By Aleina Smith ’27, staff writer
One of the most important parts of being a college student is to get involved; however, managing being involved on campus with regular schoolwork can be extremely overwhelming.
For senior English and creative writing major Katherine Buerke, being involved has been her whole campus life.
Buerke knew from high school that she wanted to be involved in theater, and got into Wig and Buckle, LVC’s student-run theater company, her first year on campus. However, over the years, she’s become involved with LVC’s literary magazine ‘Greenblotter,’ orchestra, Catholic Newman club, and even being a tutor.
“It’s definitely a lot,” Buerke said. “You have to know what you’re getting into.”
After being in her first show, ‘The Crucible,’ as a first-year, Buerke was elected to be historian for her sophomore year. She was then elected vice president for her junior year, and finally president for her senior year. President takes a lot more of a hands-on role.
Being that almost all of Wig and Buckle’s activities are done in Leedy Theater, Buerke makes sure Leedy is available for each event, considering how many other things it hosts throughout the semester.
“I book all the spaces, especially around Leedy, as well as the E-Board meetings, rehearsals, and the shows themselves,” she said.
With Wig and Buckle, the directors are the ones in charge of making the schedules for the shows; leaving Buerke to make sure the dates are possible.
“I do a lot of talking with the directors to make sure they have a plan that’s doable, safe, and works out scheduling wise,” Buerke said.
Besides these activities, Buerke also runs the meetings and leads the executive board (E-Board,) as well as handles a lot of communication via email. Buerke also works with the director of student engagement, Jennifer Evans, to get Wig and Buckle available and present for events on campus, such as the student engagement fair.
Being involved with this many activities, especially in positions of leadership such as Buerke’s role as president, can be very overwhelming as a student.
“My advice is to know what you’re getting into,” Buerke said. “You have to know what it entails.”
She also mentions that by learning about what this activity/role will involve and estimating how much time is needed to invest into it, it is easier to decide what one can handle taking on.
“I knew I would be busy with extracurriculars, so I toned down on academics,” Buerke said.
Buerke made sure to include that this isn’t possible for everyone—but it was an option for her as a senior who was ahead on credits.
A great helper for handling all these activities and staying on track is planning.
“I schedule everything—my whole day—hour by hour,” Buerke said.
She uses a planner for big events, and an online software called “Notion” to keep track of daily tasks.
“I also write everything down and check my email all day,” Buerke said. “I try to take care of things as soon as possible to keep up.”
Buerke also stressed the importance of the other people involved, especially in these activities.
“Having a good team really helps relieve the stress,” Buerke said. “Our E-Board this year is great and having them keeping track of things helps me stay on top of things, too.”
Her final advice is to always maintain personal well-being and prioritize self-care.