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Clubs at KU

Prologue

No matter who you are or what you’re interested in, there is something for you at KU. With clubs and activities for many interest majors and something else there are plenty of options on how to get involved while on campus. Also, as long as you make an effort, you can always find others with the same interests as you. By joining any of the clubs or activities on campus, you can get involved, stay busy, make friends, and even make the best of your time in college. 

In this post we will be talking about three aspects of getting involved through clubs on campus. In act I Ava explains that KU offers several clubs for students with specific interests . In act II, Brynn explains the positive aspects of major related clubs on campus. Kylie then explains how to make friends at KU during act III.  All of these acts dive into the aspects of being involved while at Kutztown, and how being a part of clubs and activities can improve the overall experience of college life. 

Act I: Clubs and Activities for Specific Interests

Coming to college and being in a new environment can be difficult at times to meet new people, but being active in your community and on campus can make all the difference.

 At Kutztown University there is an abundance of clubs and activities provided that are veered towards specific interests that students may have, there are over 200 of them. These clubs are a great opportunity for students to make friends and expand their horizon when it comes to getting involved on campus.

 After talking to Julia Cook I was able to get more of an insight on what it's like to be involved in a club here at KU. Julia is a part of CEC, council for exceptional children. CEC is made up of students that aspire to work with kids around the area that have physical or intellectual disabilities. Julia explained that she has made so many new friends since joining this club, and since all of these students share the same interest in this club, she said that many of them also have several classes together. She goes on to say “it's really nice because we’re all there because we want to be…and we want to help out in the community.” Being a part of a community with the same interests and goals in mind is an exceptional way to create genuine bonds and friendships with other students.  

– Ava Fester

Act II: The “Major” Clubs

When going to a new place, adapting can be tough, I know that for me it sure was. Searching for places, groups, and activities where I could fit in seemed to be one of the most difficult things for me to do when I first came to Kutztown. I decided that one of the best things for me to do was to find a club that would benefit me the most. 

In the first few weeks of living on campus I attended an involvement fair. It truly opened my eyes for all the clubs and possibilities that were available for me. I realized that there are clubs related to specific majors, and decided that joining one was a great idea. Being a student in an art ed major I found a club perfect for me, National Art Education Association (NAEA). 

Along with NAEA there are plenty of clubs at KU in a large selection of areas including, art, music, math, education, statistics, and science. With such a large variety in the choices of clubs the possibilities are great for many majors. 

One aspect of being in a club related to your major is getting to meet others who will be or are already in your field of interest. Through NAEA I met Carmen Popovici, the current president of the club, and a future art teacher. She brought up many interesting points - and her views - on the positive aspects of joining major based clubs. 

“Knowing I had people to go to if I had questions was really helpful,” Carmen explained.  She went on to explain how the upperclassmen in major related clubs are great to go to for insight related to your major.  As they have been where you are they can have tips on which classes to take, or even just offer overall support. 

Along with meeting people who are in the field that you are entering, being in a major related club also opens up opportunities to get involved with programs and events. Carmen also mentioned her experience with this in our discussion: “ I’ve gotten so many opportunities and met a lot of people in the art education community while going to conferences.” Attending events that are held by - or are open for attendance through - the club are great ways to see and learn more about your field of study. 

Along with conferences many clubs hold small events related to the major that not only build experience, but can be fun. These events offer great opportunities to get involved in the club, your major, and in some cases even the community. As an example to these events I bring up NAEA again. They hold events every so often called Friday Night Outs (FNOs). These events bring in local children and teach them different art related lessons. Events like this bring good to the community along with a sense of experience - in this case teaching art to youth - to those who are involved in the club. 

Overall, being in a club related to your major offers a sense of community that may not be easy to find in other places. “Getting to experience certain classes, and sharing materials [with those in the same major and clubs as you], you really get a sense of belonging with others, being inspired by others,” Carmen explained. She then went on to say how she “ loves having people to turn to if [she] ever needed anything.” Joining a club for your major opens many doors whether it be through experience and getting involved, or having a support system composed of those who are in the same boat as you. You will not regret the decision to join a club in college; in fact, you may just love it. 

– Brynn Merkel

Act III: Meeting People and Making Friends

“College is supposed to be the best years of your life,” as the cliché goes. Making friends on campus is crucial to enjoying your time at KU. One of the best ways to meet like-minded people is to be active in clubs and/or activities. Just being at a club meeting isn’t going to be enough to make connections with the people there. Get out there! Make an effort! Enjoy your time here!

