There is a reason everyone tells you to “Get involved!”
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COMMENTARY
Sebastian Moleski

“Get Involved!”

That’s the mantra that follows you through each orientation session, Frog Camp, campus-wide e-mails and even these columns. It’s the major advice most upperclassmen give to the new freshman class.

When I came to TCU a little more than a year ago, I did the exact opposite of what everybody preached during orientation. I spent the nights and weekends in my dorm room, mostly alone. I had some friends I would hang out with every once in a while, but none of that surmounted to “Get Involved!” I didn’t know what I was missing out on. How are you supposed to know how much value there is in being a part of a group if you never bothered trying? That’s where I was: Not in a group and not bothering to try.

Then the fateful day came. I had to stand in front of the House of Student Representatives announcing an event for another student organization. To say I was nervous would be like saying World War II was a disagreement about real estate. I was sweating. I was shaking. To cut it short: I was a nervous wreck. Of course, as it goes in such occasions, everything that could go wrong went wrong. First, I sat in the wrong seat. Not knowing anything about how seats are assigned in the House, I just grabbed a chair right in the first row. As I found out rather quickly, that row is reserved for the committee chairs. The Vice President of the House at that time, John Billingsley, suggested that I take a seat somewhere else. He was very polite and professional about it, though. When it was my turn to speak, I forgot most of the words I’d thought about just minutes before and stumbled and mumbled through my announcement at a hundred miles an hour. I doubt many in the room at that point understood what I was talking about.

“Get Involved!”?

Something changed that day. The announcements are the last thing in any House meeting, so while I was waiting for my turn I got to listen to everything that was debated before. It was interesting to see how these other students dealt with problems and issues that affected not only them but also a large portion of the student body. I realized what was really behind “Get Involved!” — the opportunity to make a difference at TCU, to have an impact on the campus that might last even past your own graduation.

“Get Involved!” didn’t just stay a suggestion, it became much more to me. I felt like after everything TCU gives to me, it’s my obligation to give something back to the university. I attended the House meetings until the end of the semester. The meetings are open to all students, although only representatives and committee chairs are allowed to vote. In the spring I became one of three representatives for Clark Hall.

So, do get involved. Make a difference. And don’t feel intimidated by others. If student government isn’t your thing, there are over 140 other organizations to get involved in. If, however, the House does sound interesting to you, I will see you Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in the Student Center, Room 222.

Sebastian Moleski is a sophomore international economics major from Berlin, Germany.