Changing Viewpoints

Two semesters. Five(ish) classes. Fifteen credits. Nine months. That’s all that stands between me and the real world — and I cannot wait.

I got my first taste of the real world this summer with an actual, corporate summer internship. I loved it. It was simple. I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. I snoozed it and groggily woke up at 7:15. I left my room by 7:30. I got to work around 8:30 a.m., played around in Excel and other software. I left work at 4:30 p.m. and got back by 6. Nothing else to worry about. No drama, no work, no nothing. Stevens just didn’t exist. It was a much-needed break from Stevens.

From my columns to SIT-TV features, from presidential campaigns to general newspaper work, I’ve been at the forefront of drama at Stevens. With topics varying from President Farvardin’s salary to Khoda to mental health issues, you heard a lot about everything. We write a lot in the paper, but there is ten times more that doesn’t make it in. It’s mentally draining thinking about, writing about, and talking about all the drama, all the time. During the summer, everything just stops. There’s nothing to worry about. I realized I was a little too invested in Stevens. A little bit too dedicated to administration gossip. A little bit too dedicated to organization drama. A little bit too.. much. I need to take a step back.

Call it senioritis, or being a beat senior, but taking a step back isn’t shirking responsibilities. I still hold leadership positions in both The Stute and Lodge; I have no plans to play a game of 52-card pickup with either one of those organizations. I love both organizations and the people in them. Taking a step back is something different: it’s realizing that once you graduate, anything that happened here doesn’t matter. It’s such a dramatic shift of mindset — and it put me to ease.

I came to a realization after speaking to someone who just graduated from Stevens. I asked if he heard about Jennifer McDonough, the woman in charge of the Alumni Office, no longer working at Stevens. Given that he is a recent alumnus, I thought he might care a little. His response? No. He had left all his Slack workgroups and wasn’t staying “up to date” with the latest Stevens drama. He had taken a step back and seemed mentally at ease. All the drama just didn’t matter to him anymore. Stevens just didn’t matter to him anymore. I want it.

Now, going into my senior year — my last year here — I’m ready to experience that relief some more. I just need to compartmentalize, take a step back, and take breaks from Stevens. It’s here for a little bit more, I might as well enjoy it a little bit more — but with breaks.  However, I still need to secure a job for after graduation. That’s the goal for this year.

But then again, the internet (and Stevens) went down this week, so I guess there is no escaping the drama anyway. My files are safe, what about yours?

Welcome to Stevens, freshmen. Enjoy the ride.