When first coming to KU, I felt anxious about how I would meet friends. Going to plant club meetings allowed me to get over my anxieties and geek out over plants with people who shared my same interests. For me, not only did joining clubs and activities help me make friends but also strengthened my friendships with friends I already had! Being able to make new friends allowed me to feel like I could actually belong here.

Speaking to Kutztown University students, Amber and Jaime share with us how to make friends in a club setting. Amber – a member of the Plant Club – believes the best way to join clubs when looking to meet people is to join something that most matches your hobbies and interests; “When you are in a club that you really enjoy, you are surrounded by others who share the same interests. Because of the shared interest it makes it easier to form a connection and make a new friend.” Jaime – a member of P2P (Pen 2 Paper) – believes the best way to join clubs when looking to meet people is to find one that you are genuinely interested in, and look into what they do within the club; “Some tips to making friends in clubs is find people with similar interests and start a conversation about that… Or you can work collaboratively on something within the club.” Based on interviews of multiple Kutztown university students, here are a few steps toward meeting people in clubs and activities:

Look online to find different clubs that you could be interested in and make a list.

Go to activity fairs and talk to Eboard members about joining their club. This will help you get a feel for the atmosphere and cross off a few clubs on your list that you realize you really aren’t that interested in.

Go to a few meetings. Going to meetings of the remaining clubs and activities on your list can help you solidify your feelings about which club(s) you would like to continue in.

Start to interact with others. It is important that you make an effort to talk with people. When interacting with other members, be sure to be friendly and reciprocative to conversation.

Ask for contact information. Communicating with others outside of meetings will help develop friendship.

Most importantly, have fun! Your time at KU is limited, but if you make an effort, you could make lifelong friends. College can certainly be the best years of your life.

-Kylie Fralich

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Art on Campus

Prologue:

When walking around campus, we see many students lugging around their instruments and art bags. Creativity can be seen all over campus, in sculptures and on the sidewalks that students cover in chalk. The Visual and Performing Arts program at Kutztown creates a majority of the student body. With two buildings dedicated to art, there are many different experiences and events that surround being an art student. Although it’s just a major, being in art intertwines into your life. Whether it be working on projects in your dorm, partaking in the gallery shows that rotate throughout Sharadin, or even being a part of a Living Learning Community, you are an art student. 

In Act 1, Life of an Art Student, we will be diving into the life of KU art students on campus. Talking to different art students on campus, we understand the benefits and opportunities available to KU art students. We also understand some of the challenges with being an art student. In the second act, learn about the Miller Gallery, its many shows, and how it interacts with art students. In the final act, read up on how art students, and majors can come together as a community. 

Act I:  Life of an Art Student

Being an art student at KU is a community all on its own. You have people from all different backgrounds but have a common goal of bringing art to the world. As an art student myself, I find that I have found a place that I can express my love for art and show my skills. I walk around campus and witness art all around me. I see all of the opportunities and experiences that surround being an art student at KU. However, I wanted to go deeper and get another perspective on being an art student on campus.

I met up with a fellow art student named Kay in her residential building. She agreed to answer a couple of questions about the different aspects of art life on campus in the form of an email. Kay majors in communication design and talked about her thoughts about being an art student at Kutztown University. I discussed with her about the many different aspects of life as an art student at Kutztown University and Kay explained that being an art student at KU is “exploring the possibilities of creating art.” She went on to say that it is  “learning how to make art out of anything around you.” Walking around and seeing the chalk drawings on the sidewalk throughout campus and the creative artworks in Sharadin, I agree that art can be anything.

Being an art student at KU, I have many different opportunities before me where I can interact with fellow art students and create relationships. When I asked Kay for her thoughts about opportunities at KU she said that opportunities “lie everywhere in KU for art students.”  They can be embedded within art clubs that “enhance their skills and knowledge”, the art buildings like Sharadin, or the art living community living in Lehigh Hall.

There are also some downfalls to being an art student in general, not just at KU. I personally have had some financial difficulty with being an art student due to “the materials being our job.”  It is possible to have “a lot of expenses especially if you’re taking a multitude of them at once.” 

There can also be a lot of stress that comes with being an art student there “often several projects dealing with and without art that require your attention.” Having to juggle your general studies and projects for art classes can be stressful to some.

Being an art student at KU is being part of a greater purpose of bringing art to the world. You have many opportunities and advantages of being a part of the art community. Talking to Kay helped to get a different opinion on what it was truly like to be an art student at KU, good and bad.

