Happy first week of classes. I am glad you picked up a copy of The Badger Herald. It’s obvious you’re looking for something new. In this case, it’s news.
However, if you were to pause and reflect, I think you would find that you picked up this paper because you’re craving to be a part of something. The news the Herald shares also gives you the sense of belonging, of being in cahoots.
Given that other writers are already extending a warming welcome and catching you up on the news, I want to talk to you about this desire you feel to belong.
I would argue Madison appeals strongly to students who intend to join a handful of clubs and organizations. Yet – and you can ask yourself and your friends for confirmation – most students join one to two clubs throughout their higher education career.
How could this be, when students are so motivated to join clubs and the University of Wisconsin has more than 750 student organizations for them to join?
This was my goal when I first came to Madison and my goal at the start of each semester: to get involved as much as possible. At most, though, I commit to two new activities per semester, until this semester at least. And I hope I can inspire you the same way I’ve inspired myself.
The desire and resources are available, but what you lack is known as follow through. To borrow a phrase from the sporting world, when it comes to participating in extracurricular activities most students are all Swedish and no Finnish.
As the semester goes on, you become more unlikely to participate in extracurriculars because you have the easiest acceptable excuse: School is too overwhelming. (Even though you and I just procrastinate to watch “Breaking Bad” or “How I Met Your Mother.” This time could otherwise be spent at a Public Relations Student Society of America meeting … getting free pizza, I might add.)
If I ended the article here, I would be cheating you. Why we don’t get involved is obvious – fear. What can cause us to take the action necessary to be involved, to follow through? This is a much more complex question.
Fear is the obstacle between wanting to be involved and actually acting on that desire. (And yes, it isn’t that you’re choosing not to join a club, it’s that you’re too hesitant to join one. There is a difference.)
The desire to belong is natural enough, but the fear accompanying it presents itself differently for each of us. Some people fear if they belong, they will have to contribute. Others fear that by belonging, they risk disappointing others. Yet others fear if they belong, they will be asked to take the lead. This fear is none other than the fear of success.
The fear of belonging is a gateway to other fears. To follow through with your plans to get involved, you must first establish the way you want to belong. What does belonging mean to you?
To me belonging is a constant battle. I say this in a positive way. Belonging, in my eyes, is supposed to be a challenge. Any time two people communicate, the outcome is absolutely unpredictable. What is belonging if not communicating on the same level as someone else? (Thus, most clubs I am involved in are communication based.)
By deciding what it means to belong, you can better decide what clubs and organizations you can truly belong to.
For those who are just reading my column for the first time, Hi! My name is Garth and I write to make a ruckus. Sometimes you won’t like my articles. Other times you will like them, but dislike what I ask or challenge you to do.
Lastly, I can’t end without suggesting that you actively read the Herald. We cover many events, club efforts and various school and community organizations. You might just find a place to belong by picking up the Herald. If you’re looking to create your own organization for others to belong to, well, what I write involves that too. Cheers to another semester.
Garth Beyer ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism.
