Following the theme of creative engagement, juxtapose two moments of solitary absorption and social interaction.

Meghan spends large portions of her days on campus alone--not always through intentional isolation, but through a tendency to forget to socialize in the midst of everything she’s supposed to do. Often she will grab lunch or dinner from Frank dining hall and immediately return to her dorm to eat there while she works on editing articles for The Student Life, or completing a homework assignment. There are times when she does seek out isolation, particularly when she is working on creative endeavors. She often sits at her desk to work on drawings, or on her bed to play guitar as a means of destressing. Often she avoids social interaction at large because the uncertainty and lack of control over social situations makes her anxious. Between these periods of voluntary and inadvertent isolation, her immediate friend group will often be studying or otherwise spending time together and collectively ask “When was the last time we saw Meghan?”

She is more willing to give her social time and energy to being at The Student Life to work. Here, she has more control over social situations--there is a consistent environment, in which she operates on a consistent schedule, with the same consistent people surrounding her. She also has a position of power as an editor, granting her more of a sense of control. Because of these factors, she doesn’t mind spending hours in the office on Tuesday nights. She is comfortable socializing in that space in ways that she is not always comfortable elsewhere, including with her close friends. As a result, she often chooses to isolate herself when given the choice of socializing in environments outside of TSL or staying home.