Since early February, I have had the privilege of being involved with an Institute Advancement media project known as “A Day in the Life.” This media project serves as a video that Dr. Jackson can show potential donors as an example of what RPI life is all about. At first, I rejected this idea, thinking, I hate video cameras and pictures, why in the world would I set myself up for this? After talking to several people, however, I decided to reconsider this opportunity. In the back of my mind, I was still hesitant as I interviewed and learned about the project. When I was selected, I realized there was no turning back.
Before Eleanor Goldsmith started taping my “life,” I spoke with Max Yates, who was also in the program. He told me his experiences thus far with the taping, and I got scared of how much it would interfere with my life.
When it began, I was definitely nervous. I tried my best to ignore it, but there she was. She definitely was not something you could brush aside and just move on with your daily life. Eleanor would run ahead as I walked by, get on chairs to get the best shots, and get right next to me. It definitely took awhile to get used to having her around.
We then had to have a sit-down interview. This raised the anxiety level severely. I couldn’t just focus on whatever task I was doing. So I thought, “Okay, time to finally face my fear of cameras.” As I walked into the interview area, I saw all the lights and equipment and couldn’t help but think that I should not have gotten myself involved. As Eleanor started asking questions, I realized, what’s the difference between this and talking to people when I’m interviewing? Oh, wait, right: all the lights. Besides that, it seemed like a regular interview, so why was I treating it any differently? I finally became comfortable with having the cameras around.
This experience taught me a lot. It taught me that I need to be more confident in myself and that I can have a positive image. I think it was a good experience that taught me to leave my comfort zone.
Many times, we stay within our comfort zone so that we do not have to go out and explore what’s really out there. What if exploring leads us to better options? What if our comfort zone hinders our ability to make our mark on the world?
Take the chance to play a different video game, leave your room, join a new club, sit next to someone you don’t know in class, or wear shorts when it’s snowing out. Sometimes, adventures can add fun to our lives without us even knowing it. More spontaneity can add flavor to a sometimes dull campus, and we all know RPI can always use a little more spunk.
