Better Get Involved While You Can

Social groups, sporting groups, fraternities and sororities all clamored to attract the attention of more then 500 new and returning students on Wednesday for the 2011 spring involvement fair. The event featured more then 65 student groups attracting new members to their clubs and organizations. Mountain bikes, creative displays and tons of freebies attracted students to booths scattered around the Memorial Union ballroom. Even Student Government Vice President Grand Hauschild found the time to get involved. Along with Student Government, Grant is a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity and University Democrats. “Being involved around campus is just as important as going to class,” Hauschild said. “I’d say I usually spend as much time outside of the classroom doing things around campus as I do in class itself. It’s definitely worth it.” Clubs of all interests and sizes promoted membership: social advocacy groups, political groups and even the rugby club pulled for more members. Not your typical student organizationSpring 2011 involvement expo One group – the Middle Age Recreation Society (MARS), dressed in accurate medieval clothing and featured a lavish display of chain mail armor and other handmade artifacts. “Student members come to learn,” club president Karlene Clark said. “We just want to get students interested and involved,” said graduate student Meredith Gilroy, who helped coordinate the involvement fair. Gilroy also manages the Volunteer Bridge, a service connecting organizations in need to students wanting to help out. “UND students are always looking for ways to help out. (Volunteering) is much more rewarding than sitting at home watching reality TV,” Gilroy joked. Roughly 1,000 students have signed up for the Volunteer Bridge program. State Board of Higher Education member Melissa Bonner was also wandering the ranks and finding out how she could get involved on campus. Bonner balances her life as a graduate student while spending around five hours a week with various student organizations, including the Dakota Wildlife Society. “(Being involved) means students are a lot more likely to compete when they get out to the real world,” Bonner said. Sean Lee with a Jordan Challenge poster “There are lots of good organizations and volunteer opportunities that students can get involved in throughout UND and the North Dakota University System.” “You only go to college once, you better get involved while you can,” said UND student Kimberly Stokes. By the end of the day, students seeking groups discovered a new and exciting world of involvement; groups seeking students left with pages of names and e-mail addresses. Even freshman Nathalie Ludal, who “just wanted free stuff,” got away with armloads of swag. In any case, everyone went home happy