-Brianna Libis

       Act II: Miller Gallery

Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery located in the Sharadin Arts building holds great opportunities for art students. The gallery recruits faculty members, alumni, and artists from all over the world to come display their art. 

The current exhibit features Eric Anthony Berdis. His work is strange yet inspiring and I had the wonderful experience of contributing something to this exhibit. During my drawing class my professor led our group down to the gallery. Mr. Berdis sat us all down at a long table to play a drawing game that involved passing around papers, writing sentences, and doodling. After the activity he asked us to pick our favorite doodle and redraw it on a sticky note to hang on the wall. This activity was fun and it was really cool to be a part of Mr. Berdis’ exhibit. When everyone was finished hanging up their doodles Mr. Berdis pulled back the curtains hiding the rest of his exhibit and invited us in to take a peek at his work. He explained the meaning behind his work and told stories about his experience working in the public school system as an art teacher. Hearing the artist speak about his work with such emotion was inspiring. When speaking with my friend Ellie, who is part of this drawing class as well, she completely agreed that Eric Anthony Berdis’ art was truly inspiring. She mentioned that the layering of fabric was extremely intricate and she had never seen anything like it, “Seeing his display made me want to create something similar.” It is great that this gallery inspires students to experiment with mediums they are not used to. Being involved in his installation made me feel included in the art community and this is important when going to a new school. 

Not only does having this gallery on campus inspire art students it allows them to gain some behind the scenes knowledge. Part of the gallery’s mission is to get students involved with mentoring opportunities. The artists that are brought in are expected to interact with students and involve the students as much as they can. This is a great opportunity for students to learn and ask questions about how installations are organized or planned. Ellie mentioned, in her interview, that she is grateful to have access to this gallery right on campus, “It's inspiring and just amazing to have an art gallery so close and accessible to us. We are able to learn the logistics of an art gallery and enjoy the art as viewers.” More students can take an interest in these projects because the information is so convenient to access.

Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery is a critical part of the art community at Kutztown University. The installations held by the gallery inspire the art students to think outside of the box, expose students to different types of mediums, and open their eyes to the possibilities of the future. All art students should take advantage of the opportunities this gallery holds, right on our campus. 

Zoe Eichinger

Act III: KUVA Living Learning Community        

It is important to build a community as art majors, art begins to flourish around other creatives. A good way to create that tight-knit group is with a Living Learning Community program open to first year students at Kutztown. The LLC meets once a week, and gives way to learning about the art building, the KU area, faculty guidance, events at KU, and everything that the school and Sharadin have to offer for art students. Not only does this open opportunities to learn about the campus and main street, but as well as friends/people you know in your major. Every member of the LLC, lives in the same dorm hall, in this case Lehigh Hall. Projects, whether they be 2D or 3D, can be big and messy, being a part of the Kutztown University Visual Arts. LLC also gives access to a studio space with desks and supplies, for all members on the third floor of Lehigh.

In an interview with Janna Gregonis, the professor in charge of the LLC, she mentioned “The LLC is not only a good way to bring the kids together, but also allows for them to assimilate better during their first semester at Kutztown. I am able to give students my knowledge surrounding different attributes available to art majors at Kutztown. It gives them an edge over their peers.” Each meeting is not mandatory, but is something my friends and I would look forward to each week. We learned about things on campus that you wouldn’t have found naturally. 

While the KUVA LLC is not a crucial part of being an art major, it is still an important part for many students. It allows for a way to get closer to those in the same major and classes, and creates a strong close community together.        

Lainie Walter

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Creativity

Creativity At Kutztown

Prologue: Introduces the blog. ‘Creativity on campus’. The prologue talks about how Sharadin, how people make connections in the sport management program and Lytle Hall promotes creativity on the KU campus.

Kutztown University is a college full of creativity and wonderful opportunities. The Sharadin Art building, Keystone Hall, and Lytle hall hold some of the most creative minds on campus. Creativity can be portrayed in many different ways. Not just in art, but in written words and in promoting yourself to make connections. We have worked together and created this blog to deepen your understanding of creativity. There are many forms of creativity displayed in Kutztown, and we have explained the main points in this blog. t, self-promotion, and writing. The first act is how Sharadin promotes art students to express themselves in a creative way without being restrained. The second act is how people promote themselves in sport management. The third and final act is how people express themselves through creative writing.  

Act one: How the Sharadin Art Building Promotes Creativity without Restraints

In the artistic aspect of creativity, there are endless possibilities. Here on campus, artists express themselves through sculptures, murals and group projects. I’ve noticed some extravagant art pieces scattered around campus, and they all have shown a different form of self expression.

