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The Ins and Outs of Collegiate Extracurricular Activities

MIDDLETOWN, PA-- The day began at 5:30 a.m. for 21-year-old senior Carlee Gochenaur. After conditioning from 6:30 to 7:15 in the morning, Gochenaur, who is captain of Penn State Harrisburg’s softball team, quickly showered and dressed before rushing over to Habitat for Humanity, where she serves as the Communications and Events intern. She worked there for about five hours, managing the organization’s social media and planning fundraiser events, before coming to campus, where she had class from three to eight at night. As a college senior managing the workload of 21 credits while interning and being a college athlete, the grind is nonstop.

Many college students that are involved in extracurricular activities can relate to Gochenaur’s grueling schedule. “It’s very mentally exhausting and physically exhausting,” said Oscar Cartagena, a junior on the men’s soccer team. He says his biggest challenge as a student athlete is time management. “Being able to balance school, family, being a friend and just, you know, normal surviving like eating, it’s very difficult.” Often times, managing the responsibilities that come with being a student athlete can feel like a catch-22. “There are times when I’m in school and have all this work to do, but next thing you know, I have to leave and have to skip class because of a competition.”

Jordan Larkins, a 20-year-old communications major, firmly believes in the power of the writing things down. “Get a planner, swear by the planner. The planner is your bible,” said Larkins, who participated in multiple organizations on campus, including Lion Ambassadors, THON, and Business Management club. She said extracurricular activities can be incredibly time-consuming; it’s part of the reason she chose to drop Lion Ambassadors and THON to create more time for school work. “I think the hardest part is figuring out where you need to be responsible because school’s first,” Larkins said. Priorities can easily be compromised when balancing school and extracurricular activities. “It’s hard to draw the line for yourself of ‘I really want to go out to this event and I really want to do this, but I have a paper due in two days,’” she remarked.

Self-accountability is essential to balancing school and extracurricular activities for these students. Because Gochenaur’s classes often conflict with her team practices, she often has to make the time on her own. When it comes to working with professors, she says they’re usually very accommodating. “I don’t think I’ve ever really had a problem with it,” the senior said, recalling a time when she was absent the day of final presentations for an advertising course because her team made it to the playoffs for the first time. “You just have to tell them in advance,” she advises. “But usually, it’s very simple.”

Cartagena also spoke about the importance of student athletes building strong relationships with their professors. “I always try to make them know who I am,” he said. Keep in mind, this is a two-way street. “If you’re a student athlete and you show you don’t give a crap, they’re not going to give a crap about you,” Cartagena said. Cartagena also alluded to the trust factor between student and teacher. While professors are generally flexible and understanding, it’s not something Cartagena takes advantage of. “They’re very lenient with me when I have to leave, but I try not to abuse the power and I give my work on time because I think it’s messed up for the other people,” he said.

When considering the differences between playing a sport in high school versus a collegiate level, Christopher Bing, a 22-year-old senior who plays basketball for Penn State Harrisburg, describes college athletics as a business. “They’re giving you money so they want you to produce.” Contemporary college sports can literally garner millions of dollars for the university. They are also increasingly expensive, making the already steep cost of college education unaffordable in some cases. According to Bing, fortunately for Penn State athletes, the athletics department seems to bear the burden of these expenses. “We fundraise in order to get spirit wear and things like that,” Gochenaur said. “But all the travel expenses are on the school, like bus trips, hotels, things like that, and they give you meal money on away trips.” Cartagena remarked that his only expenses are his personal equipment, such as cleats and shin-guards. Everything else, including uniforms and travel expenses, is covered by the university.

College athletics are considerably more demanding than high school athletics, not only mentally but also physically. “It’s a whole new level when you get to college,” Gochenaur said. “Nothing is just given to you, so you have to work hard to be able to earn that starting spot.” She recommends high school athletes come prepared with a strong work ethic. Cartagena expressed similar sentiments, advising, “Don’t come in thinking you’re hot [expletive].” The athleticism increases tenfold at a collegiate level, and Cartagena says that arrogance a is sure fire way to isolate yourself from teammates. “You’re going to come in and see players ten times better than you,” Cartagena said. Playing at a collegiate level is an opportunity to hone your skills and learn something new. This was Gochenaur’s experience as a freshman. She was thrown into the outfield after playing third base her entire high school career. Gochenaur said that, ultimately, it’s up to the coach’s discretion what position an athlete plays, and that’s determined on how their skillset will best serve the team. Although this was a challenging transition for Gochenaur, she believes it developed her into a better-rounded athlete. “I worked very hard to be able to get a starting spot and got “Newcomer of the Year” my freshman year,” she said.

