Too many extracurriculars to choose!

       Since starting my Spartan journey I have been involved with many things including MSU Model United Nations, MSU Association of Future Alumni, and Associated Students of MSU which is our campus-wide student government organization. The extracurricular activities I’ve been consistently involved with this year are MSU Cru, JMC Ambassadors, and more recently my sorority Pi Beta Phi. 

      MSU Cru is a student-led Christian organization on campus that can also be found at universities across the nation. I attend one of their events at least once a week and I am able to meet a variety of people who have similar values and beliefs so it is enjoyable.

        I would also call James Madison College Ambassadors an extracurricular activity. Being a JMC ambassador is a reminder where I came from and how admirable the JMC program is. Being able to share my enthusiasm for JMC is an honor of mine. I think being an ambassador will be one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences I will have while being at MSU because of the friendships I made and the things I learned from the faculty and peers. 

        

         Last year, I wasn’t as involved with my sorority because of school work and then studying abroad, but the second I stepped foot into my sorority house this year I have been challenged, supported, and loved in ways I did not expect. It has been evident to myself that I am developing as a person while living in the house with such a variety of colleagues, or as we call them ‘sisters’.  What attracted me the most about Greek life is the philanthropy and the professional/personal development aspect. Something my sorority does annually that you and your friends can look out for is the spaghetti dinner which is a charity event where people can buy a meal and the proceeds go to our philanthropy, which is focused on literacy in children and there is an organization called Read>Lead> Achieve that is partnered with our sorority to promoting literacy and helping people realize illiteracy is problem.

       I've been involved with a lot of extracurricular activities here at MSU.  If you have any questions, feel free to comment below! 

Monica

Junior

IR & Media Information Technology

Finding a home away from home

       Coming to college, I knew I wanted to be involved in extracurricular activities. In high school I was involved in everything- sports, band, theatre, church, service clubs- you name it. In college, I really wanted to find organizations that were meaningful and would help me grow as a student, a leader, and as a person in general. Freshman year, I made two of the best decisions of my life: going Greek and applying to be a Resident Assistant.

       Both of these roles are a big commitment, and I am so happy to be able to pour so much of myself into them. Greek life at Michigan State is such a great community of dedicated, fun, and service-oriented students. I am proud to call myself a Delta Gamma, and in my sorority I have truly found my home away from home. Our philanthropy is Service for Sight, and through Delta Gamma I have been able to volunteer at the Penrickton Center for Blind Children, raise money to produce braille materials, and provide support for members of our armed forces returning with visual impairments. Here on campus, we cheer on teams at our annual Anchor Splash and Anchor Slam tournaments, participate in East Lansing’s Safe Halloween event, and walk all night at MSU’s Relay for Life. Whether it is at a philanthropy event, a chapter meeting or just a movie night at the house, I love spending time with my sisters and I know they are always there for me. I am so glad I found such a great way to get involved in the community and find my best friends!

       

My Delta Gamma sisters in front of our house

       When deciding to be a Resident Assistant, I knew that it would be a huge responsibility. Just going through the interview process was intimidating, let alone the prospect of having fifty residents and being their mentor and go-to resource. Now that we are part way into the school year, I can honestly say that I have the best job. The interpersonal and leadership skills, time management, and responsibility I have gained from this position amazes me. It has been the most rewarding experience to help new Spartans adjust to living at MSU and work through all of the ups and downs of college life. Getting involved was one of the best ways I was able to make MSU my home, so I make it my goal as an RA to encourage my residents to find the extracurriculars that will help them grow during their time here, just as I have.

The 2014 Akers RA staff

        While academics are the main purpose of coming to college, I believe extracurricular involvement is what makes these years so meaningful. Whether it’s a sports team, cultural group, or any organization you choose to be a part of, I hope everyone finds what makes them happy and helps them become the best version of themselves.

Alexa

Sophomore

SRP

Getting Involved in the Honors College

          Since I have been at Michigan State, I have had the opportunity to be a part of several great student organizations. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Honors College Dean’s Advisory Council. I have been an active member since the beginning of my freshman year. During the second semester, I was appointed to be the Public Relations officer. Now, I am going on my second year as the President. You might be wondering what it is about such an organization that has kept me involved. Well, I have to say that as an Honors College member an organization like this is quite important because the whole honors college student body needs representatives. At the same time, the Dean and the rest of the staff need to know what the students think. Ultimately, what we do as a council is what makes this organization great. In addition to basically being the “changemakers” within the honors college, we have grown close as a membership, and I have several good friends that I probably would not have otherwise.

            As I am writing this post, I feel weird just naming one organization that has be an amazing part of my MSU experience. I have not necessarily been the best at narrowing things down. When I first came to MSU, I was overwhelmed with knowing that there were over 600 student organizations here. I was sure that there was an organization for almost every interest that I had. As a result, I kind of went crazy at Sparticipation (an annual event where all the student organizations have tables set up for new and returning students to see what they do). I was involved in way more organizations that I can handle! In retrospect, joining all those groups helped me figure out what I was truly passionate about. I will say that you shouldn’t even worry about finding extracurriculars or clubs to get involved with! There are more than you know here, but I will say don’t be too eager because you might end up in over your head (like me!) freshman year!! At the end of the day, extracurriculars and clubs are definitely some of the best parts of your MSU experience (especially if you are an international or out-of state student- you get to me lots and I mean lots of people!). I hope that if you any of you decide to attend MSU, you find yourself involved in some pretty great organizations.

