One year ago, if I were asked to go to a football game with some friends or go to a school dance, I would have never considered it. Now I would jump at the chance.
Utah Tech University is part of the schools that 70% of college freshmen in the United States say allowed them opportunities to get more involved on campus.
Getting involved at college can be a very nerve-racking thing for many students. I didn’t get involved until this year as a junior. I am an introvert by nature, but something that makes being social and getting involved easier is being around those who enjoy being involved.
I am on the Sun News staff for the first time this semester. This is something that has encouraged me to get more involved as well as get out of my comfort zone. Having to write stories about events and people on campus has strengthened my social skills as I always want to know what’s happening and attend as many things as I can, not just because I am on Sun News but because I enjoy it.
Being on the staff is a great way for students to get involved, but as much as I love being a part of Sun News, we have a very small staff. I don’t see students taking advantage of opportunities to join organizations like this and be involved on campus. That is something I would love to be able to see from more of the student body.
About 90% of the things I attend on campus, I end up having a really good time at. This has also helped my school spirit.
Even if it is me pretending to be social on days that it is hard, putting on a smile and going to a football game or going to an intramural sports game once or twice a week can make the biggest difference in the world to my social life. I know it could make a big difference to other students as well.
As far as the school itself goes, the school’s associations do an excellent job of keeping things interesting and nearly always have some kind of event that can interest students and staff.
The students, however, don’t seem to be making the biggest effort to get involved in the activities that are being put on. From what I have seen, students show up more to the bigger events like the football games or parties, whereas the mid-week events such as the lunches on the field by the clock tower or the chalk art opportunities are often overlooked.
I wish this wasn’t the case because students’ mental health could be better if they went out and did things that weren’t just for school or work.
After researching other schools, it’s surprising to see how some of those schools don’t have as much happening on campus for its students besides games and competitive nature events. That can be a deterring factor for students because having everything be a competition can have a negative lasting effect on the interactions between students.
A positive thing about Utah Tech is they don’t only focus on the competition between students like the football games between rival schools. They do a really good job of making the activities fun things to participate in rather than making everything competitive. There is a healthy balance between the different kinds of events.
Utah Tech also does a great job of making activities inclusive for everyone, whether that be game nights, cultural inclusion events or carnivals. I wish more students went to these events so that they could know how fun and great they are.
Many teachers I have spoken to in the past have said the campus has a very family-friendly feel to it, meaning that many people want to get involved and be a part of what is going on. So as far as what the school puts on, I think it is great. But as far as the students part, they could try a little harder to get more involved and attend events.
Utah Tech has a lot of opportunities to get involved, and the students on campus often look forward to these events. So whether that is going to a carnival or stopping by a food truck on campus between classes, take the opportunity. Not only is it supporting the school and the students who work hard to give these involvement opportunities to the students, but it can help you be more involved and enjoy the college experience just a little more.
