Extracurriculars: your other classroom

By Michael Burstein

So I'm sitting on a panel during Winter Break of my freshman year, talking to seniors at my high school about college life. Someone asks a question about time management, and a good friend of mine (who attends an inferior school in Cambridge) offers a simple response: "You've got friends, extracurriculars, and classes. Pick two."

While this may be a bit extreme, it's true in some ways, and untrue in others. Though life can get pretty crazy around here at times, or maybe even most of the time, it's this craziness that makes Yale what it is, and people generally wouldn't change it for anything. In a lot of ways it's hard to sum up extracurricular life at Yale, probably because it's just so much a part of the Yale experience.

One of the most striking aspects of Yale's extracurricular life is just the sheer number of groups on campus. No matter what your interest, you will find some way to express it. And if you don't find a group that suits your interest, you can start one of your own. In the pages following, we will try to present a sampling of what Yale has to offer. The campus boasts numerous publications, political groups, musical groups, performing groups, and much more. The Freestyle Dueling Association fights with foam swords each week on Cross Campus Lawn, and the Beastie Boys Syndicate of Yale College gathers to appreciate the music of their favorite group.

Most freshmen realize this huge breadth of activities at the Freshman Bazaar on Old Campus, a crash course on extracurriculars. I had to take a few trips through it just to see everything that was there. The experience can actually be very liberating. You're in college! Try new, different things! This is your chance to ditch singing for environmentalism, or to try out for an improv comedy group on a whim. I've seen a lot of people become really involved in things they never thought they would pursue in high school.

But perhaps the most amazing part is that the number of registered extracurricular groups on campus increases every year. If there's something that you want to do, and it's not around yet, you can just do it yourself. Jonathan Cohen, CC '96, for example, was a member of the debate team and saw a need to teach public speaking to city school children. So he founded "Reach-Out Speak-Out," which has now grown to be a large community service group. The possibilities are endless, and the only limitation is commitment.

That's actually what impressed me most as a frosh, and what continues to impress me: the depth of involvement on the part of Yalies. Not only does everybody here do something, but they all do something to which they are deeply committed. Extracurricular activities represent a way to do what you truly want to do. While that math class you are required to take may bore you, you can always look forward to the Political Union debate tomorrow, or a night of Herald production. Though most frosh receive thousands of phone calls in the days immediately following the Bazaar, the usual experience is to try lots of different things in the beginning, and then settle into a few which they really like, and are willing to spend time on.

Yalies are a passionate bunch to begin with, and when it comes to doing things which we care about, this is especially true. Of course, along with this depth of involvement comes time commitment. The extent of your dedication to each activity obviously depends on you alone, on how much you want to do. But in general, life here can sometimes be a juggling act among friends, classes, and extracurriculars. With commitment comes responsibility, and sometimes certain sacrifices are necessary.

This is not to say that you must always make choices. Everything gets done eventually, and what you put off today will come back around tomorrow. On a day-to-day basis, it sometimes feels like the "two out of three" choice that my friend from Harvard described, but on the whole it's not. Time management becomes an art form: you learn what can be put off and what can't, and how to prioritize from week to week. It's a little scary until this sense develops, but in the end, everything will work out.

Perhaps one of the most satisfying aspects of extracurriculars is the people you meet. In the absence of a large Greek system, Yale's extracurricular groups actually wind up resembling fraternities or sororities. It's kind of unavoidable when you spent a lot of time with the same people, doing the same things. In many groups, there is a camaraderie that goes beyond simply being part of the same organization. The Baker's Dozen, one of Yale's a capella singing groups, even has a house on Lake Place near some of the fraternity houses. Groups often go on retreats together and organize social events for themselves. Many of my best friends at Yale have come from my activities.

Life at Yale can get pretty crazy at times. On some days--or weeks--you'll feel like you're being pulled in many directions at once. I don't mean to frighten anyone--this business is what makes life here so much fun! Extracurricular activities are an integral part of most Yalies' experiences here, and they form the basis for a heightened sense of satisfaction and self-awareness, good times, and, perhaps most importantly, good friends. It all comes together in a way unique to Yale.

So maybe every once in a while you do have to choose among friends, extracurriculars, and classes, but at a school like Yale, that's a great choice to make.

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