Florence

Junior

IR & PTCD 

Living and Learning in Case Hall

My favorite part of my freshmen year were my midterms. To most students, this sounds crazy. Who actually enjoys taking exams?

But the reason I liked midterm season so much was because I loved working with my friends around me. Many of the other students on my floor were in James Madison, and all Madison freshmen took MC 201, Intro to the Study of Public Affairs, together. Therefore, we were all reading the same books, listening to the same professors, and discussing the same concepts in section. We bonded over this class, and we used each other as resources.

I visited office hours for my professors and read the material closely, but what helped me the most was discussing the lectures and readings with my classmates. We bounced ideas off of each other and edited each other’s essays. We speculated about what the paper prompts might be and shared our opinions about the material. Studying and working together built a sense of camaraderie and boosted our GPAs at the same time.

There are many wonderful parts of Case Hall--the lovely dining hall, the convenient classrooms, the location. But the best part is that there are friends, peers, and resources everywhere you look.

Claire
Sophomore

South Pointe Dining Hall at Case

 Photo Courtesy of MSU Communication and Branding Strategy

A Freshman's Perspective

Throughout my first two semesters within the James Madison College, I have experienced many ups and downs. But there is something that has made the downs worth it, for example, the classroom experience.  My classroom experiences within these first two semesters have been amazing. These experiences have helped me bond and connect with other James Madison students, mostly over political jargon.  One of the great things about these classes is the size.  Since these classes are smaller than most on campus, they promote a community atmosphere that inspires teamwork and friendship.

When I started my second semester, I already knew that the friends I made in MC 201 and 111 are going to be friends I can rely on for the next three years of my college career.  I love this aspect of James Madison because it creates a close knit community of people that share so many things in common.

I also enjoy this format of classes because it is a better style for discussion-based teaching and learning. It makes it easier for the students to interact with the material, while the professor is still able to stay on task throughout the entire class session.  This also creates a prime environment for in depth analysis and research, it also provides enough one-on-one time for professor and student interactions within the allotted time of class.

As of this far, these two classes and the format of classes within James Madison have created great experiences that I will not soon forget.

Brandon

Freshman

My Favorite Class: Biodiversity Conservation Policy and Practice

When I get asked what my favorite course has been while I have been at James Madison College and Michigan State University, I have instant anxiety. Many of the courses I have taken have changed my life and have made me love attending class, including MC 395, Performing the Nation, as well as MC 482, Gender and Violent Conflict. However, after much thought I have concluded that my favorite class is MC/FW 445, Biodiversity Conservation Policy and Practice

           

Before I can explain why I loved this course, I must explain the events that brought my to take the course in the first place. Interestingly, I actively tried to avoid taking this course. With no background with endangered species protection and policy, I felt as though this course would only stress me out and leave me steps behind my classmates, as many of them were obtaining the Science, Technology, Environment and Public Policy Minor (STEPPM). However, there were few courses offered and I knew that I needed a course that fulfilled my global governance requirement for International Relatiions. Ultimately, after speaking with other professors in attempts to create an independent study, I came to the conclusion that I had no option but to take MC/FW 445.

           

I was surprised in so many ways. As my first experience with topics like endangered species protection, the creation of protected areas, biodiversity, international environmental agreements and much more, I was not only interested in the course but became excited to attend class. I had always been interested in exotic animals, and the ability to speak thoughtfully of the plight of the rhinoceros or elephant is an amazing opportunity and was so different than so many of my other courses. In addition, this course succeeded in doing something that I believe higher education should aim to: Diversify students’ knowledge bases while providing real world practice in the topics at hand. Not only have I learned about a topic I had never expected to, but I can speak about this topic comfortably and confidently. Because the course is technically a course in James Madison (MC) and Fisheries and Wildlife (FW), there are so many perspectives from students in majors from Agribusiness to International Relations to Fisheries and Wildlife. With these diverse perspectives, including my own from CCP as the one of my major in this course, our class discussions are routinely fascinating but informed from multiple perspectives of the issues at hand. Finally, Professor Kramer has been one of the most supportive, understanding and organized professors I have ever had, and I appreciate his feedback and welcoming demeanor every morning at 8:30AM.

           

As the time for scheduling has arrived, I actively tell any International Relations student that this is a course that they should consider for their global governance requirement. The course has changed the number of possibilities that I can see myself reaching for in my future, and I will forever be thankful for the risk that I took when I enrolled for the course.

Danny
Junior

International Relations

Comparative Cultures and Politics

A Look Back at Freshman Year

Starting off my first year I only knew a few people that would be in James Madison with me and let me tell you, I hoped that they would be on my floor. However, as I got my room assignments I was surprisingly pleased that only one person I knew was on my floor. The reason? It gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and make friends that would last me a lifetime. Even today, as a senior, I see people from my floor my freshman year and I am so excited to see where they are now and reminisce over all the good times that we shared and all the new experiences that we went through together as freshmen.

Living in Case as a freshman is one of my favorite things about the first year experience.  We are able to knock on the door next to us if we need help on a homework assignment, since every JMC Freshman takes the same courses.This made it easy to get help and make a few friends while I was at it. Freshman year is truly unforgettable. It is the first time you are separated from your parents and really on your own and it is also when you begin your journey into adulthood. You can make a name for yourself, join clubs that were never offered at your high school, play sports that you aren't great at, but always wanted to be on the varsity team back in the day. Playing co-ed soccer with my floor my freshman year was so much fun, we all walked to the games together, hung out with one another after the games and just had a good time.

Lisa
Senior
International Relations
Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy Minor