The “snowball” effect, as I like to call it, is the “key” to student involvement on a college campus. To understand what I am talking about, let us start at the beginning of my college career. As a freshman, I was very nervous about getting involved on campus, and generally overwhelmed at the thought of putting myself out there. I soon realized that I was totally wrong about this. I slowly got out of my shell by the end of my freshman year, and was thrown into my sophomore year right after.

I was not involved in anything thus far in my college career so I wanted to start my sophomore year with a bang. I had heard of this idea of the “snowball” effect but did not realize how true it was until I got involved in my first campus organization. The first organization I joined was the Student Government Association. This one organization has drastically progressed my college career by allowing me to open up and voice my opinion. SGA allows students to join not only an organization, but a family of student leaders looking to make long-lasting changes on campus. After I joined this organization the fall of my sophomore year, the rest was history. I soon joined multiple organizations after that, and now have countless connections across campus.

This is all because I first got my foot in the door with SGA, which snowballed and allowed me to find other amazing opportunities as well. No matter where you choose to get involved initially, I dare you to test out this snowball effect, and see just what opportunities open up to you.  In addition, if you are not involved with the Student Government Association specifically, you can still find ways to have your voice heard. New to this year’s SGA, are Town Hall Meetings hosted by our Executive Board! Expressing your voice in front of a diverse group of students and faculty is a terrific opportunity to advance the snowball effect. By discussing what you are interested in or what you would like to see on campus, you allow others to connect with you and advance your interests.

These events are for students of the university to come together in a moderated discussion about changes you wish to see on campus and how SGA can help you accomplish that goal. It is imperative as students at Hartford, the student body can come together and discuss issues they wish to see on campus, as it helps the students personally create opportunities for themselves, and  it helps SGA figure out how to best serve the student body.  This can only be done if we stand up and express what we need to see change. I urge all students to come check out the upcoming Town Hall Meeting, and see what we can do if we can all work together and voice our opinions in a moderated, relaxed environment.  It is up to you to start your snowball through student involvement, but we are here to help.

IMAGE COURTESY OF CLIPART-LIBRARY.COM