Getting involved, making a difference
MSC committees offer students experience and training
Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. representatives from hundreds of campus organizations will be advertising their groups and recruiting volunteers.
The Memorial Student Center's Open House is an amazing undertaking. It is no small task to assemble such a wide range of clubs for one afternoon, but the project is just one of the many tasks of the organization known as the Memorial Student Center.
The MSC is comprised of 24 committees covering areas from performing arts to leadership training programs. The committees involve over 1,800 Aggies, creating a set of resources unparalleled on the A&M campus.
This Sunday, those MSC committees will be recruiting alongside other campus organizations, and students should make a point of learning how they can get involved with the MSC.
With all its assets, the MSC has a lot to offer students. Although anyone can attend an MSC program, Aggies have the opportunity to gain exciting experiences by helping to produce those same programs.
Will Hurd, a senior computer science and international studies major and this year's president of the MSC, said the MSC provides students with a real learning experience.
"Students are involved from generating the ideas to putting on the programs," Hurd said.
The MSC hosts many highly visible events. The Film Society brings a variety of films to Rudder Auditorium, MSC Cepheid Variable plans a large science fiction convention each year and several committees like MSC Wiley Lecture Series bring interesting or big-name speakers to campus.
Besides allowing students to hear speakers like Margaret Thatcher and Colin Powell, the MSC also offers members an opportunity to plan these same major campus events.
The MSC committees vary in size from 40 students to about 200. Here students work together and can develop skills that will help them later in life Ñ such as working in teams.
Besides hosting programs, the MSC has committees dedicated to creating leadership programs to train students. MSC members have a variety of good opportunities to extend their leadership abilities through experience and training.
The MSC offers programs designed for many different groups, including several programs just for freshmen; Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow, Aggie Fish Club, the Freshman Leadership Organization and others. But freshmen are encouraged to get involved with any MSC committee. There is an MSC committee for almost every interest, and Open House is a great time to get involved.
Students interested in joining an MSC committee should talk to fellow Aggies at Open House and find a committee that interests them. Each committee will hold an informational meeting in the near future, allowing students to get more information on any committees they are considering joining.
Once a student has decided on a committee, they must apply to join. Committee chairs review applications to find Aggies who are motivated and will remain involved throughout the year. MSC members should be hard workers who are committed to making a difference on the campus.
The MSC encompasses so many programs that it can affect almost every Aggie -- if they choose to allow it. Opportunities extend beyond the surface. Aggies have more options than just hearing a lecture or attending a program, they can also get involved and help make a difference.
Dave Johnston is a senior mathematics major.