Leah Cover enhanced leadership skills through campus involvement

By: Lauren Gager, Staff Writer

Leah Cover is a sophomore Pre-Pharmacy major here at Bloomsburg University. In her two years at the university she was determined to get involved as soon as she arrived. She is in the Honors Program, a Husky Ambassador and a sister of Alpha Sigma Tau sorority. Within these organizations she has held positions such as National Panhellenic Council Representative for Alpha Sigma Tau as well as Fundraising Chair for the sorority. She feels that her involvement on campus has taught her how to enhance her leadership, organizational, and time management skills. Leah also feels that she has gained a lot of knowledge in networking among a wide range of individuals.

Leah chose to get involved because she loves being busy. She is good at multitasking and loves to take on a good challenge. Other than her determination and love of a busy schedule, she also feels that getting involved on campus makes a person look better-rounded on a resume. Leah says, “Future employers look to see what you have done besides getting a degree and I can say that I was a part of three organizations, have held leadership positions and have volunteered in the community. ”She doesn’t think that would be getting the full college experience if she wasn’t taking advantage of campus opportunities and feels that she is better preparing herself for her future. Leah hopes to one day become a pharmacist and manager at a hospital in addition to starting a family of her own somewhere other than Pennsylvania.

Being involved on campus has benefitted many students here at Bloomsburg University, but being involved may seem stressful at times for any student. Leah handles her stress by building good time management skills. Being involved in three organizations is a lot of commitment. She keeps an agenda book and a calendar with all of her mandatory events for the year and then the additional events that she has to complete or points or her positions she also must factor into her already hectic schedule. Leah tries to keep as organized as possible allowing her to plan ahead and stay on top of things.

When she is really feeling the pressure of being involved and a full time student she likes to either watch a movie or go to the Rec Center. Other than those two activities she has come to accept that she cannot do everything all the time and this has helped her put things into perspective and realize what she does have time for as well as what she does not.

Along with the stresses that come with being involved on campus there are many benefits. The biggest benefit Leah has experienced from being involved on campus is that people that she has met. She has befriended a lot of people in the organizations that she is involved with and says that she probably would not have met them otherwise. In addition to on campus involvement, Leah enjoys doing volunteer work throughout the community and she feels that having a variety of activities to give back to the university and the community is rewarding in itself.

If she could give any piece of advice to incoming students or students just looking to get involved she suggests doing some research and find an organization that fits your interest and skills. “College is only what you make of it and there are so many different clubs/organizations out there that you are bound to find at least one that suits you” Leah says. She likes being involved because if she wasn’t, she feels that her life would be so boring and all she would worry about is school. The organizations that she is involved are going to help her prepare for the world just as much as school does, she says. Being involved has helped her learn how to harness her strengths, improve her weaknesses, make connections for the future, and build her resume.

A message to all: ‘Keep an open mind’

By: Lauren Gager, Staff Writer

There are many students at Bloomsburg University who go above and beyond outside of the classroom. Heather Mines is one of them. She has been tremendously involved on campus throughout her time here. She is an ASL interpreting major and a criminal justice minor. Mines started getting involved soon after her arrival at the university by working with the Living Learning Communities (LLC) as a mentee from 2008-2009, became an Orientation Workshop Leader (OWL) and joined Theta Tau Omega. By 2010, Mines had become a mentor for the civic engagement for LLC, joined the executive board for OWLs, as well as held the position of treasurer in the interpreting Club. From there, she only became more involved in activities and positions like president of the Interpreting Club, public relations and recording secretary for Theta Tau Omega, a program assistant, super mentor for civic engagement and head of mentor council for the Living and Learning Communities, and she has played a major role in Relay for Life. 

     

With all of this commitment to different organizations on campus, a lot of responsibility follows.  Mines says that the LLC takes up a lot of her time but she chooses to put more into her work, than is actually required. She works with all of the LLCs on campus and tries to enhance them to make them more exciting. “Lots of change is going on and I have been there to help and see it all happen,” Mines says. The Interpreting Club is also a big time consumer for Mines. She has been planning the Bloomsburg University Interpreting Club Biennial Conference, which is open to everyone, BU student and nonstudents. The event happens every two years, so it takes a lot of time and planning. She also dedicates a lot of her free time to Theta Tau Omega with social activities, executive board meetings, community service, and on-campus events. 

