When enrolling at Naz, every student pays a one-time fee called “Student Activities”. You may see that charge on your bill and roll your eyes. Why do you have to pay for activities when you are already paying for tuition, room and board, a dining plan, and more? Where does that money even go? I’ll tell you!
At Naz, pretty much every fun thing going on on-campus can be traced back to a small suite of offices in the Shults Center. These offices are where you will find Student Activities and Leadership, the Undergraduate Association, the Campus Activities Board, and the Senate Office. The Undergraduate Association (UA for short) funds clubs and organizations, as well as supporting Diversity Council initiatives and campus events, and is operated by an Executive Board of elected undergraduate students. The Senate is composed of elected senators who represent different groups on campus, such as class years, diversity initiatives, the residence hall council, and commuters. Both the UA and the Senate hold elections every year and are always looking for new students to become involved in these important leadership positions!
Now, chances are, you could walk by all these offices every day and never know- or care- what goes on in them. But back in these offices, the Director of Student Engagement and Leadership, Carey Backman, as well as many student workers, UA leaders, senators, and CAB chairs, are planning, marketing, and running events for Naz students every day. In addition, over fifty clubs are active on campus and all of these clubs, ranging from Ballroom Club, to Theater League, to a variety of academic-based and sports clubs, are hosting events and activities, too!
Now, you could call me a bit biased- I worked as a marketing assistant for Student Activities last year, and this year I am the marketing chair of the Campus Activities Board- but in my not-so-humble opinion, Naz has amazing campus programming. Not only does the college provide a variety of fun major events, such as Up All Night, SpringFest, Formal, the Foam Party, and Mr and Ms Naz, but there are also many enjoyable weekly events. I can guarantee that every single week at Naz, more than one fun event is going on. And the best part? All you have to do is show up! You never have to pay for events again after your initial student activities fee, with the exception of off-campus trips to awesome places such as concerts, shows, and amusement parks (but, as a side note, the tickets usually only cost $5!).
So how do you make the most of your money and time here at Naz? Go to things and do stuff! Go make a school spirit pennant at Pinterest Night, or win a bag full of groceries at Grocery Bingo! Go to Dave and Buster’s for Up All Night! Grab a free treat at an ice cream social! Play (or watch) some Quidditch with Quidditch Club! Pay $5 to go see Fall Out Boy or J.Cole! Go to the Black Student Union Fashion Show! Grab a late-night snack at Late Night Bite! Enjoy a show by a hypnotist or magician! I can tell you from experience that all of Naz’s events sure beat sitting in your room.
Don’t get me wrong, school is important; please study and do your homework. But don’t forget to take a break and go have fun once in a while, too! Try making it your goal to go to one event a week, whether its small, like grabbing a free donut on your way to class on Motivation Monday, or big, like assembling a team to go win some money at Trivia Night.
There really is something for everyone here at Naz, all you have to do is go and find it! But how to find it? Download the new Nazareth College App as soon as you can! Not only does the app have access to Moodle, grades, schedules, Handshake, and more, it also has all of Naz’s events organized in one convenient place! Set your preferences by clicking the gear symbol in the upper righthand corner of the events tab, and you will see events which cater to your specific interests! It’s an easy and convenient way to always be in the know on what’s going on on-campus.
To sum it up: go get involved! It’s your money, don’t let it go to waste! Chances are you’ll see me at most campus events!
For more on the Undergraduate Association, check out Zynub’s blog here.