The Battalion
—
Aggielife
Page 3 • Friday, September 3, 1999
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Extracurricular Overload
Abundance of organizations atA&M can lead to a severe burden on students’ schedules
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SUSAN OVERCASH
The Battalion
our years ago Emily Baie, a senior petroleum en
gineering major, wandered onto campus for the
first time and was astonished by the size and pop-
. "but at the: ulation of Texas A&M.
a few of us:. 1 “A- s walked across campus during freshman ori-
•ersonal proie ehtation, 1 remember thinking how huge it was,” Baie
ct isbeingfun said. “1 was overwhelmed.”
i\\ and Brya: j Many freshmen experience the same feelings of dis-
ters of Habita oi entation their first few weeks in Aggieland, clutch-
g with Nonve
aters, chair ei' |>
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ity's contrib; M
art of its cork-
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umanity, wh
ing campus maps and leaping to avoid rogue bikers
and buses.
However, getting involved in an organization on
campus helped Baie meet people and helped Ag
gieland become the comfortable place she now knows.
“1 joined Aggie Fish Club, and it helped me meet a
lot of other freshmen,” Baie said. “Not only did 1 han£
out with AFC, but we also met other campus groups
and really got involved.”
But Aggie Fish Club is not the only group available
for freshmen to get involved in; recruiting season for
student organizations is upon Aggieland again, and
the smell of free candy and freshly printed fliers is
wafting from the MSC.
One of the largest student organization recruiting
drives on campus, MSC Open House, takes place Sun
day. Over 300 organizations will have booths, fliers,
applications and free goodies awaiting students.
Amanda Arriaga, executive vice president of mar
keting for the MSC and a senior management major,
is directing Open House this year. She said the event
is a good way for new students to find out what is
available for them at A&M.
“Open House is the single easiest way to get
plugged into what’s going on campus,” Arria
ga said. “Last year, we had over 20,000 stu
dents walk through. You can find everything
there, from student government to dance
groups, anything you want to do.”
Organizations offer different opportunities to
potential members, from service to social as
pects, and try to market this during the recruit
ing process. When recruiting, many groups com
bine students’ special interests with the
opportunity to meet a smaller group of people.
Ryan Conlon, chair of MSC Town Hall and a
senior information systems management major,
said they offer applicants the opportunity to take
part in all aspects of bringing an entertainment
event to town, as well as give them a chance to
get to know other students.
“We want them to take part in promoting the
local music scene, and give them a chance to
meet and know a really diverse group of indi
viduals,” Conlon said.
With so many groups dangling opportunity
and free pizza in front of students’ hungry minds
and stomachs, it’s easy to get overwhelmed in
the recruiting process, and thus, over-involved.
According to Arriaga, it’s a good idea to apply
for many organizations, but choose only two or
three to actually join.
“When I was a freshman, 1 got involved in 10
different organizations,” Arriaga said.
“I was going crazy; 1 didn’t have time to do
anything. Out of those groups, there were two or
three that came out that I’ve stayed involved in. ”
Conlon suggested students try to choose a few
organizations they are interested in and contin
ue with those organizations throughout college.
But why succumb to the promises of student
recruiters at all, especially when the living room
couch, “Days of Our Lives,” and that oh-so-en-
ticing bag of Funyuns await at home?
Elizabeth Wagner, a freshman biomedical
engineering major, said that after being in
volved in high school, she wants to remain in
volved in college.
“I want to stay active,” Wagner said. “Other
wise, all there is to do is study.”
Dr. Carol Albrecht, sociology internship coordina
tor and a lecturer in the Department of Sociology,
said sociologists have two main theories as to why
people join any group.
“The Hector Group Solidarity theory claims people
join groups to get things they can’t get themselves,” Al
brecht said.
“They join the group that will give them the most
net rewards. It’s a very rational, almost marketing type
decision making process.”
Albrecht cited friendships, social approval and net
working opportunities available in Greek organizations
and service fraternities as examples.
Albrecht said the second theory is the Etzioni the
ory, which claims people are rational but rarely high
ly rational and make decisions based on emotional
factors.
“People sometimes join groups because of a sense
of loyalty,” Albrecht said.
Wagner said she uses her aesthetic judgement
as well as her common sense when selecting a
group to join.
“If the group comes up to you and starts talking and
seems really nice, and if they have food, drink and free
stuff — those are things I look for,” Wagner said.
“If they do something for other people, they have to
make it fun: they have to make it enthusiastic.”
Erin Fleming, a freshman English major, said she
plans on getting involved for a number of these reasons,
to meet people and also stimulate interests that might
lead to career opportunities later.
“I also want to give something back to the commu
nity,” Fleming said.
Albrecht said there are several strategies groups can
use to hold onto members once they join.
“They are obligatory groups,” Albrecht said. “Groups
have to monitor and sanction group behavior. Group
behavior is monitored through meetings, social func
tions and groups functions.”
Albrecht said groups also find ways to regulate the
behavior of their members.
“They also have to sanction behavior: they pun
ish you if you don’t do what they want you to do and
they reward if you do what they want you to do,”
Albrecht said.
“They reward you by giving you privileges. It’s a
good way to keep membership.”
Albrecht said students should exercise their best
judgement when selecting groups and be careful to
avoid joining a group for the wrong reasons. She said
wanting to belong is a bad reason to join a group.
“A lot of times, people join groups because they feel
marginal in some sense,” Albrecht said. “They join
groups that reduce marginality.”
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