The Art of Self-Experimentation: Learning to Run Toward Complexity
Julia Pentasuglio, editor-in-chief of The Phoenix, published an essay detailing a personal self-experiment involving daily running and writing. Inspired by a friend’s experience with a substance abuse class and Interdisciplinary Honors Program Professor Christopher Whidden, the exercise explores how deliberate self-examination and structural friction foster mental clarity and self-awareness during the senior year of college.
The Framework of Intentional Discomfort
Academic environments frequently push students toward external analysis, yet turning that critical lens inward remains an uncommon practice. Pentasuglio drew inspiration from a friend who undertook a month-long break from smoking weed after taking a substance abuse class. Rather than targeting a specific vice, the approach centered on testing personal engagement with daily routines.
This experimental mindset mirrors guidance from Interdisciplinary Honors Program Professor Christopher Whidden. Whidden famously instructed his students to run towards complexity, a philosophy Pentasuglio applied physically by challenging herself to run every day for a week. Despite initial hesitations regarding the monotony and physical toll of running—an activity she had not pursued since high school cross country—the physical exertion provided an unexpected mental pause.
Muscle memory proved resilient. The burning sensation of exertion effectively quieted a busy mind, demonstrating how structured physical discomfort creates psychological space.
Expanding the Experiment to Writing and Self-Actualization
Building on the physical challenge, Pentasuglio initiated a second experiment focusing on professional habits: writing continuously for 15 minutes every night without stopping. While daily writing is a requirement for her role as editor-in-chief of The Phoenix, the mechanics of traditional drafting typically involve frequent typing, deleting, and editing.
The exercise aimed to test thought cohesion rather than produce polished copy. The broader objective of these tests is not to achieve instantaneous self-actualization during the final year of undergraduate studies, but rather to understand personal operational mechanics.
Drawing a parallel to elite athletics, Pentasuglio noted a perspective shared by Olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu on 60 Minutes regarding the value of struggle. Life without friction risks becoming repetitive and uncreative, making intentional hardship a valuable tool for self-discovery.
Broadening the Editorial Scope at The Phoenix
The self-reflective essay sets the stage for a broader editorial push within the student newspaper to examine internal systems alongside external events. The edition features diverse reporting from student journalists, including coverage of Loyola’s Family Weekend drone show in the News section and the Renegade Craft Fair in Arts.
The publication also addresses national and institutional topics, outlining its stance on press censorship concerns associated with political figures such as President Donald Trump within the Opinion section.
Leadership at the publication remains anchored by fourth-year multimedia journalism and political science major Julia Pentasuglio, whose academic background includes an environmental communication minor and reporting experience with regional outlets including The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, and the Akron Beacon Journal in Akron, Ohio, alongside digital media work at North Coast Media in Cleveland, Ohio.
Closing Perspectives on Collegiate Inquiry
Higher education functions primarily as an institution of learning, yet students frequently overlook the value of turning academic curiosity toward personal habits and psychological patterns. By confronting limitations, whether through physical endurance or uninterrupted drafting, individuals can better evaluate their capabilities and shortcomings.
Testing personal boundaries offers a direct method for cutting through the distractions of daily life.