Rough toils, lack of time hurt leaders

In the past month, two high-profile student leaders on campus have stepped down from their positions, highlighting the demands of serving as a representative of the student body.

Bernard Holloway, former student body secretary, and Will Keith, former Carolina Athletic Association president, resigned from their positions Sept. 19 and Oct. 13, respectively. Both cited personal reasons as their rationale.

Being a student officer demands an immeasurable amount of dedication and time, several officials said. Holding a leadership position can become a full-time job - without the paycheck.

"While we all know what it requires, I think the time commitment of being a student leader can be surprising," Keith said. "It's like taking on a full-time job, and a lot of student leaders work harder than most people understand."

Student Congress Speaker Charlie Anderson expressed a similar sentiment.

"I'm always in the office, usually from 9 a.m. to midnight, during the week," he said. "I didn't anticipate it would be this much work. I definitely knew it was a commitment, but ... I didn't realize (the paperwork) would be such a burden."

Most student leaders understand when they take their positions that they will be overburdened. But officials say the reality of their situations often eclipses even these expectations.

"I had a great understanding of what I was getting into," said Rebekah Burford, student body vice president for the 2003-04 school year. Burford also served as chief of staff the year before.

"If you aren't aware of that, it'll be harder to change your life around for your position."

Holloway also stressed the importance of acknowledging the huge time commitment.

"Any leader on campus who isn't aware of that commitment of a leadership office on campus isn't qualified for the job."

Rebecca Williford, a former student body secretary who resigned from office in 2002 citing health concerns, said officials' desire to do the job well often exacerbates their problems.

Anderson agreed. "I think there's an incredible amount of pressure to get done what you say you'll get done."

Burford said that in addition to these pressures, officials have to "take care of things that come up around the year and handle those with the same amount of diligence."

Their drive to please the student body also can affect the amount of pressure individual leaders put on themselves.

"I think a lot of the pressure is something I personally put on myself," said Keith. "You want to do a good job, and sometimes are more heavily criticized than you should be by others or by yourself."

Another point of stress for student leaders is the fact that almost every e-mail they write, meeting they attend or dollar they spend is public knowledge.

"You feel a certain amount of pressure all the time, because what you do reflects on the students," said Holloway. "You feel responsible to make good out of the faith that people have put in you."

Leaders said these pressures and the time commitment of a leadership role on campus definitely changes one's life.

"Your sleep schedule changes, which impacts your classes and puts stress on your friendships and other personal relationships," said Student Body President Matt Calabria.

"There are a lot of implications of taking on a role, an amount which can't be felt until you're in that position."

Keith said he hopes students understand the amount of time and energy leaders devote to their work.

"I hope students ... are willing to work with the student leaders, believe in them and help them do what's best for the student body," he said. "They are just students taking on a full job, and that's a lot to ask of anyone."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.