Stephen Martinez
Dr. Bray
ENGL 1101
2 November 2016
Would You Quiet Down,
Please? I’m Trying to Sleep.
“Would you quiet down, please? I’m trying to sleep.” Those
are the words I probably said to my three assigned roommates (as a
student-athlete, UGA’s athletic department determined my residence hall and
roommates for my first year) from freshman year more than anything else. “Click,
click, click thud, boom! C’mon man, what the [expletive]! Help, there are too
many. Okay, I’m down.” That is the sound of energetic teenagers playing the
infamous first-person shooter video game, Call of Duty. “Yes, I finally scored!
Ha, take that, loser! That’s not fair; you seriously call that a foul? How in
the world is that a [expletive] foul?!” Those would be the phrases heard by
notoriously loyal FIFA video game fanatics. “Quick, take that car! [Expletive]
it, the cops are coming. Alright, run like [expletive]!!!” That would be a
sample of the words uttered by diehard Grand Theft Auto enthusiasts. “Baby,
pull me closer, in the back seat of your Rover, that I know you can’t afford.
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder...” Lastly, lyrics such as those are often
repeated by admirers of popular music. Sounds like these become all too
familiar in the event you have loud, rowdy roommates that often entertain
themselves by staying up late playing videogames, shooting and killing endless
hordes of virtual zombies in a desperate attempt at survival, competing against
each other in virtual soccer matches, committing virtual versions of numerous
violent crimes, or by blaring various genres of music, many of which
incorporate powerful basses, through large stereo speakers.
As a UGA student-athlete, sleep is essential for
performance. And I sincerely tried to get adequate rest each night last year.
Although, like most other student-athletes, I failed to sleep as much I wanted
on a number of occasions. Different circumstances arose; sometimes I was awake
late at night doing some sort of important academic work, like finishing a
history paper I procrastinated writing for two months, and sometimes I simply
made deliberately poor decisions of time management, like staying up late
texting a significant other or unproductively browsing various social media
outlets. Either way, I, along with a number of other first-year students,
unfortunately did not have the quantity or quality of sleep I desired from time
to time. These were situations I made happen. I CHOSE to go to bed early, I
chose to delay schoolwork, I chose to waste time using technology, etc. I was
in control of my sleep. But it wasn’t always that way…
In many instances, I made an attempt to go to sleep at
a reasonable hour so I could sleep for a sufficient amount of time and awake
feeling refreshed. I can assure you, waking up to an alarm at 6:00 AM and
biking uphill to practice for a 10+ mile morning workout is a miserable
experience (more than it already is) without a good night’s rest. Running at
paces, often accompanied by steep hills, unfathomable to the ordinary human is
difficult enough; trying to do it deprived of sleep is especially challenging.
Sleep is a vital aspect of recovery for endurance athletes to achieve a
standard of excellence in performance, especially in competition. Lack of sleep
produces several negative consequences for such athletes, including decreased
energy levels, less muscle tissue repair and growth, increased risk of injury, and
reduced cognitive function. Despite my intentions, I still failed. However, I
failed for different reasons that were largely beyond my control. As a result,
I began to feel powerless. As each day passed, attempt after attempt at an
undisturbed slumber collapsed. I lost patience, and I lost faith in my
commitment to pursue an ample night of rest. I started to abandon my hope and I
considered the idea of forfeiting by just accommodating the noise of my
rambunctious roommates, rather than continually trying to escape it.
Even so, the noise was relentless. And it was only magnified
by our differing interests. My former roommates belong to a vast number of social
groups. They enjoy going downtown to have fun with friends. They like attending
loud concerts at venues like the Georgia Theatre. They frequently go to parties
and other social events with large crowds of people. Thus, they are accustomed
to noise. They like noise. They produce noise. On the other hand, I do not. I
prefer to keep to myself. I am one of the few people who sit in the dining hall
alone, away from people, watching an episode of my favorite show on Netflix. Under
most circumstances, I engage in limited contact with other human beings. Others
often mistake my behavior for contempt or cynicism. But that is not the case. I
merely possess the personality of a genuine introvert. I am shy, I am usually awkward
in conversation with strangers, and I think to myself much more than I talk to
other people. Therefore, when my roommates were all out and about participating
in social events, connecting with friends, and meeting new people, I was
usually enjoying spending time in isolation, relaxing, working out, using my
personal computer, etc. This deviation in personality caused no trouble in
circumstances like these, when we were separated. But, various issues emerged
when we were involuntarily together and our distinct personalities collided.
These sort of conflicting conditions were essentially unavoidable as roommates
living in the same, limited space.
Nevertheless, I tried to ignore the noise. I really
did. I tried to drown out the sounds with the oscillating fan in my room. I
pressed my pillows against my head to try and block the noise. I even invested
in sets of earplugs to use every night in an effort to reduce the volume.
Regardless, my attempts remained futile. I decided that I had waited long
enough and it was time for me to step out of my comfort zone, address the
situation, contradict my typical personality characteristics, and confront my
roommates. Alas, the mere thought of confrontation, and potential conflict,
terrified me.
As I had anticipated, and dreaded, I immediately
encountered friction. My roommates responded to my pleas with statements such
as “Why do you always have to go to bed so early?” and “What’s your problem,
man? We’re just trying to have a good time.” Keep in mind, most of these
conversations took place between the hours of 10:00 PM and 12:00 AM, and 6:00
AM wake-up calls for team practice were a daily occurrence. As my polite
requests continued to be ignored, I became more and more frustrated. But I
realized I was outnumbered three to one by guys who liked to shout for fun. I
could only imagine how they would react if I expressed my frustrations without
restraint, or if I resorted to involving our hall’s resident assistant. So, I just
carried on, asking respectfully for them to lower the volume of their voices
and/or electronic devices because it was consistently interfering with my
ability to sleep. I made sure to maintain a passive tone of voice and use
considerate diction. The last thing I wanted was to create an atmosphere of
aggression, or even worse, violence.
Ultimately, my requests did not make a significant
difference; it only delayed the inevitable. The noise continued and, eventually,
my roommates became fed up with my attempts, despite my consideration, and they
decided to strike back and exercise their own brand of vengeance. They started
to communicate numerous things they didn’t like about me, saying “You go to
sleep too early. It’s unnecessary!” They treated me with disrespect, insisting
I was a “party pooper that dislikes fun.” They intentionally defied my requests
by increasing their volume level each night too. An environment of hostility
ensued. Our dorm became a vicious battlefield, comprised of moments of intense
altercations as well as instances of silent tension. At times, we were engaged in
fierce shouting matches. At other times, we quietly walked by one another,
merely acknowledging the presence of the other with a harsh, prolonged look of
disgust. In an attempt to avoid further provocation, I let it go. I stopped
complaining and accepted defeat. I ended up dealing with the unpleasant and
uncomfortable situation for the remainder of the year.
For these reasons, I strongly suggest, whether or not
you are an incoming freshman student-athlete, forming a roommate agreement as
soon as you move in to your dorm, before the semester commences. This kind of
pact will likely prevent a wide range of potential disputes in the future,
establishing a foundation for a healthy living environment by defining
particular guidelines for behavior. Additionally, I recommend encouraging your
roommates to gather periodically to express, hear, and address individual
concerns regarding the living situation. These procedures will promote the
search and development of fair compromises. Finally, you may want to consider
spending quality time with your roommates outside of your dorm. These types of
interactions cultivate and reinforce precious friendships. Had I employed the
aforementioned practices, I expect my experience as a first-year student in the
dorms would have probably been different and I would not be in the same
situation I am today.
