Getting Involved

by Rae-Ling Lee

See more of Ken Bennett’s photos of WFU life at Focus on the Forest

We all have that one friend on campus who we feel like is involved in everything. Project Pumpkin? Check. Intercultural Center Cultural Ambassador? Done. In a sorority, the orchestra, and president of a club sport? Yes, yes, and of course, yes. Oh, and don’t forget that they still manage to keep a 3.0 GPA.

Seem overwhelming? Maybe a bit. But getting involved on campus, whether it is everything you signed up for during the involvement fair freshman year or just the one or two clubs you fell in love with, has its merits. Not only can you meet new circles of friends and follow your precollege interests or even find something new you love, but joining a club can carry over into academics as well. Being in a leadership position gives you the skills you need to take initiative as well as provides contacts of offices and individuals on campus that may be useful (such as the Office of Student Engagement!). Most importantly, there’s a bigger chance that you know people in your classes, so that when it’s time for group projects, you can find someone to work with!

So now for the big question—how can you get involved? You may have heard or seen the words “The Link” a billion times by now, but I’m going to say it one more time—The Link has information on all active student organizations on campus. You can search for organizations, forms, events, and offices by keyword, and it’s so easy to use! And it’s aesthetically pleasing—kudos to the site designer.

You can search by keyword or specific name to find organizations, events, or news you may be interested in.

Other ways are to go to involvement fairs, cookouts, and events around campus. Step out of your dorm and see what’s going on—even if you aren’t a part of student groups, you can partake in the events they put on for you! One email list I’m on that I really appreciate is the Intercultural Center list because of their weekly newsletter detailing many of the events going on around campus during that week.

Wake Forest University’s spring Holi Festival of Colors

The truth is, the words “getting involved” means something different for everyone. You can join clubs, music ensembles, Greek life, campus traditions, Student Union—you do you, and we’re here to support you however we can. So step up, be heard, and dance to the rhythm of your own drum!