     

Among her busy schedule, she has learned to find some balance and relief. She says that her planner is her life line and time management is crucial. Among all of her responsibilities, Mines needs to find time, not only for school work, but also for herself. “Sometimes a balance is hard to come by but I make it work because I enjoy doing it and I can’t imagine having all of my activities in my life. I hope I have given back to them and continue to give back to them what they have provided me,” she says.

     

The benefits outweigh the stress. Due to her involvement on campus, Mines has had the opportunity to attend special events on campus, travel across the state to represent clubs, gained experience in so many different areas in campus life and network with countless people. She feels that she has grown and benefitted a lot from her involvement and she feels like she continues to grow. Heather says that the benefits she has experienced will keep benefitting her for the rest of her life, whether it is her personal life or in the work force. 

     

Mines thinks that getting involved in general is important. She feels that students who are not involved do not get the full experience or benefit as much as much as students who are involved. She points out that the university offers a lot of opportunities but not everyone takes advantage of that. “Join clubs that are relevant to your major because you can have fun and improve your résumé,” she says, “go to the Student Activities Fair, the Student Service Center, look at flyers, there are so many ways to get involved.” Her advice to younger students is to always keep an open mind.

CGA President Abrams Speaks About Campus Involvement

By: Lauren Gager, Staff Writer

Dave Abrams has made quite a name for himself here at Bloomsburg. He has had high ambitions from the second he stepped foot on campus and has certainly made a difference in his years here. Abrams has taken on the time consuming and difficult challenge of having a dual major.  He will be graduating in less than a month with degrees in both Political Science and Public Relations. He is a member of the Political Science Association, an Orientation Workshop Leader and was previously a member of the Bloomsburg Forensics team. 

In addition to this hectic schedule, Abrams has played a very active role in Bloomsburg University’s Community Government Association, which has taken up much of his time as he has held positions such as an On-Campus Representative, Executive Assistant, Vice President and is currently finishing up his term as President. Among all of these positions, CGA has also led Abrams to join other committees on campus such as Concert Committee, Student Standards, Kehr Union Governing Board and Student Recreation Governing Board. His responsibilities included running CGA, Senate and Executive Board meetings each week, attending endless meetings throughout the semester, and overseeing corporations and assets. He has served as a chief liaison between students and faculty.  

Abrams has been influenced and inspired by many people throughout his four years here. Anikka Bril and Gia Adornetto, two past presidents of CGA, has inspired him to keep going with his career, which eventually led him to his own presidency. Although being a student leader can be stressful, Abrams has always understood that there has to be a healthy balance between work and social life. He feels like he could not do everything that he does without the support of his best friends and roommates, who have also played an active role in CGA, making it fun for all of them.

Abrams feels that he has benefited greatly from his involvement on campus. He says that it has granted him the opportunity to enjoy a learning experience that is not found in the classroom. He knew from the beginning that it was imperative to get involved because the job market is competitive and Abrams knew that he would need more than an education. Abrams has learned to network with fellow peers and faculty, in addition to getting the chance to broaden his horizons with many potential opportunities after graduation. 

Abrams’ advice to younger students is to get involved in everything you can, even if you don’t have previous experience. He also feels that students should not be scared to go out and get involved because college is the time to find out what you like. Someone may never know what they might find interesting and it might surprise them. Abrams says, “I hope that I have inspired some of my younger friends to be involved and know that anyone can have a great time doing so.”

   

Although being a full-time student is stressful, Abrams has conquered those challenges early on in his college experience and moved on to more difficult tasks. He has certainly left his mark on campus while influencing the many who have had the opportunity to work with him. 