While reflecting on his most rewarding moments as a student athlete, Cartagena also recalled previous accolades. Cartagena was also awarded Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, which would serve as motivation for the years to come. Despite this, he described his sophomore year as a difficult one. “I didn’t get as much playing time as I did my freshmen year, so it was really a letdown, however at the end of the year I got Scholar Athlete award of the year. So even though I didn’t get as much playing time as I wanted, I was recognized for what really matters, which is my education.”

Extracurricular activities can be a great opportunity to meet life-long friends. For Gochenaur, the best part of being a student athlete is the team. “I met my best friend through this. She graduated two years ago and we just clicked right away. I still visit her like, every weekend, and I’m going to be the maid of honor at her wedding.” Through time spent together at trainings and competitions, athletes often develop a strong camaraderie with one another. “The best part is the memories you make,” Cartagena said. While few are lucky enough to continue their sport post-graduation, Cartagena noted, “For many people, it’s the last step of doing a sport you love.”

When trying to create a social identity at college, Greek Life offers students many compelling benefits. Marcellus Taylor, Assistant Director of Student Activities and Fraternity/Sorority Life at Penn State Harrisburg, looks back on his time with Kappa Alpha PSI as an undergraduate student fondly. He says that his experience with the fraternity not only refined his ability to understand people in a more complex way, but it has also made him a better husband and father. Although there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Greek Life can improve one’s shot for success, it’s a community many criticize for fostering segregation, inequality and bullying. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf recently signed an anti-hazing bill named after Timothy Piazza, a Penn State student who passed away last year during a hazing incident. Security cameras in the fraternity house captured the tragic ordeal, in which Piazza was instructed to drink copious amounts of alcohol during a drinking challenge called “the gauntlet”, as part of his bid acceptance. The college sophomore suffered head trauma after falling down a flight of stairs, and 911was not dialed until 10:48 a.m. the following day, over twelve hours after he first appeared unconscious.

“Timothy Piazza’s family should have never had to bury their son,” Taylor said. He argues that all cases of hazing are completely avoidable. “Most physical things are manifested by nonphysical things,” he said. In Taylor’s perspective, the focus on hazing has always been on its outward manifestations, such as the excessive drinking, partying, and sexual misconduct. However, he feels hazing is guided by invisible factors, like the basic human need for social inclusion. Part of Taylor’s role at the university is “to reach out to the invisible and bring it visible,” by addressing the unspoken promise that often lures students into Greek Life. “Hazing rests on the idea that ‘you should do something because I’m going to make you something,’ and I believe that’s a flawed argument. And so what I try to do in this particular community is let students know that you already are something.”

For many incoming college freshmen, meeting new people and finding their place can be incredibly daunting, which makes a ready-made social life seem highly appealing. Based on studies surrounding brain development, Taylor noted that, “From the ages of 18 and 25, we perceive isolation or social rejection the same way we receive starvation. That means that, literally, people are likely to seek social inclusion just as much as they’re likely to have food.” As a researcher, scholar and practitioner, Taylor says he’s often torn on how to mitigate that need. “We tell people you’re going to build these lasting bonds, but I think instead of saying that fraternities will make men and sororities will make women, we need to say that they make better men and better women, because the premise is you already are a man and you already are a woman.”

For students, Taylor says that “the greatest balancing act is learning discipline.” He believes this is particularly important for Greek Life members. Learning to say ‘no’ in a community and culture that breeds leadership can be especially challenging. However, regardless of where a student’s interests lie in regards to extracurricular activities, they can benefit from Taylor’s advice, which is “To thine own self be true.” The phrase, coined by Shakespeare, speaks to the value of authenticity. Taylor advises students to first examine who they are and the values they hold, and to use that information as a compass when exploring organizations on campus.

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