These photographs were taken at the Sharadin art building. The current art show is overwhelmed with incredible colors and textures. Each piece tells a different story, and each one is beautiful.

While creating art, individuals have the chance to show their true colors without restraints. There are no boundaries to what can be created in the artistic world. Everyone is different, and so is their art style.

A specific art style that I would like to address belongs to my fellow artist Charlotte Weiss. While speaking with her in Beck Hall last week, she told me about her process. Charlotte loves to crochet and draw to express her creativity. Her art blossoms best when she is in a cozy familiar setting like her bedroom, or her backyard.

Charlotte and I are actually roommates, and have spent lots of time adding our own artistic touches to our dorm room. Our creative styles intertwine very nicely, so we were able to create a beautiful and safe home to spend our days here at Kutztown.

During our conversation, Charlotte said that being surrounded by nature brings her peace and inspiration: “Sometimes when I’m bored, I put myself in a peaceful setting, and force myself to create. Most of the time it results in something pretty awesome.”  

When Charlotte told me this, it made me so happy. I relate with her creative process, because I too need a peaceful environment to invent my best work. As an art major, sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the amount of art I need to submit to my professors. I don’t always feel inspired to create, and it can bring stress and lack of motivation. However, changing my surroundings always puts me in a different mindset. My creative spark usually returns to me.

Personally, my art style has grown and developed a lot as I’ve gotten older. Especially since I’ve started college, I’ve learned so many new techniques that have improved my art tremendously. Being exposed to new styles and mediums has motivated me to expand my creative horizons. These are a few photos of  artworks that I’ve created recently:

I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity here at kutztown to express myself through art. There are so many people here on campus that are encouraging and understanding. No matter how difficult it gets, I can always count on my fellow artists to lift my spirits. Each and every day is a blank slate for creativity. I’m so happy that I chose Kutztown to continue my creative journey. I will forever be thankful for my experiences and knowledge that I’ve gained here.

 -Bobbiejanne Lowes

Act two: Creativity in the sport management department

How creativity differs in the way people reach out and make connections in the sport management program. Keystone Hall.

When asked about how creativity differs in the ways people in the sport management program reach out and make connections, sport management student Kevin Schwartz said, “Trying to connect with all the different types of people in the job industry because it is a highly competitive field so I would want to know people that work with sales and other stuff like that. I would want to know people that work for minor league sports and majors so when I start at the bottom I can work my way up by knowing important people.”

Creativity is expressed in different ways all around the campus. Any major or career path requires some amount of creativity to succeed. This applies to the sport management program as well as numerous others here at Kutztown University. College gives us the unique experience to explore our own creativity in fields of our choice.

Many people who imagine creativity at college will immediately think of the art departments and other related fields and majors. Although they would not be wrong, everyone who attends KU, or any college campus, develops and uses their creativity to explore who they are, and who they want to be.

Scott Hirsh

Act three (Writing for creativity): Explores how Lytle Hall Encourages Creativity.

Creativity is more than just art or promoting yourself. There is literary creativity as well. Lytle Hall here at Kutztown University is a hub for creative writers. One of the events that is promoted through the building is Shoo-Fly. Shoo-Fly is a literary magazine that is run by Professor Jeffrey Voccola here at Kutztown University. The magazine helps promote written works of creativity by the students here at KU. Of course there are other ways to express oneself through words. Creative writing is a popular option for writers.

Two creative writing students that I interviewed here at Lytle Hall express their love for creative writing, and respect for their creative writing professor, Keig. Riley, a creative writing student, said this about the professor, “Keig is a really great professor and is accommodating of all literature.” Another student, Regan, said this about the same professor, “He is really chill.” When it comes to creative writing, having a professor or teacher that encourages their students to write is a good thing.

I can relate to these two students with the reverence that they have for their professor, because I had a similar creative writing teacher in High School. I remember that she didn’t set down strict guide-lines for our assignments, and left the assignments open-ended. It allowed for creativity to flow freely from my brain to the Google docs document. Add the fact that there is a similar professor here at KU that has the same view for creative writing. Half the battle with creativity is finding someone who encourages it and allows it to grow. Creativity is more than art or self-promotion, creativity is the words on a blank page.

-Sydney Hartman

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Health and Wellness at KU

Prologue- This blog post talks about the discussion of health and wellness at Kutztown University. Paige and I will be talking about the top 3 health problems Physical health, Mental health and social health. There are many ways to get involved on campus at Kutztown University and there are many things that you can do to stay physically,mentally and socially healthy.  