Dave Abrams has made quite a name for himself here at Bloomsburg. He has had high ambitions from the second he stepped foot on campus and has certainly made a difference in his years here. Abrams has taken on the time consuming and difficult challenge of having a dual major.  He will be graduating in less than a month with degrees in both Political Science and Public Relations. He is a member of the Political Science Association, an Orientation Workshop Leader and was previously a member of the Bloomsburg Forensics team.      In addition to this hectic schedule, Abrams has played a very active role in Bloomsburg University’s Community Government Association, which has taken up much of his time as he has held positions such as an On-Campus Representative, Executive Assistant, Vice President and is currently finishing up his term as President. Among all of these positions, CGA has also led Abrams to join other committees on campus such as Concert Committee, Student Standards, Kehr Union Governing Board and Student Recreation Governing Board. His responsibilities included running CGA, Senate and Executive Board meetings each week, attending endless meetings throughout the semester, and overseeing corporations and assets. He has served as a chief liaison between students and faculty.       Abrams has been influenced and inspired by many people throughout his four years here. Anikka Bril and Gia Adornetto, two past presidents of CGA, has inspired him to keep going with his career, which eventually led him to his own presidency. Although being a student leader can be stressful, Abrams has always understood that there has to be a healthy balance between work and social life. He feels like he could not do everything that he does without the support of his best friends and roommates, who have also played an active role in CGA, making it fun for all of them.     Abrams feels that he has benefited greatly from his involvement on campus. He says that it has granted him the opportunity to enjoy a learning experience that is not found in the classroom. He knew from the beginning that it was imperative to get involved because the job market is competitive and Abrams knew that he would need more than an education. Abrams has learned to network with fellow peers and faculty, in addition to getting the chance to broaden his horizons with many potential opportunities after graduation.  Abrams’ advice to younger students is to get involved in everything you can, even if you don’t have previous experience. He also feels that students should not be scared to go out and get involved because college is the time to find out what you like. Someone may never know what they might find interesting and it might surprise them. Abrams says, “I hope that I have inspired some of my younger friends to be involved and know that anyone can have a great time doing so.”    Although being a full-time student is stressful, Abrams has conquered those challenges early on in his college experience and moved on to more difficult tasks. 

Full-Time Student Leaves Mark On BU

By: Lauren Gager, Contributing Writer

Marcus Fuller, a full time student at the university, has truly taken advantage of many of the numerous opportunities that have come his way during his time on campus. He has been involved in organizations such as the Impact Christian Movement, Bloomsburg University Gospel Choir, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Interfraternity Council, Student Trustee, and CGA Executive Board, in addition to working at the Kehr Union Building. Among these organizations, he has also held many leadership roles like Vice President, Treasurer, and President of IFC. 

All of these positions come with so much responsibility and work which adds to the already chaotic life of being a full time student. He feels that it is his duty to maintain the progression of the organizations that he is involved with and works long and hard to solidify their representation on campus. 

As a student trustee, he feels that he is able to give the council concerns and suggestions that are raised by the students of Bloomsburg University in an effort to better the campus.  As a student leader times can get stressful, but Marcus says, “For the most part I enjoy it.  Every once in a while it gets to me because students feel I have the power to change anything, when in actuality, they (the students) are really the ones that cause change.” 

He takes pride in knowing that he is trusted by his peers to represent the student body in order to give future generations the same opportunities that he has been presented with during his time here. 

Marcus feels that his parents had a major influence on his active participation on campus throughout the years. “My parents always told me to be a well-rounded student so at first it was simply to build my resume. As I got more involved, it became a passion for me to have an influence and be able to leave a legacy on this campus,” he says. 

Although all of these responsibilities add up to long hours and hard work, Marcus feels that he has benefited from his experiences. Being so involved has given him the chance to befriend a vast amount of interesting and influential people on campus, as well as develop skills in fields that are not taught within the constraints of a traditional classroom. The people skills that he has learned will help as he enters the work force in just a short while. In addition to these people skills, Marcus has built a confidence that he may not have gotten if he was less involved.

Marcus has definitely made a difference in the Bloomsburg community and will continue to work hard to ensure that his responsibilities are met. His words of advice to younger Bloomsburg students are: “To find something you like, look for a club or organization that has similar interests as yourself. Start with something small like your major and grow. Also, just don’t be a general member.  Hold an executive position and cause change within the organization and university.” 

He has left his mark here in the little town of Bloomsburg and there is no doubt that he will use these priceless experiences to continue succeeding throughout anything he should decide to do in life.