She spends 40 to 60 hours a week in meetings, and receives about 60 e-mails every day that are related to Student Council. Welcome to the world of Abby Fifer, Student Council president.
"I was at a party last Thursday, and someone came over to talk to me about a new committee for Student Council," Fifer said with a smile. "I thought, can we maybe talk Monday?"
"It's a 24-hour-a-day job," she added.
As Council president, Fifer is thrown into the public eye at the University on a daily basis, but this is not her first time being cast into the spotlight.
Fifer's first brush with fame occurred on the set of a famous 1980s movie with her older brother when she was 5 years old.
"I was an extra in 'Dirty Dancing,'" she said. "My brother asked Patrick Swayze where the bathroom was."
Then, during her sophomore year in high school, Fifer got the opportunity to meet a foreign dignitary. On a trip to Poland, she happened to attend a function with the Polish president.
Fifer was standing near the president when he asked her to dance.
"He kissed me on the cheek at the end of the dance," she added.
But this would not be the end of Fifer's brush with fame. Little did she know that she would raise to her own fame in college.
Seeing how Fifer spends so much of her time working for Council, you might come to the conclusion that Council is all she does. This conclusion would be wrong.
This year, in addition to serving as chief of staff, overseeing Council's 12 committees, Fifer continued to be active in other facets of University and community life.
"I write a lot of poetry and love to go dancing" on the weekends, Fifer said. "Often, I don't actually go anywhere - I just host dance parties in my room."
She worked on a Web page for the Jewish studies department, and taught a second-grade Sunday school class at Congregation Beth Israel. Fifer also served as an Echols Seminar facilitator. Besides extracurricular activities, Fifer must focus on classes in her religious studies and American studies double major.
Fifer also remains close to her parents and three brothers. "My biggest regret is that I don't get to spend more time with them," she said. "My older brother Craig is the greatest guy I know."
Right now, Fifer said she is eagerly anticipating summer. "I am counting the days until Beach Week, and I'll be furious if anyone talks to me about Student Council while I am there," she said.
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