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

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Time, energy 
and attention 
that I put into 

Instagram was so 

damaging.

