The More (Involved) Friends, The Merrier
When you take a tour of Vanderbilt, the tour guides boast about the hundreds of clubs that students can join. While this variety is great in theory, how was I going to have time to join every club that interests me? Realistically, I couldn’t. College is a day to day balancing act, and no one has time to do everything. My solution? Make friends.
Throughout my two years at Vanderbilt, I’ve met a ton of really interesting people that have exposed me to happenings on campus that I never knew existed. Had I not met them, I’d be missing major pockets of this community.
For example, this past weekend I got to see one of my best friends sing on stage for her acappella group, Harmonic Notion. Granted, I can’t sing to save my life so I have no shot at joining, but it was unbelievable to see how talented each member was. I learned that my friend put the group’s music together in her free time and scheduled the meetings. She’s pretty under the radar for a superstar.
Earlier this year, I attended Vanderbilt University’s Big Event for Dance Marathon. My roommate was in charge of family relations between Dance Marathon and the Miracle Families. I got to see the end result, but the work that led to the $230,099.15 donation is unfathomable from the outside. I did, however, get to see just how committed and invested my roommate and the other Dance Marathon members were to the cause.
Just to cap it off, my freshman year Resident Advisor and Kappa sister Ariana Fowler became Vanderbilt’s next Student Body President. Although I wasn’t running for the position, I got to help with her campaign and see the events unfold on her route to victory. Whether it was passing out stickers or running around making sure people vote, Ariana let me in on the action.
No, you can’t do everything in college. Yes, you can become exposed to things that will impress you and at times, blow you away. Most campus events are free and just a short walk from your dorm. Take advantage of them. Besides, it means the world to people if you show them you care by attending their events.