Roommates: a prominent part of college life. It’s what we anticipate, what we fear. As a sophomore I didn’t have to worry about the whole “random choice, what if my roommate doesn’t have a Facebook” type thing, because I got to pick someone whom I had been friends with for a year. Yet, even when you do pick your roommate there are some universal issues you will probably run into.
Some are little things like: they like different colors than you do, making your room a mismatched space. Or maybe they never make their bed, causing throw pillows and stuffed animals to encroach on your side.
Some are a little more important. They go to bed later than you do, testing how light of a sleeper you really are. (Bet you never thought the sound of typing could keep you up). You have that never ending worry that they may just walk in when you’re on the phone, or when you’re sleeping, or when you’re embarrassingly trying to do an exercise video.
Basically they’re just always there. Which tests your love for even your very best friend.
However, I had a little difference experience than the “norm” this year. For the month of January and most of February my roommate was gone. No, we weren’t in a fight, and no she wasn’t contained in FML freaking out about her super hard classes, or shacking up with her boyfriend. Instead my roommate was off trying to stop domestic violence, and being the symbol for women’s rights on Lehigh’s campus.
Dana Gallant '15 [Photo by Laura Casale '15]
Perhaps I’m a little biased with that title…but if you knew what I knew and saw what I saw, just by living in my 16x11 room, maybe you’d agree. My roommate was gone most of the time, always at a meeting, or running to grab food before rehearsal. She was sending emails daily, asking me to go with her to local businesses to set up fundraisers. There were piles of T-shirts in our room, completely merging our sides of the room. I saw her upset when she failed a test that she couldn’t study for because she was too busy, and I saw her worrying about if she was really cut out for this job
And by “this job” I mean the co producer of Lehigh’s annual V-Day. My roommate, Dana Gallant ’15, took on the daunting task of producing this year’s “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer.” Whether you saw it or not, there’s no arguing that the cause behind this production is something that seems bigger than just a sophomore 5 foot girl at Lehigh. Gallant recognized that, and allowed the cause of ending domestic violence to consume her, and take over her life…because to her it was that important.
Gallant joined The Vagina Monologues freshmen year after seeing a post about it in the daily announcements. “I joined because I wanted to meet people,” said Gallant. “But then it was really a good experience, and such a good cause, that I became all for it.”
She joined as one of the many cast members and performed one of the monologues with other members. She had thought about possibly being a co-producer when she was a senior- older, and more established in the organization. However, when the production was in need of someone to produce it this year, they asked Gallant.
[Design by Rose Tatarsky '16]
“I was really nervous and didn’t think I’d be able to do it because I’m only a sophomore,” said Gallant. “I thought I’d be older. But it just shows that anyone can do something to help, no matter their age.”
As a co-producer, Gallant was in charge of all major aspects of the production. She had to, first and foremost, organize the cast and facilitate rehearsals. I reaped the benefits of this, when she decided to bake them cookies and I got the leftovers.
Gallant also had to difficult task of applying for grants, reaching out to other organizations and planning fundraisers. I also reaped the benefits of this when I was taken out to a roommate dinner conveniently on both days of the Starters Dine to Donate, where all proceeds went to V-Day.
So when I asked Gallant if this job kept her busy, I was answered with a resounding “yes.”
“There’d be points where there were a lot of stuff to do, then it would dip a little bit,” said Gallant. “By the time we got back [from winter break] in February, I’d say I was doing 20 hours a week for V-day.”
Those 20 hours a week really took a toll on Gallant, as they would for any Lehigh student who is taking difficult classes and involved in many things. When asked about that one test that did not go so well, Gallant only chuckled and shrugged.
“[V-Day] was really important to me, so one bad grade is not everything,” she said. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Despite the fact that Gallant had a faculty adviser whom she met with weekly, she was responsible for carrying out all the work for the production. However, getting people to cooperate proved to initially be a challenge.
“It was my first leadership position ever,” said Gallant. “So I started out being really nervous and questioning will people listen to me because I’m on the smaller size and people tend to disregard what I’m saying.”
Yet, by the end Gallant gained confidence and learned to trust her instincts and her own authority. She could tell people what to do without questioning herself, and learned how to say no to people….which can sometimes be the hardest thing.
“I felt really accomplished by the end,” said Gallant. “It was great.”
When asked what she plans on doing in the future, Gallant just laughed before slowly saying that she wants to produce it again. She is also a part of Break the Silence and has accepted the opportunity to plan Take Back the Night next semester.
After living with Dana this past year, and seeing the stress she went through, I along with many others wonder why on earth she would go through it all again. The answer is that she has the passion for the cause.
“I don’t think anyone could really do this unless they were really passionate about the cause because it’s so much work,” she said. “You need to know why you’re doing it and why it makes a difference.”
And to Gallant, she was doing it simply to help people, and stop something that she believes is wrong.
“There are people out there that are suffering, and it is such an important issue,” she said. “The production itself opens people’s eyes to things going on in the world that people don’t talk about, or aren’t’ really aware of, or don’t think are as big of a deal as they are.”
So, basically my roommate is extremely cool.
-Laura Casale '15
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