Laura Kot, Class of 2007

“Come here!”
“Do this!”
“Join that!”

As a freshman, I was overwhelmed with information as residence life staff members and upperclassmen encouraged us to get involved with organizations and events on campus. I wanted to make a solid group of friends, but I did not know where to start, especially with so many different activities and clubs.

My floor in Pioneer Hall ended up being the best place to start. Participating in dorm-sponsored events, staying up late talking with my roommate, visiting with girls in the dorm and being involved with my freshman small group were small but significant ways of having fun and meeting friends.

I developed other friendships by attending campus events: eating free ice cream sundaes in the Spruce courtyard, watching a big-screen movie in the Campus Center parking lot, going to Midnight Matinees at the local theater, playing on an intramural team. I also met some of my most cherished friends though the intercollegiate softball team and through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

I discovered that the area of campus life I became involved with was not the primary decision; the real choice was whether I was going to conquer my nervousness and strive to get to know new people. Then, as a sophomore, I found that I was the one eagerly telling the new freshmen to “Try this!”