‘Enter to learn, go forth to serve’

    157

    By MALI HEGDAHL

    At a university where admission is partly dependant on volunteer service and leadership experience, many students come to BYU with a rich background in church and community involvement.

    To them, “Enter to learn, go forth to serve” is not just a phrase they glance at when driving onto campus for the first time. It is their goal.

    Many students, old and new, question how to get involved on campus and make the most of their “BYU experience.”

    Fortunately, there are many opportunities for service around campus. The only problem is choosing where to roll up your sleeves and get involved.

    The easiest way to find out about involvement opportunities is to go to the Campus Involvement Center.

    “Here at BYU, which is different than at a lot of campuses, there’s just a desire among the students to do service and give something of themselves,” said Ann Marie Lambert, coordinator of the Campus Involvement Center.

    Lambert said there are six major student organizations which provide service and leadership opportunities on campus.

    They include BYUSA, Student Leadership Involvement Center, Student Alumni Association, Student Honor Association, Student Leadership Seminar and Residence Hall Association.

    Students can visit the Campus Involvement Center to find out what each organization does and how to get involved with them.

    “All of these organizations run on volunteers,” Lambert said.

    She said involvement in individual departments of each college is also a good way for people to become active on campus.

    Each of the ten colleges on campus has a council run by students. In addition, virtually all of the departments have clubs, Lambert said.

    Lambert said ward and stake involvement is another way to become active in an organization if campus involvement is not appealing to someone.

    “A lot of students will go through BYU and maybe not get involved in campus activities, but they’re really active in their ward. That’s always a plus and we always support that,” Lambert said.

    Roxane Olsen, 1997-98 Student Alumni Association president, said it is important for students to look at their options and find an organization that will match their desire to serve.

    Olsen said students should start by deciding what exactly they want to do.

    “When students choose to serve in organizations they really believe in, their commitment and feeling of fulfillment will be greater than if they chose one randomly,” Olsen said.

    Lambert said there are many benefits of becoming involved in activities outside of school.

    One strange effect of becoming active in an organization is improved grades, Lambert said.

    “I often hear students say that they get more done when their schedule is full,” Lambert said.

    Lambert said many studies have shown that students who are involved somewhere outside of their classrooms actually do better academically.

    By working outside of the classroom, students get practical experience using their knowledge gained in school, Lambert said.

    “Their learning is definitely enhanced,” Lambert said.

    Olsen said the opportunity to serve also enhances individual skills that students may not be able to develop in a normal classroom setting.

    Another benefit of getting involved in a campus-wide organization is the chance to meet new people, Olsen said.

    “Definitely, there’s the benefit of cultivating friendships with people you wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to meet,” Olsen said.

    Students often meet people within their own major and do not have a chance to meet many students from other fields, Olsen said. By working in an organization which involves a lot of people, individuals can develop a wide variety of friendships, Olsen said.

    Brian Bowers, BYUSA president, said being involved in an organization is important because it allows students to feel like they belong.

    “When you come to BYU, it seems like such a big place, but by getting involved you feel like you’re part of something. It helps the campus feel like a smaller place, more like home,” Bowers said.

    He said serving on campus is also a way to give back and contribute to the university.

    “Being involved in service prepares students to go into the world and build up their communities and the Kingdom,” Bowers said.

    He said being involved on campus and in student wards establishes a lifelong habit of service.

    “It’s what the BYU experience is all about,” Bowers said.

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email