“Never turn anything down until you try it.” – Lily Roman

Meghan Wiedeburg
Antelope Staff

To offer a wide variety of opportunities for students to get involved and broaden their horizons, the University of Nebraska at Kearney held the annual Student Organization Fair Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Atrium.

The Chemistry Club brought in a lot of traffic with their homemade ice cream and optional toppings.

Student members at the Danza, Sigma Lambda Beta and Sigma Lamda Gamma booths kept people engaged by turning on music and doing a variety of dance routines.

Students already involved were eager to share their knowledge, experiences and passion with students walking by and stopping at the booths.

Lily Roman, a junior family studies major from Shelby, was part of the Panhellenic Council table. “Being a part of variety of organizations on campus has pushed me into leadership roles,” Roman said.  “It has made me more outgoing, but more importantly, it has opened so many new doors for my future.”

For Wednesday’s fair, approximately 32 organizations registered and set up in the Union, which is less than the fall event but still a strong representation.

At the beginning of every fall and spring semester, organizations line up informational booths to increase awareness and involvement in their individual organizations.

UNK Student Government sponsors the annual event, giving student organizations the opportunity to engage with incoming and continuing UNK students.
This event is geared toward students looking to get more involved on campus. Getting involved in college comes with many benefits including the chance to build a community, discover passions and strengths, build resumes, increase leadership opportunities, meet new people and so much more.

Ashley Burghart, senior elementary education major from Burlington, Colorado,  said, “This specific organization, Kappa Delta Pi, has impacted my college career greatly! As a future teacher, I desired to be a part of something where I could relate to and connect with my fellow peers in a career focused way.  This organization is preparing me to be a teacher through many different activities.

“My favorite thing about being involved with this organization is the aspect of community it provides. There are over 30 future teachers who come together to strive to become great teachers one day and I love that,” Burghart said.  

Roman said, “Never turn anything down until you try it. I never thought I would be a sorority girl, and now I hold leadership role in my own sorority and hold an executive position in Panhellenic Council.”

Research has shown that involved students report higher levels of satisfaction with their college experience. I can even advance your spiritual, intellectual, cultural and social development.

“The impact of joining SigEp for me is that the organization made me strive for success. I’m sure that if I wasn’t a part of SigEp I wouldn’t have nearly as many opportunities as I do now,” said Brody McKnight, a sophomore business administration major from Sidney.

Getting involved is simpler than you might think. McKnight said, ”Just find someone who is involved in the organization you’re interested in and talk to them! It’s really that easy.”