60 Things I learned in Bing Michael Messina

60 Things I Learned At Bing

By Mike Messina

Hello!

My name is Mike Messina, I’m a senior double majoring in physics and political science. I’ve been very involved on campus since my freshman year and would like to share some of the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the past four years.

I have been president of the Asian Student Union and president of Asian Outlook Media. I have also been an officer for the Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers, the Cinema Society of Binghamton, TaeKwonDo Club, and Explorchestra. I worked as an events center employee, tour guide, and tour guide supervisor. I tried and failed to start a Self Defense Club. I tried and failed to become the Student Association’s VP of Multicultural Affairs (but ran a damn good campaign).

I helped organize a rally to combat Asian hate crimes and our administration’s gross neglect of racist incidents. I have been in countless rooms of activists, some of which have survived, others have fallen apart. I made my way to Washington, D.C. on two separate occasions, and a third occasion virtually. I was named the 2020 Trailblazer by the East Coast Asian American Student Union.

I have hosted, produced and written for four different podcasts and been featured on WHRW radio. I discovered a love of story and screenwriting. I have written stories that I’ve seen come to life on stage and on screen. I wrote an Asian horror film that I thought would never be made. Then, I co-founded a small production group that made it into a short film a few months later.

I have made friends here. I have seen these friends either drift away, move away, or pass away. Other friends, I’ve managed to hold onto.

I like to think that I’ve changed this campus for the better but it’s too soon to tell. I do know that this campus has changed me for the better. Below, I share 60 lessons I learned from my four years here.

Please reach out to me if you want to chat about what’s written. I would love nothing more than to talk through some points with someone!

For My Activists

1. Solidarity is key. 2. All the issues are connected. 3. Really listen to and consider the other side. You will either change your position to a more informed one or keep the same position and be better equipped to debate the other side. 4. Administration knows that students get busy and graduate every four years. Their strategy is to change nothing and wait you out. 5. Two things will influence a school administration: money and press. 6. Money comes largely from alumni donors and new students. 7. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! Film it, write it down, keep those records for future generations to consult. 8. LEARN FROM HISTORY! It will inform your plans and fire you up. 9. Know the differences between protest methods. The wrong strategy can send a completely wrong message. 10. Students CAN make a difference. In fact, the term “Asian American” came from the student activists of the

Third World Liberation Front in the late 60’s. 11. To get people engaged, Trojan Horse those social issues. Promise a concert, a cultural show, a movie, anything fun, and deliver social issue discourse through them. 12. “Cultural” programming and “political” programming for college clubs don’t have to be separate. In fact, your cultural background has a lot to do with the current political world. They’re one and the same.

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Photo from: Daily Photo - Binghamton University

13. Do you unite the community first then pursue issues as a team? Or do you start addressing issues right away as a lone wolf? The answer is both. In fact, the two feed into each other. Building a team will let you gain momentum as you move forward. Acting as a lone wolf will motivate others to join you. 14. Build those interpersonal connections. Talk to people. It seems like it can seem like a small, short term connection in the grand scheme of things. But if you do it consistently, it becomes a large, institutional connection. 15. Oftentimes, school administrations can’t help the community the way the students can help each other. Consider, instead of relying on administration actions, ask administration for the resources for you and your peers to put into use. 16. Performative activism is sometimes the first step to deeper activism, so don’t always attack someone for doing it. 17. Urgency. We don’t have time to waste time.

For My Executive Board Members and Student Leaders

18. Tailor your team’s goals with your individual team members’ goals. For example, if the marketing chair wants a great personal resume, make the club’s goal to increase post engagement by 50%. This helps club outreach while giving a nice quantifiable for your chair’s resume! 19. You can’t know how people will perform on a team unless you put them on the team. 20. Your vibe checks aren’t as accurate as you like to think. 21. Think through your election process. Fostering a spirit of competition, and therefore innovation, is key. A “run down” system works best in my experience. 22. Beware the senior advisor role. At best, it frees up the most experienced members to pursue new projects. At worst, it will siphon e-board talent into a position with no accountability and therefore no results. To remedy this, require things of your advisors, limit the amount of advisors you allow, have them all at every meeting and event, give them special projects with deadlines and, most importantly, SET THE TONE for them. 23. If you build it, they will come… 24. But it really helps if you personally know the people who might come! 25. Do both! Do more! Better to try a lot than focus on the few… fail faster! 26. Challenge the status quo. To hell with tradition and precedents. 27. USE SOCIAL MEDIA. PUT OUT CONTENT. Never judge the platform. Make an Only Fans for your org if you feel so inclined. And DEFINITELY make a TikTok. And consider a LinkedIn! 28. It is impossible to post too much on social media. Post a lot (posts that provide value and/or entertainment) and the algorithm will make sure that each individual sees the amount of your content that is perfectly suited for their taste. 29. Start a podcast! It’s a great way to create content and talk to new people! 30. If you’re worried about keeping your team accountable and feeling bad about it, set up an accountability system early, something that everyone explicitly agrees on. That way, when someone is late to something and pays a fine (or some equivalent situation), no one can blame you for punishing someone; it was simply the system that was unanimously decided upon. 31. If you’re a president, don’t bear the burden of remembering everything yourself. Delegate that. Tell e-board members to remind you of tasks at later times. 32. Don’t always delegate tasks. Rather, delegate goals and missions. Give your e-board room to do things on their own, to find their own way, to leave their personal touch on things. 33. Constantly prompt your underclassmen to share their thoughts, ask questions and challenge the conventional wisdom. Their fresh insight is invaluable. For My Lonely or Depressed Folks

