Finding your niche

As the first week of classes draws to a close, you have yet to experience what college life is all about. Yes, you're here to get an education, but don't think for a minute that the only important lessons you will learn will come from the classroom. Hopefully, your classroom experiences at IU will be truly rewarding, but to make college complete, you will need to engage yourself both inside and outside of the classroom. \n One of the best ways to do this is to join a student group. Of course, as Union Board president, I would love for you to join Union Board. As the largest student programming board on campus, we have a lot to offer. The group is composed of 13 committees that plan events ranging from concerts, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers/Foo Fighters show that rocked Bloomington last spring, to lectures, such as Mikhail Gorbachev. We also plan the IU Late Night events each Friday and Saturday in the Indiana Memorial Union and coordinate the weekly film series in the Whittenberger Auditorium.\nThere are many reasons to join Union Board, but the same goes for the other 500 or so student groups on campus. From the Afghan Student Committee to Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, there is an organization on our campus that would love to have you as a member. The benefits of joining a student group are numerous. It is a great way to make friends and impress future employers. And it can be so much fun. \nIt can be a daunting task to find an organization to join, one that will be the right fit for you. So Union Board sponsors WelcomeFest, which will occur Wednesday. More than 125 student groups will be represented. Each organization will have a table with information, and it will be a great chance to meet members of various student groups. It takes place from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the circle drive of the IMU. I guarantee you'll be well received by the leaders of the various groups, and you will be one step closer to finding your niche on campus. \nUnion Board will hold our mass membership meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Frangipani Room of the IMU. As with many other student groups, attending our mass meeting is a great way to begin your involvement with Union Board. At the mass meeting you will get to meet the committee directors and find out what we are all about.\nWhen I graduate from IU with a degree in history, I will have had many memorable moments. Almost all of them occurred through my involvement in Union Board. I recall feeling pride when my organization was responsible for John Mellencamp's Little 500 concert during my sophomore year and the fun I had the first weekends of IU Late Night hanging out with friends I had made as a Union Board committee member. I look with anticipation to my final year of participation in the organization that has defined my college experience. \nAll of these memories occurred because of a suggestion from my brother, an IU graduate who found his niche as a writer for the IDS, to try Union Board and see what it was all about. Little did he know what an impact that suggestion would have on my next four years in Bloomington. I know my words will not resonate as if they were coming from your brother, but that doesn't make them less true. I'll see you at WelcomeFest.