Whether taking a first tour of campus or on the way to class, The Oswegonian office has been landmarked on campus with its wide-view window giving pedestrians the opportunity to pass by and become a witness to the concentrated hard work or the hilarious antics of what is a fishbowl view of the office.
Throughout my college experience so far, I’ve met a lot of people and been involved in many different positions on campus, yet one feeling remains consistent: being in a fishbowl.
Through my involvement with The Oswegonian as news editor, Residence Life and Housing as a resident assistant and Oswego State Orientation as a Laker Leader, I know that despite being in a social-educational fishbowl, I always stay true to who I am.
As a resident assistant, there is a set standard to act as a role model, to set an example in every aspect of one’s life and to control any temptation to fit the quintessential college student mold. For some, these standards are unrealistic, yet with residents, hall directors and co-workers peering into my RA fishbow,l I find that these standards are a drive to be a better me and always find a way to fight for the right to enjoy the college experience I envisioned for myself despite these standards.
As a Laker Leader for orientation, the fishbowl is a complete 360-degree point of view where one is engulfed in a position that defines summer. With consistent supervision from co-workers, supervisors and incoming impressionable students, the expectation is to be viewed as an exemplary happy Oswego State Laker from the very first impression. Yet despite these expectations, I still embrace the stress and worries of college as part of what makes me human and relatable.
As news editor, there is a standard to be subjective, to always know what is going on both on and off campus, as well as be grammatically and politically correct. Despite the effort to maintain these standards and separate the hat of news editor from the rest of my responsibilities, I have still developed personal opinions outside the boundaries of the corner facing the office window of the news desk.
People looking into different fishbowls might have preconceived expectations, but it can be hard being in one knowing that one “wrong” move can ruin a reputation because it doesn’t meet other’s expectations. Yet it is important to not let the fishbowl define you and to make your own decisions.
Through the transparent frame of the Oswegonian office, I enjoy seeing friends wave at all times of the day. Whether I am enjoying the company of the people in the office or stressing over meeting the next deadline, I am still able to be myself. I never justify my actions because of different standards. I am always myself and enjoy I the view from inside the fishbowl.
