When class is over and you’re looking around campus for something to do, you may or may not notice that there seems to be a decrease in campus events this semester. Many students are concerned that the lack of events is due to the recent budget cuts that swept through Tennessee schools, cutting a lot of programs throughout the state. Will campus events continue to dwindle or will there be more activities to engage in as the weeks approach?
Even though it seems like there isn’t a lot to do on campus, the truth is, there are just as many events to partcipate in this semester as there were last semester, according to the Director of Student Activities Tricia Nguyen. Nguyen went on to say that most student events are not state-funded, so the budget cuts would have absolutely no effect on these activities at all. The only events that would be affected are those that are state funded, which is a significantly small amount.
When asked if she saw any difference in the amount of activities compared to those of last semester, freshman Keisha Wilson said, “There seems to be quite a lot of events going on as far as clubs and student organizations are concerned, and I have personally been able to get involved more this semester so I’m enjoying it a lot more.”
There is actually quite a bit going on on campus this semester, such as basketball games, intramural teams, various workshop opportunities, among other things. It seems like ETSU students almost always have something to engage in when classes are over and they’re browsing for some after school fun. However, some students do see a decrease in the amount to do. Freshman Ray Jones said, “I think there is less to do on campus because of the weather and the timing of school starting back, I just feel like people are far less interested and the school is too.” Either way you view the on-campus activities situation, the truth is there seems to be a lot of events quickly filling up the calendar located on the SORC’s Web site, http://www.etsu.edu/students/sorc/calendar/index.htm.
From athletic events to academic discussions, ETSU is a very busy place this spring semester. You could partake in the various religious organizations such as The Well or the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, or you could simply join one of the many clubs on campus. From joining a service fraternity, to attending a softball game, there are many different activites to check out at ETSU. Either way you choose to go, getting involved is sure to make you’re college experience a much more enjoyable one.

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