34. Reach out to people! Don’t feel bad about it! a. Don’t dwell on your own lack of invites. Don’t think that you’re powerless. b. Don’t be afraid to be the one proactively hitting people up to hang out, grab food, etc. It may seem artificial or awkward, like dating, but that doesn’t matter.

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c. Though it’s an uncomfortable truth, I’d say a good amount of our strongest relationships are predicated on circumstance. Anyone’s best friend wouldn’t be so close to them if they were born across the world or attended a different school, for example. If you remember that strong friendships are equal parts compatibility and circumstance, then you realize it isn’t your fault if the circumstances haven’t lined up for you to become BFFs with someone or part of a group. HOWEVER this realization should also empower; now, you can force good circumstances by being the one to hit people up. d. Especially when you’re already several semesters into college, it can be difficult to enter new groups or friendships “organically” or “effortlessly.” 35. Don’t romanticize your feelings to the point where you view them delusionally. 36. Talk to someone! 37. It’s not always something “wrong with you.” Sometimes it’s something wrong with your surroundings (or past surroundings) and your response is totally healthy. And the modern world is definitely not conducive to mental health. 38. Friendships are often harder than relationships. They’re more nebulous and loosely defined than romantic relationships. 39. A romantic relationship probably won’t “fix” whatever mental or emotional problems you’re grappling with. 40. Make time for friends and pointless antics. They’re worth sacrificing some sleep (and a few homework assignments) for. For My Introverts

41. You’re not lesser than other people because you aren’t loud or don’t like to dance at parties. 42. Learn to be confrontational and direct when needed. It saves a lot of time and trouble. And it makes you feel strong

For My Asian Adoptees

43. You are Asian. You are a part of a very specific subsection of the same diaspora that turned native Asians into Asian Americans.

For Everyone

44. Whatever you’re trying to do is possible. Keep trying, keep pushing. 45. Creativity is key. Modern problems require unique solutions. 46. If you are competitive, let it out. Being a competitive person can give you an edge in just about everything. And learning to be okay with losing, to lose gracefully, will do wonders for your character. 47. Stay patient in the long term; growth and results come in infrequent spurts. Keep that hustle in the short term; growth and results only come from consistent hard work. 48. Instead of using discipline and willpower, set the environment around you to be void of distractions and ideal for whatever work you must do. Set rules for yourself so you don’t have to use energy deciding what to do. 49. To wake up in the morning, set your alarm across the room right next to a tall glass of water. Upon waking, you’ll be forced to leave bed. You’ll be thirsty so you’ll naturally drink the water. The water will naturally kickstart your body and boost yourself awake. 50. There is a difference between defeating something and reconciling with it. 51. Work-life balance is not a fixed point. It changes for every person so frequently that it can’t be defined. You need to constantly check in with yourself to see if you’re close to balanced. 52. We often define our entire lives by our career. When planning your future goals, don’t think about career alone, think about your life holistically. 53. We assume the worst case scenario in the long term but best case scenario in the short term. We need to do the opposite. 54. Be comfortable being uncomfortable (and with awkward silences!) 55. Sometimes you need to establish your presence. In those times, speak up. Even when you don’t have anything to say. 56. Don’t judge yourself too hard. Continue to grow, continue to push for more, but be kind to yourself.

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Picture from: Daily Photos Binghamton

57. Honestly examining yourself, your actions and your thoughts is an invaluable ability. 58. Doubling down on your strengths will bring victory. Doubling down on your weaknesses will build character. Do both. 59. Find a process you love and a purpose you find fulfilling. 60. Love abundantly. Love is so powerful that many are afraid to say the word to one another.

TL;DR Macro Patience & Micro Hustle Learning & Unlearning Creativity & Love

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