Barbara Doyle, Staff Writer
Campus involvement is very beneficial for freshmen who wish to join the campus community and gain new experiences to start their college career off right.
Many times when stepping into a new environment, our natural response is to bunker down into our comfort zones. However, when starting college, it is important to embrace the new experiences that your campus has to offer. Nicholas Brussel, a senior graduating in May, remembers how timid he was freshman year. It wasn’t until his sophomore year that Brussel chose to finally get involved as the campus’s school mascot, Red.
“Being a mascot is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Brussel says. “It allows me to interact with people at games and take pictures with them. Your popularity goes up when you’re in costume.”
If you’re interested in being Red for a game or event, you can reach out to Geoff Hassard in Athletics or Karyn Wendrow in Alumni Affairs.
There are also clubs and organizations around campus for every interest or hobby. If you’re interested in accounting or biology, computer art or economics, there’s a club available to check out or join. Other clubs include bowling, creative writing, cheerleading, and even fencing.
If you’re interested in seeing the full list of clubs and organizations you can check out the Campus Connection website for more information under “Organizations” picutred on the right.
Another hot spot on campus is dedicated to the gamers. The Dragon’s Lair, located in Hunt Union across from the Outfitters store, is a gaming lounge for any student interested. The lounge has a wide variety of systems including the PS4, Xbox One, WiiU as well as many others.
Kat Malzahn, a student employee of the Lair, explains that there are plenty of things you can do while hanging out in the lounge.
“We have a variety of board and card games to choose from. If you are a student, you can come in and if you give us your student ID you can play on any system for as long as you want! We have a great selection of games, but you can also bring your own.”
Malzahn also says that non-students and guests can also play, but they have to pay $2 per hour of play. If you’re just interested in looking for a cool place to hang out and do homework, the Lair is also a great place to relax and decompress.
Every semester, the Dragon’s Lair hosts tournaments. On February 3, there will be a FIFA 17 tournament.
The college also has Greek life available to those who are interested.
There are seven recognized sororities and eight recognized fraternities. However, there are requirements that limit first semester freshman from joining, although they can attend recruitment events. Such requirements that must be met include completing 12 credits hours and having a minimal of a 2.5 GPA.
Greek life boosts student involvement, community service, as well as lasting friendships. Certain expectations for those who do choose to join include attending leadership conferences, leadership retreats, on and off community service, as well as workshops.
For more information on the recognized sororities and fraternities you can go on the school website under “Student Life.”
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