Student Organization Exploration

            When I arrived at Loyola, I was apprehensive of how I would fit in or how I would become involved. However, I knew Loyola offered a wide variety of organizations that I could try and explore in order to fit my own interests. Two organizations that I have discovered since coming to Loyola are the Honors Student Association (HSA) and the Catholic Student Organization (CSO).

            As part of the Honors program, I quickly learned about HSA from upperclassmen at Discover Loyola. Other students emphasized the type of events and activities that HSA puts on throughout the year from service projects to workshops to help new Honor students. I thought it would benefit my acclimation to the Honors program so I decided to attend a meeting. The meetings occur every Tuesday night at 7 pm in Mundelein with the exception of one week, when HSA recommends attending an on-campus event. At the meetings, the E-Board progresses through the items that need to be completed, often asking all members for input and voting on what is preferred. The interaction between the E-Board and other members is generally relaxed with occasional jokes. However, it surprised me that there were so many people in the club, although it seemed to be mostly freshmen interested in the club.

            After attending a couple meetings and taking in the club’s atmosphere, I liked the idea of the club and what it aimed to achieve in the upcoming semester.  I decided to join the club and participate in regular meetings. I would encourage other Honors students to join so that they can represent the Honors program and serve the university. One way to promote HSA would be to simply ask other students to attend a meeting on a Tuesday. Hopefully, they would see the same benefits that I have seen by joining HSA.

            In addition to HSA, I joined CSO in order to express and develop my Catholic faith while in college. In high school, I was very involved in youth ministry; therefore, I thought CSO could fulfill my love for my faith and allow me to participate in ministry. I found out that the club meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 8-9 pm in the Ignatius House. When I went to the meeting, I noticed the supportive and dynamic community of the group even though it only formed last year. I found it surprising, in a positive way, that everyone seemed to know each other and care for each other. We began with prayer and faith sharing, which showed me that the group is open to sharing and welcoming to new people. Then, we discussed the upcoming events that CSO would participate in including multiple multi-religious events and service for the community.

            I greatly enjoyed CSO as it reminded me of my involvement at my home parish and everyone was energetic and welcoming. Anyone interested in learning about Catholicism, discussing the Catholic faith or living out his or her Catholic life should join CSO. A simple invitation or mention of the club could spark a little interest for others to join the club. I cannot wait to become more involved in the events and to get to know the people in CSO during my freshman year.

            By attending club meetings and interacting with new people like I have with HSA and CSO, one can engage himself or herself in the community of Loyola and build connections with other students, teachers and mentors. Student organizations unite people with common interests. Because of the variety of groups, every student has the opportunity to make an impact in the community and to become a remarkable leader.