Hello to all you Prospective Titans! I’m Jonah Klockziem and I am going through the second semester of my freshman year. I’m currently triple majoring in Anthropology, History, and Social Science. Quite the handful. I come from the humble city of Shawano. My big dream is to eventually find myself as a curatorship at the Smithsonian. A little fun fact about me is that the Bucks are my favorite NBA team. They’ve got that aura, y’know? You are all going to try and start a long journey, that journey being college. Hard work makes the dream work but there comes a time when you want to do anything other than just work. I’ll share my point of view as a freshman and why I believe that everyone has time for an organization at UWO!
I was lucky enough to experience the Titan Advantage Program before I started my first semester at UWO. So, I believe I had more of a head start than others. But I still had trouble finding activities outside of class to do. I had heard of the typical clubs and Greek life at UWO, but I didn’t truly understand what they exactly were. Not until I went to Titan Fest. The vast amounts of organizations at their tables talking to you about joining up with them was a little overwhelming. There’s just so many organizations, what to pick, what to do? I didn’t have that eureka moment until I walked by Model U.N.’s table. While Model U.N. may have been a fit for me. There are many other organizations that can and will be a fit for you.
With organizations, they add on more time you’ll need to dedicate yourself to. Like I said, I am a triple major. That comes with a lot of work, and I need to create harmony between my academics and my club! Situations can become different for each student, respectfully. However, creating a harmony between your academics and clubs will benefit you exponentially. I do want to emphasize that you shouldn’t take too much on your plate. College needs to come before anything.
Clubs and other organizations can do a number of things for you. From providing you an outlet to work on your public speaking to helping you become better in math. All organizations are a benefit to you in some shape or form. I, myself, have grown more in public speaking, research, organization, as well as work ethic. Many organizations do a lot of things that will help you get out there. For example, I recently partook in the Midwest Model U.N. Conference in St. Louis. I represented the university as a “Delegate of Sri Lanka”. Taking on topics in my assigned committee, U.N. Habitat, that dealt with sustainability in housing development and water infrastructure. Once everything was said and done, I won an award. It was a great boost to my confidence!
Clubs and other organizations at UWO are a great way to get involved in the community and gain some skills while you’re going to university. There is bound to be a club here that you’ll want to check out. Just make sure that you’re creating that harmony among an organization and your academics, and you’ll be golden in my book. Thank you for reading, and good luck out there!