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The Rotunda
Thursday, July 3, 2025

Get Out There! Get Involved!

Readers, I want to take the opportunity this week to introduce myself to you all. I'm Jessica Stone, a Junior Psych major here at LU, and am new to this Column. I am so excited to be writing this year.

This school year is well under way, and the numerous organizations we have on campus have already started their meetings, events, and programs. There really is something out there for everyone. You just have to get out there and find out what it is. In the upcoming days and weeks, there will be many volunteer and involvement fairs offering information as to what LU and the Farmville Community have to offer.

My charge to you all, readers, is to look beyond the surfaces you see. Don't just base your decision to get involved with a certain group because of the people you see representing it at a certain moment. Also, don't just take other people's words and opinions as your only source of information. Take time out to get the information for yourself. Do a little research and even attend a meeting or two to see if that particular organization is a good fit for you. Try something new. Experience something different. Do something completely out of character for yourself. Of course, it is easy to be a part of a group that is filled with people who look and think exactly like you do, but where is the fun in that?! College is all about growing as an individual and finding out things about yourself that you never knew before. Take a chance and open your mind. After all, you will never know what you may or may not be interested in until you put yourself out there and see for yourself.

Let's be real. We know we all want our resumes to look impressive when we leave LU. While that is a very important factor for us all, please don't let that be your only driving force to get involved. Join groups and organizations because you have a passion for what they stand for and the assortment of things they do. If you're not going to give your best to whatever organization or group you join, then don't join at all. Doing so will only be cheating yourself out of valuable time you can devote elsewhere, and your organization will have a member whose heart really is not in it. When deciding to join an organization or group on campus or in the community, make sure you are willing and able to make a serious commitment. Make sure you are prepared to go to the meetings, take part in the activities that your organization is involved with, network with your fellow members, and maybe even volunteer to work on a committee or board.

Readers, get out there! Get involved! As Albert Einstein said, "Whenyou do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better."

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