My name is Zach Jenkins, and I was last year's Student Body President here at Lake Forest College. Since these are seriously weird times and you all aren’t able to visit campus right now, I want to share a glimpse into the many involvement opportunities we have as well as my own personal involvement experiences.
Lake Forest College is unique in that we are a small school, but an incredibly active one. Everywhere you look students are involved in at least one or two clubs they are truly passionate about, many of whom quickly work their way up to being organizers and leaders of said clubs. Coming in my first year, one of the big things that led to my involvement was the Forester Fair, which is this giant yearly gathering of all the campus clubs on the quad (huge grass patch in the middle of campus). At the Forester Fair, you have the opportunity to talk to representatives from each club and see what interests you the most. The variety of choices is mind boggling each year including, but not limited to:
- Empowerment organizations (United Asia, PRIDE, United Black Association)
- Club sports (Men & Women’s Rugby, Ultimate Frisbee, Sailing Team)
- Competition teams (Model United Nations, Debate, Mock Trial)
- Student representation opportunities (Conduct Board, Student Government, Student Programming Board)
- Event-based organizations (TEDxLakeForestCollege, Relay for Life, Gaming Club)
- Fraternities and sororities (ATO, KAT, LCA)
There’s also plenty more miscellaneous clubs and organizations that I can’t even remember off the top of my head. At my first Forester Fair, I walked out a member of one club, two student representation boards, one competition team, one club sport, and running for a spot on Student Government. It’s so easy to become involved that part of my biggest concern that first year was being over involved! Needless to say, as time went on, I fell in love with certain clubs and organizations, such as TEDxLakeForestCollege and Student Government, and ended up taking a step away from others, such as Sailing Club (the water was way too cold for my poor SoCal heart to handle). That being said, I’ve appreciated being involved in everything I’ve tried because it’s given me a chance to really explore what I enjoy doing and also what might not be for me.
“Overall, there’s plenty of advice that I could give you — practical stuff like: avoid taking econometrics, get lots of Clif bars, check out an all campus program (ACP), and always invest in a good pair of shower shoes, but if there’s one piece I can emphasize more than anything else it’s that you’re going to want to be involved in the clubs and organizations of our college community. Few other schools can give you the small college experience while still having a club for everyone, and I think even fewer do it better than Lake Forest. ”
One of the things I’ve learned the most in my three years at college thus far is just how important and impactful getting involved is. Personally, I’ve taken different friends away from each club and organization I’ve been involved with, many of whom I’m still incredibly close with to this day.
In this last year (my junior year), the four major hats I’ve worn on campus are: Student Government President, Freshman Resident Assistant (RA), TEDxLakeForestCollege President, and College Council (council that advises President Schutt) Member. Each of these have been incredible opportunities and have led to great memories and not to mention some seriously great college stories!
Overall, there’s plenty of advice that I could give you — practical stuff like: avoid taking econometrics, get lots of Clif bars, check out an all campus program (ACP), and always invest in a good pair of shower shoes, but if there’s one piece I can emphasize more than anything else it’s that you’re going to want to be involved in the clubs and organizations of our college community. Few other schools can give you the small college experience while still having a club for everyone, and I think even fewer do it better than Lake Forest.
It’s not hard to become one with the forest and truly enjoy every last second of your campus experience, but trust me when I say you’re going to want to dip your toes into the water and get involved right away.
If you have any questions about getting involved on campus, feel free to reach out to me at jenkinszd@lakeforest.edu.
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Student Government Senate 2019-2020
All campus Resident Assistants 2019-2020