Organizations offer chance to get involved
How do we do it? How does a school this big, have such a sense of community? How is it that only a week or so into their time here, students begin to recognize and greet so many people in the dining halls or on walks across the Drillfield?
Student involvement is what makes Tech feel like such a small, tight-knit community. Our students are involved with so many things that friends become friends with friends' friends and pretty soon, you can't go anywhere on campus without bumping into someone you know.
Students involve themselves in all kinds of clubs or organizations here at Tech, whether they be for building your resume for your post-graduation job search, or just to have something to do and a place to meet some new faces.
Kelly Furnas, the editorial adviser for Educational Media Company of Virginia Tech (The parent company of the Collegiate Times), said that some clubs are just "people with similar interests doing an activity that they all enjoy and that helps develop friendships and bonds that will last much longer than just college."
Academia is undeniably a huge part of the college experience, but students must be able to strike a balance between extracurricular activities and their studies.
"A student who leaves Virginia Tech having only gone to class and studied," Furnas said, "is at a severe disadvantage both professionally and personally than a student who was able to balance all those things."
To find a student organization that might interest you just click on the Clubs and Organizations link under Student Life in the middle of the Tech homepage.
Each organization will tell you what to do to get involved, but sometimes it might even be worth it to head out and talk to someone in person.
"The students who benefit the most and the students that interact the best with (EMCVT) are the ones who are proactive enough and assertive enough to come into the organization, literally walk into the organization, and say, "I want to be involved,"' Furnas said.
Some organizations that students may want to get involved in may be spiritual organizations. Tech values its diversity, and the community has organizations for people of many different religions.
"There's a fairly strong spiritual awareness (on our campus)," said Jim Pace, a pastor at New Life Campus Fellowship.
Here at college, freshmen experience a whole new level of freedom, and with that comes the opportunity to explore their spirituality further, something a lot of students have come to do over their four years here.
"(If students) were involved in the church or some other religious practice at home, typically their parents were driving it," Pace said.
Because parents are no longer around and college is a time for building who you are, spirituality becomes very important for many students.
The bottom line is, without parents around, the choices are now entirely made by students. Pace has been there before.
An alumnus of the class of '89, he understands that there are other things freshmen can do besides exploring their faith. Pace warns, however, "sixty-five freshmen in Pritchard Hall is not the best incubator for great decisions."
"You're setting trajectories for your life during these next few years." Pace said, "You're not locked into anything at the end of it, but … you can set a trajectory that becomes very self-focused and self serving, or you can set a trajectory that's very others-centered, and others-focused. And that's a big part of what spirituality does."
To get involved with NLCF, Pace suggests e-mailing info@nlcf.net. You may even end up meeting Pace during move-in as NLCF has set up Mission Move-In to help freshmen move into their residence halls.
To find another place in which you might like to start exploring your spirituality, click on Student Life from the Tech homepage and scroll down to the bottom to find the Religious and Spiritual Life link under Related Links. Here, there is a complete listing of churches and religious groups around Blacksburg, all welcoming to students.
Help make Tech even better by staying involved in student groups, clubs and spiritual organizations helps build who you are along the way, so go out, get involved, and don't look back.
