For the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led everyone to download the app that is Zoom. My freshman year we had Zoom school in full swing, and I spent my life as a college newbie alone in a loft space of my family’s house. I made the now-considered irrational decision to live on campus for the Spring Term of that year. Isolated. Alone. Disaster. The last thing I wanted to do was join a club I could attend via Zoom. By sophomore year, I was back on campus and happily attending in-person classes and meeting so many people I thought that my head was going to explode. Walking through the halls and dorm lobbies, I kept noticing an abundance of flyers announcing an endless selection of clubs and activities available. So, I joined a club, and then another and another. And here is what I found.
The first organization I joined was The Lawrentian. I was placed in the news section, where for two terms I was thrown into writing about Appleton politics, rallies on campus and events that organizations were hosting. I interviewed teachers, students, staff from the Appleton mayor’s office and even LU alum Mayor Jake Woodford! I attended multiple events in an attempt to showcase organizations’ purposes and goals while sharing the facts. At some point, I determined that while doing research and interviewing complete strangers really pushed me out of my comfort zone (a good thing), I would likely have more fun if I had the freedom to write a little more freely. This is how I got to this little column here. Whether people read it or not is another story. It turns out it is a lot of fun to write a column and, luckily, I have the freedom to write about almost anything A&E related. There are so many opportunities working with The Lawrentian. You could take pictures, write a crossword, draw some art or write an awesome article. All in all, you should join! We need you! And it’s paid!
Next, I joined Hillel. Hillel stands for “The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life” and is a worldwide organization. Each Friday night we come together for Shabbat, which marks the start of Judaism’s day of rest, the seventh day that follows. Hillel is hosted at the now-named Hurvie House/Spirit Space. We light a candle, open a bottle of bubbly grape juice and unwrap a loaf of challah. We’ll laugh, play music, play games and have a lot of fun. At the end of Fall Term before we head home, Hillel hosts a Hannukah party where we will have a full feast made up of traditional Jewish foods, including Matzah ball soup, potato latkes and lots of challah. All are welcome! You do not have to be Jewish to join us.
Last but not least, ultimate frisbee! Lawrence has a frisbee club? Yes, yes we do. Frisbee Club meets twice a week to throw a frisbee around, practice drills and scrimmage. It had been years since I threw a frisbee. In all honestly, I thought I could throw and catch pretty well. Well, that turned out to be false the minute I picked one up, threw it in the air and watched as it smacked the wall behind me. This sport takes practice, I tell you; it is amazing to watch my fellow teammates leap into the air and catch the flying frisbee with one hand. Despite being a true beginner to this sport, it is a whole lot of fun and I recommend giving it a shot. Practices are held in the Wellness Center Gym from 7:30–9:30 p.m. on Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons from 3:30–5:30 p.m.
One of the major perks of all these opportunities, besides getting to meet a lot of awesome people, is you get to experience traveling to Bjork! Most clubs and even some classes have the opportunity to visit Lawrence’s fabulous wooden palace on the water up in Door County. The setting is impressive and it’s amazing in all seasons. It’s a great opportunity to step away from our campus, hang with some friends and meet your fellow Lawrentians. It is truly a magical place. Truth be told, I wasn’t sold on the ultimate frisbee club, but then I heard about their planned trip to Bjork in February and now I look forward to our practices. I also can’t wait to see Bjork covered in snow! So, join a club! Get out there! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You got this.