It was in my IS reader that I found an interesting essay by Dr. Andrew Mills, who teaches Integrative Studies courses at Otterbein, entitled "What's So Good About a College Education?" In it, Dr. Mills refers a college experience to a "can opener." This is true because, you, the can opener, will open yourself up to a plethora of wonderful experiences in college. The doors are wide open and the opportunities are endless, even if you think it's a waste of time, it's still worth giving it the "old college try." You don't want to look back on your college years, at the things you should have done and say, "Oh, man, I should have joined this," because regret is a four-letter word. It's not going to be the boring IS courses, or the early 8 a.m. classes that you will look back on, four years from now. Instead, it will be on what you did outside of class, and the experiences that you got involved in our "quiet, peaceful village." This summer, my 10 year-old cousin was at my parents' house for their annual Fourth of July barbeque, and she said that college students do nothing but "read books." Well, it is true that you should stay focused on your studies, but it is the bonds that are forged after the bell rings that you remember later in life. Kate Porubcansky, Otterbein's Director for the Center of Student Involvement, believes that student involvement is beneficial. "It helps students make connections to other people, to other offices, and connected to the campus," Porubcansky said. "The other piece of it is, that it is shown that students who are involved are more successful in college. You learn time management skills and feel a sense of responsibility to the campus, and you tend to learn through your experiences and it brings up your potential." Getting involved in student organizations also allows you to make lifelong connections while having fun. You will be grateful 20 or 30 years from now, when you bump into the guy whom you met at WOCC, at a charity event, or say "hi" the girl whom you became best friends with because you two were involved at Otterbein Christian Fellowship (OCF). These are ties that never break, especially at this college where everyone knows each other. The Campus Programming Board plans excellent events for students, such as Homecoming, which is coming up. Student Council and Student Senate are excellent organizations for students who are born to be leaders. OCF is probably one of the most popular groups on campus, and also sponsors a lot of events throughout the year. One of these events is the Root Beer Keg Party, which is Friday night at the Spiritual Growth House. The Center for Community Engagement is a great opportunity to get involved, because it allows students to give back to the community through community plunges, service-learning courses and other volunteer opportunities. Earlier this year, Otterbein College received the Presidential Award for their community service. The First Friday Festival, always held in the Campus Center on the first Friday of Fall Quarter, is a good way for students to sample what is going on around campus and around the Otterbein community. I highly recommend that you attend this, because this is a fair targeted for freshmen students to get exposed to campus organizations, and local businesses. Lastly, I want you freshmen to have fun here. You've got a lifetime ahead of you, but only four years of college. So, make it worthwhile and get involved today. t&c;
Bryan Curtiss is a senior broadcasting major and columnist for the t&c.;
