Typically, words of wisdom from the Viewpoint section come at the beginning of a semester, or more specifically the beginning of the school year. All of us wonderful columnists have the opportunity to provide 500 words of wisdom we know at the bottom of our heart will change your college career forever.
I passed on my chance. Instead I sung the praises of the Greek system here which was an important topic that needed to be touched on because there’s such a negative attitude toward Greek Life on our campus. Here’s my chance though, and maybe these melancholic words will ring a little bit differently with everyone considering it’s past the midway point in the semester.
Get involved, but not too involved. Clubs and organizations are great here, and we have hundreds upon hundreds of clubs that any student can walk into and become an active member with no prerequisite. Find one or two and dive headlong into the deep end, work your way to the top and make some great friends in the process. Organizations at N.C. State are one of the best ways to meet people and make new friends.
Yet, don’t get too involved because it’s too easy to stretch yourself thin. I’ve done it, and I’ve seen dozens of friends around me do the same thing and I’ve watched people around me and my academics suffer because of it. No student wants to fall into that pitfall where a club precludes your academics because you’ll be left your junior year looking at your grade point average and your future options wondering where it all went wrong.
Demand more from the University’s administrators. They work for you. You pay their salary and their purpose here whether they want to admit it or not is to serve the student body. We as students have every right to ask questions and to demand better services from the administration. Next time you feel you’re being slighted as a student shoot an email to your college’s dean or an administrator.
Go to football and basketball games. It’s obvious that this isn’t the greatest year for us in football, but how sad would you be to skip out on the Virginia game and potentially miss one of the greatest football games ever played (last year vs. Boston College anyone?).
We have such a rich tradition in basketball and it pains me to listen to all the sports networks year after year drone on about UNC and Duke and ignore N.C. State. We have two NCAA National Championships in basketball and both teams are represented on our bench between Head Coach Sidney Lowe (’83) and Assistant Monte Towe (’74). Who knows? This is our year to regain some of the respect that we’ve been denied the past several seasons. Maybe this will be another Championship year, and it’d be a shame to miss the first half of the season and jump on the bandwagon toward the end.
Regardless of whether or not you take my advice, as you walk around campus today look around and be proud of the school that you go to. This is Homecoming Week, and despite the much needed rain, this is N.C. State at its finest. And over the next few years before you graduate do great things that will make our school proud of you.
What are your thoughts about Benton’s advice? Send comments to [email protected]
