’s rest by praying, even if it means sleeping for a bit less. I encourage students to critically think about the days they feel more rested or happier and how their style and duration of sleep influences this so everyone can make individualized, informed decisions when it’s time to hit the hay. Getting As and Zs IBRAHIM IJAZ | COLUMN Ibrahim Ijaz can be reached at iijaz@umich.edu. Carolyn Ayaub Megan Burns Samantha Goldstein Caitlin Heenan Jeremy Kaplan Sarah Khan Anurima Kumar Ibrahim Ijaz Max Lubell Alexis Megdanoff Madeline Nowicki Anna Polumbo-Levy Jason Rowland Ali Safawi Sarah Salman Kevin Sweitzer Rebecca Tarnopol Stephanie Trierweiler GINA CHOE The service that my GSIs provided me transcended merely helping me understand the coursework. IBRAHIM IJAZ APPLY TO BE A COLUMNIST OR CARTOONIST Have opinions? Love to write? Draw? Apply as a cartoonists or columnist for the Spring/Summer! Visit http://tinyurl.com/summeropinion to find out more about where you might fit in this summer. CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. Time, energy and attention that I put into Instagram was so damaging.