Editor, Daily Nexus,

When I sit back and think about the advantages of being a college student here at UCSB, one of the main things that comes to mind is the abundance of friends. It seems if you maintain a gentle demeanor and throw in a few well-timed jokes, it’s all gravy in this mashed-up neighborhood. Yet I write this letter to warn readers of a mistake that’s very easy to make: having too many friends.

When does an individual become too stretched, to the point that not spending time with a friend brings a hailstorm of anger right into their living room? Imagine for a moment the response you would have if a friend suddenly ended all communication and decided that your time spent with them just didn’t cut it; you failed to fulfill the contract that you never knew existed. In a town where missed phone calls occur as often as answered ones, it’s hard for me to understand the demand that someone could have in this area. Yet I find myself between a rock and hard place, fighting to keep a friend who recently decided that she just couldn’t handle my affiliations. In a court of law, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, yet in the soap opera that is Isla Vista, assumptions are easy to make and sentences are easy to hand out.

I trust in the fact that many people share this pet peeve of mine, for a well-rounded college student is so easy to befriend but at the same time, even easier to dismiss. With roughly 20,000 students walking this campus, finding someone with common interests is a given. But when the number of people you affiliate yourself with becomes so large that time becomes an issue, you may have a problem. Hopefully, you have understanding friends who recognize the sheer magnitude of friend networking and how hard it is to please everyone.

Hopefully, emerging problems can be addressed as early as possible and not thrown into a closet waiting for the day you mistakenly open that door. Hopefully, you can avoid the absolutely ridiculous dilemma of meeting too many people and not having the resources or time to please those you care for. I care for all my friends; it’s when they decide that I have no time for them that the caring stops. For future reference, pick your friends well – you never know when your friendly effort suddenly becomes unfriendly.