Wittenberg students are divided on whether students are over involved or under involved on campus, while others believe there are different ways to be part of campus.
Carol Nickoson, Director of Student Involvement, said that, this last spring semester, around 1100 students were involved in at least one organization on campus, roughly 70% of undergraduates.
She also said that many of these students are involved in more than just one. Students don’t always have to be part of organizations to be involved in campus and its life.
Louis Major, ’19, is part of Witt’s Phi Gamma Delta chapter and is currently the Inter-fraternal Committee (IFC) VP of Recruitment. He says that he hasn’t been involved in many other organizations, but he supports “all types [of events]” on campus. These events can range from W-Day to sporting events and different organization sponsored events.
“I believe that students that want to be involved, whether to get their name out [there], or because they believe in the cause, [they] will show up to any school event,” Major said.
Major was also surprised to hear that the percentage of students involved. He said it “had gone up” since he last heard about the topic.
Mitchell Murphy, ’21, is currently in Witt’s Delta Sigma Phi chapter, the rugby team and the ’21 Class Cabinet. Last year he had more on his plate with Witt’s APO chapter, Green club and Operation K.
Murphy believes he was over-involved in campus and he had to leave some of his organizations because he got a job and it pushed him too much. However, he says he feels “under-involved, but content” now.
There are “a mixture of people over involved and people that aren’t and that is fine,” according to Murphy. He and Major agreed on this point.
Murphy also suggested that students should “go to the involvement fair and sign up for anything you’re interested in” to students looking to be more involved.
“Attend, like, the first two meetings and if you don’t like it you can just leave. There isn’t like a penalty,” he stated.
Some students also think they are too involved. Alyssa Hallauer, ’21, is managing a nursing program at Clark State University while being part of Gamma Phi Beta, Lesotho Nutrition Initiative (LNI), club volleyball, working as a lifeguard and being an OA.
“I have too much going on right now, I’m overwhelmed. Like, if I wanted to be on Union Board or other things, everything would overlap too much.” Hallauer also says that she “can’t see her friends as much” and that it sometimes “hurts her school work a little” too.
There are also some students that believe that their fellow students should be more involved.
Casey Luther, ’20, is the current VP of Delta Tau Delta and a member of the Outdoors club. He says that many of his brothers are members of IFC, Frolf club and many other clubs, but there is also a “mix of guys that aren’t doing as much”.
He thinks that Witt’s Greek community isn’t as involved in school as they should be.
“As a member of a Greek society, and personal experience, we aren’t always the most involved people when it comes to activities around campus,” Luther said.
Courtney Stewart, ’21, shares that sentiment of students being under involved. She is currently part of a dance, LNI and Turning Point on campus. Off campus she volunteers at the Springfield Regional Hospital and works at a doggy day care, Wags and Wiggles.
“Witt [students] should be doing more. We’re doing great things as it is now, but we could be doing so much more too,” Stewart stated.
