First Person: How to Get Involved On Campus
Here at St. Lawrence, there are a lot of opportunities to participate in activities that interest you. When you set foot on campus, one of the first things that you participate in during First-Year Orientation is a club fair. Here at St. Lawrence, we have over 150 different clubs that appeal to a wide range of students. We have theme houses, Greek life, and other clubs. Each poses a wonderful opportunity to get involved and meet new people.
Theme Houses
Theme houses are an alternative to Greek Life here at St. Lawrence. Generally, they are co-ed houses that have a common interest that bring the students together. There are a lot of different theme houses for students to choose from depending on what they are interested in. A few examples are Java, The Outing Club, and the Hub.
Java is a theme house that is interested in music. Its members work to put on two live shows (one on Thursday, and one on Saturday) at the Java Barn, our student-run music venue located near the center of campus. Students can get involved by visiting these free shows or applying to live in Java for a chance to staff the shows and determine what bands to bring to campus.
The Outing Club (or as we call it on campus, the "OC") offers trips throughout the North Country and the northeast. They offer skiing, canoeing, and hiking, among many other adventures. These trips are open to the entire campus and you can sign up for the OC's mailing list by contacting a club member or attending the club fair. These trips are very popular options for students to take advantage of, especially because the OC provides the necessary equipment for most trips.
The final example is the Hub, a theme house that is centered around gaming. The Hub hosts competitions for people to compete and test their gaming skills in various games. These are open to beginners or advanced-level players. Anyone who is interested in these competitions is encouraged to participate.
All theme houses are open to the entire campus and students are encouraged to partake in their events. To live in these houses, you can apply after your first year.
Greek Life
Greek life is another option for involvement here on campus. Here at St. Lawrence, we have two fraternities and four sororities. For men, we have Alpha Tau Omega and Beta Theta Pi. These organizations make up roughly 15% of male sophomores, juniors, and seniors. ATO’s mantra is to teach young men to become leaders while Beta’s motto is teaching young men to be men of principle.
For women, we have Kappa Delta Sigma, Chi Omega, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Delta Delta Delta. These four sororities make up about 20% of the female sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
These organizations partake in numerous different community service activities throughout the year. Interested students are encouraged to reach out to different members of these organizations to learn more about them. Students can get involved in Greek life in the fall of their sophomore year. Students are also encouraged to be involved in different clubs and organizations aside from their Greek house.
Other Clubs and Organizations
There is a wide range of other clubs for students to get involved in. St. Lawrence offers over 25 club or intramural sports, for example. Popular sports are co-ed softball, club hockey, and soccer. These teams are open to people with a wide range of skills and all students are encouraged to participate.
Our student government is known as the Thelomathesian Society, or "Thelmo." Students can become senators or run for positions on Thelmo's executive boards. All students regardless of political affiliation are encouraged to be in Thelmo.
Clubs like Circle K and World of Change mobilize students on campus to serve our greater community. They organize various community service events throughout the semester that are open to the entire campus. These clubs have weekly or bi-weekly meetings that are open to anyone. To get involved in these clubs, students are encouraged to reach out to a member or sign up at the club fairs offered each semester.
St. Lawrence has so many different co-curricular options that make it easy for students to get involved. Whether you're interested in student government, theme houses, Greek life, or intramural sports, there is an option for you at SLU. This is one of my favorite things about St. Lawrence—that every person is able to find their niche and their people through the activities that interest them. With so many different ways to get involved, students just have to be open to trying new things.
