I’m dozing off in a session, and my friend elbows me as I apparently let out a snore. I jump and thank her, realizing I need to distract myself so it doesn’t happen again. Oh, yes, my to-do list! I check the list and — darn it — I need to clear my emails. I go to my GW Law email account and see that I have 187 unread emails. Seriously, how did it get so out of hand? I start reading and clearing them whilst new alerts pop up. Geesh! Do we really need to get so many emails?

Since starting GW Law in August 2024, my inbox now has over 800 emails. EIGHT. HUNDRED. EMAILS! I am led to think that I am also taking a course in clearing my inbox, but I don’t think “Mark as Read” will be on the Bar. What’s worse, the emails are just repeats! It’s like déjà vu with every subject line — campus events, reminders, more events. We get it: supporting campus events is important, and the enthusiasm is great! But receiving 3–4 emails about the same event can be a bit much.

I may now also have an extreme form of inbox anxiety, because as soon as I respond to an email, there is an immediate response. It’s like playing digital whack-a-mole. This is why I now resort to responding in the wee hours of the morning, so I can finally tick this item off my to-do-list. 

At the time of writing this, I am down to 37 emails, and I have successfully mastered “Delete This Item,” “Move to Other,” and “Unsubscribe.” I feel like I deserve course credits for my effort. I propose that awards be given to those who can maintain a clean, clutter-free inbox. As this movement’s champion, I think I am worthy of being its first recipient, and I will make myself available to collect my prize. Thank you, all!