Nearly 75 clubs and organizations made themselves known at the annual involvement fair held in the Erlanger Garden, neighboring Edison Hall last Wednesday. Table after table lined the garden, offering information on the club’s activities and giving students the opportunity to become involved, no matter what their fields of interests are.
With so many activity options and the flexibility of meeting schedules, students can partake in the University community while building an impressive resume for future careers.
Genevieve Kobus, junior and active member of the Student Activities Board encourages students to seek involvement early on. “By being involved, you establish a group on campus and move away from your area of comfort.
It has become my second home,” she said, speaking from her personal experience. Kobus stays involved through the Student Activities Board, or SAB, which coordinates major events on campus. “Through the student activities board, students get to plan events on campus, set up and basically make everything happen.”
SAB is just one of the many clubs on campus that students can chose to take part in.
Senior, Chris Cianfarini, stays busy as a member of seven different groups on campus. He believes commitment and time management play a major role in balancing extracurricular activities, and social and academic life without overloading his schedule.
“I wasn’t involved my first year. By being involved you make a lot more friends and more things to do so you’re not stuck in the room all the time,” Cianfarini said. He recommends that first year students living on campus get involved with clubs such as the Residents Hall Association where students make the changes and voice their opinions that will directly affect dorm life.
Other recommendations include the sailing team, which Cianfarini first learned about from the Leaders Association, which he calls “a huge meet and greet for companies networking and a good way to put yourself out there with big companies, such as J.P. Morgan.”
The possibilities are endless with the variation in clubs and events. “Becoming involved not only helped me to make friends, but taught me to have fun. I even learned time management. Get involved, Monmouth is ten times better when you’re involved,” Pat Layton, sophomore member of the Outdoors Club, said, “It makes the campus feel closer and I’ve gotten helpful experience in my field of study.” The Outdoors Club worked busily to sign interested new members up for events, which include beach parties right here in West Long Branch or camping trips in New York. “It’s a great club and kind of like a family, and we get along really well,” said Layton.
By joining a club students are forced to work together to share a common passion or can make an outstanding difference on and off campus.
A club for just about everything was represented at the involvement fair, including Hawk TV, Artists for Change, Greek Life, Psychology Club, the Hero Campaign, Relay for Life, History and Anthropology Club, sports teams, intramurals and many more. The University presents students with the opportunity to try something new or be a part of a familiar activity.
Some groups are even willing to keep students informed about events online if meeting times are not accessible.
Whether you are a freshman or a senior, went to the fair or missed it entirely, you are still able to join a club or try something new. For a list of clubs and contact information visit www. monmouth.edu/studenthandbook
PHOTO COURTESY of Courtney Brooks
