I was sitting in the emergency room Wednesday night, my head in my hands from the pain of the most intense migraine I’d ever experienced.

Nurses and doctors were swirling around trying to get me hooked up to an IV and attempting to bring my blood pressure down so I didn’t pass out again. The entire time, I was looking at the clock, wondering how long it would take me to feel better and get out of there.

I was worried about the mountain of school work waiting for me and making it to my morning class.

I was so worried about missing classes or assignments, or even worse that my professors would not believe my crazy ER story and I would be penalized for missing those assignments or classes, that I for a moment forgot to care about my own health.

Still the only thing I could think about was the group discussion I was going to miss in my anthropology class the next morning.

That was a big wake up call for me, and I hope it can serve as a warning to everyone else. Yes, your education is important. But your health is always going to be more important.

That degree isn’t going to mean anything if you’re the empty, worn down shell of a once healthy person. Always remember your grades are important but so is taking care of your body, and that’s something you’re not able to do over.

any of it.

But a student’s experience with art should not begin and end with WOTA.

Personally, I have never regretted attending an event because it has always been an experience that I would otherwise never have had.

Throughout my time at Whitewater I have had the chance to see many talented and diverse student artists and performers that I have learned to stop taking it all for granted.

For example, this week I had the chance to see amazing Mexican-American dancers from California perform at our campus, and it was all free to students.

I am convinced that there is something for everyone on campus, and all it takes is a little bit of planning to find the time and an event that you will enjoy.

I know time is a huge thing for college students, but trust me it is worth it. Perhaps you will end up attending an event that you won’t particularly enjoy, but at least you tried something new, which is what college is all about.

So do it for you and not for WOTA.

Or at least, for my sake, humor me the next time you see me asking ‘what made you want to attend this event?’