A first-year writer reflects on her involvement with the Sophian
Faizaa Fatima
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Opinions
It was a bright sunny day - not really, it was raining - on Sept. 12 when all the students went to the Campus Center to join the wide array of organizations that represented Smith. And, I believe I signed up for at least 50 percent of them. I was so overwhelmed!
I must have thought finding the proper balance between academics and extracurricular activities wouldn't be the work of a super(wo)man . But, the moment I stepped into the thresholds of Smith, I realized that my time here would be challenging and interesting: I needed some time to settle down.
The next couple of days revealed a Groupwise mailbox flooded with tidbits from various organizations. I had a hard time deciding which meetings to attend. I chose the Sophian for reasons unknown to me: I'd like to call it "divine intervention." I liked the way it was open to everyone: even for students whose first language is not English.
That very day, I got my first article to work on from the features editor, Sarah Billian. I liked seeing my name printed in the paper, and that very fact provided me with a sense of purpose as I continued writing and practicing English. It's true that many would say that the Sophian strengthens the resumé, but that's surely not my main reason behind writing. In-fact, just before submitting an article, the Sophian seems no easier than the hardest writing-intensive course.
Writing for the Sophian gave me a sense of anticipation. I waited through the weekend for the editors' opinions on my article and the rest of the week to check the final version on the issue. That helped me discover my writing errors and also gave me a chance to improve as I wrote my next article. Meanwhile, I also developed a better sense of judgment of the presentation of the article I submitted.
The Sophian doesn't restrain anyone, rather it liberates. There have been times when I suggested my own topics and even had my article edited the way I preferred it. Mostly, there is pride involved in being a part of this almost 100-year-old tradition that involved leading ladies like Betty Friedan, and I thrive in it. Something I wouldn't be able to explain is how I ended up loving to write. I usually spend my Fridays working on an article rather than partying.
I must have thought finding the proper balance between academics and extracurricular activities wouldn't be the work of a super(wo)man . But, the moment I stepped into the thresholds of Smith, I realized that my time here would be challenging and interesting: I needed some time to settle down.
The next couple of days revealed a Groupwise mailbox flooded with tidbits from various organizations. I had a hard time deciding which meetings to attend. I chose the Sophian for reasons unknown to me: I'd like to call it "divine intervention." I liked the way it was open to everyone: even for students whose first language is not English.
That very day, I got my first article to work on from the features editor, Sarah Billian. I liked seeing my name printed in the paper, and that very fact provided me with a sense of purpose as I continued writing and practicing English. It's true that many would say that the Sophian strengthens the resumé, but that's surely not my main reason behind writing. In-fact, just before submitting an article, the Sophian seems no easier than the hardest writing-intensive course.
Writing for the Sophian gave me a sense of anticipation. I waited through the weekend for the editors' opinions on my article and the rest of the week to check the final version on the issue. That helped me discover my writing errors and also gave me a chance to improve as I wrote my next article. Meanwhile, I also developed a better sense of judgment of the presentation of the article I submitted.
The Sophian doesn't restrain anyone, rather it liberates. There have been times when I suggested my own topics and even had my article edited the way I preferred it. Mostly, there is pride involved in being a part of this almost 100-year-old tradition that involved leading ladies like Betty Friedan, and I thrive in it. Something I wouldn't be able to explain is how I ended up loving to write. I usually spend my Fridays working on an article rather than partying.
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