You met at the activities fair. The more you talked, the more interested you became. Your first night together was magical and all you wanted was more. After the first taste, you went all in, hot and heavy. Now, you’re burnt out and the spark that used to hold you together has all but gone out. You just aren’t in love anymore. It’s the classic tale of student involvement. Sadly, not every relationship with a student group can work out. But how, exactly, does one go about breaking up with an organization?
Step 1: Stop Spending So Much Time Together
First, you’re going to have to create a bit of distance between the two of you. Do not, under any circumstances, publicize that you won’t be in attendance. Just quietly start skipping events. You also can’t quit cold turkey – You’re going to have to wean yourself off like a 20-year smoker. Skipping a few meetings, finding a reason to miss one of the quarter’s big events: those moves will have you naturally drifting apart sooner than you could expect.
Step 2: Arm Yourself
Now that you’ve started the separation process, you’re going to need a lot of excuses. Homework is always a good option, but you can’t use it too much or it’ll start to lose its effect. Find other commitments. Maybe a group of your friends is going to the city. If you live close to Evanston, you could make a quick trip home. As a last resort, there’s always the classic “I forgot.”
Step 3: Quit Texting
The third step is possibly the most important. Listserv emails aren’t quite the same as texting, but in this breakup they serve the same purpose. You’re going to have to unsubscribe. You’re in luck, though. You can make this as painless as possible by sending “SIGNOFF [Insert Group name]” to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu. That way, you don’t have to interact with anyone from the group or deal with inquiries as to why you’re unsubscribing. If you can’t get it to work, then you can resort to a brief email to whoever manages that group’s listserv (usually the president or, in the case of publications, editor). Be nice! Don’t be rude, make demands or send an email over the entire listserv. Just greet them pleasantly, ask if they would remove you and thank them.
Step 4: Know How To Proceed
Finally, you need to handle the aftermath. Post-breakup tension isn’t fun for anyone, and it has to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If your ex puts on campus events, it’s probably okay to attend as long as you fly under the radar. If they’re frequently giving out freebies, it probably isn’t okay to take advantage of this. If they’re a publication, it’s okay to keep reading as long as you don’t vocalize opinions on what they write. Use your head and play it safe. This isn’t high school; leave the drama to STUCO.