Act 1: Physical Health- During the span of the 3 months being at Kutztown University my friends and I have used the health center a few times. At the beginning of September I was feeling very sick, I had a sore throat, itchy nose and a fever. I tested in my dorm for covid and sure enough I did. I was advised to call the Health and Wellness center and they provided me information on what to do. I was told to stay home for 2 weeks and could commute if possible on the 10th day. I interviewed my roommate about how she used the health center. Over the past 3 months of attending Kutztown I asked my roommate Emma when was the last time she went to the health center and why. Emma commented and said “ The last time I went to the health center I got my yearly flu shot at the flu shot clinic on campus.” I also asked another source when was the last time she went to the health center. Brie responded with “ The last time I went to the health center I wasn’t feeling very well and they tested me for covid.”

Act 2: Mental Health- Being away from your friends and family back home for an extended period of time can have an impact on mental health. My time here at Kutztown University has opened my eyes up to the fact that I am in a new environment and my routine has changed. In the new environment I have found myself being worn out and stressed. In the future I definitely would use the health center to talk to others about my emotions.  

Act 3: Social Health-  A big part of Kutztown is being involved on campus. There have been many opportunities to get involved. I would encourage all future Kutztown students to get involved this can improve your social well being. A big part of college is getting involved this can be through clubs, making friends with class mates, going out to eat etc. I think a big part about social health is getting out of your dorm room and being involved. The health and wellness center has fun nights on campus almost every week that can get you out of your room to try something new.

Lydia & Paige

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Meeting New Friends at KU

Prologue

Arguably, the scariest part of going to college is making new friends. It’s not easy, but you have to face your fears at some point. College is all about growth, you will never grow if you don’t try new things. At Kutztown University, there are tons of ways to meet new friends and experience new things at the same time. Regardless of what way you chose to make friends in college, it is a very important thing to focus on when you first arrive. Having friends will make college go smoother and you will have someone to talk to when things get stressful. 

In our blog, we highlight four different ways to make friends in college. The first way is to join a sports team. If you are recruited to play a sport in college, then it is easy to make friends through that sport. You get to live with a teammate(s) and you are with them all the time so it is common for athletes to get close with the people they play with. If you are not recruited to play a sport, there are tons of other recreational sports teams that anybody can join. This is still a great way to make friends that have something in common with you. The second way is to meet people in your dorm hall. At the end of the day, you will live with these people all year so why not get to know them? Knocking on a stranger’s dorm may seem scarier but it is a great way to get to know the people that are always around you. The third way is to join a club. There are endless clubs at Kutztown and they do not involve a lot of commitment. You can go as much or as little as you want and it is still a good (and easy) way to meet potential friends. The last way is to make friends in your classes. This is probably the easiest way because you will see these people almost everyday in class. The most important thing to remember is to not be afraid to talk to people you do not know.

Act I: Collegiate/Recreational Sports Teams

Sports teams within KU are a good way to meet new people from all over. Getting involved with sports or any activities on campus lets you meet/ get to know others and build bonds with new faces. It’s a good way to meet new people doing the same thing you like. 

I met my friend Dj while playing basketball at the Rec Center. He was very self explanatory about how he met people through basketball at Kutztown, some of his friends on the team were from his hometown where he had played against them in high school. 

There are many reasons why sports provide a good icebreaker for new friends. First, you and your team are all working together and playing by the same set of rules. You need to trust each other and as you get to know one another you play off each other's strengths. Also, sports brings out a variety of people, so you'll share a common point of interest. You don't need to worry about making small talk in order to bond because the play you're involved in will help you do that. As a result, you'll have more to talk about after the games and practices. 

But make no mistake, sports also helps you get along socially. If you're someone that struggles with social grace, sports can teach you about interacting with other people, listening, and letting someone else take center stage. You'll learn to take the spotlight without arrogance when you win like a champ, and handle losses with humility.

Zamire Johnson

Act II: Dorm Hall

Kutztown has many different places to live on and off campus. I particularly live in Dixon Hall. Dixon houses a lot of the athletes and my friend Collin is one of them. Collin and I actually met when I knocked on his door. My suite-mates and myself went around the hall and just knocked on peoples doors the first two weeks of school or so. Everyone is nervous, anxious, excited, and wanting to make friends the first few weeks at a new place. I remember knocking on Collin’s door and just introducing myself and my friends and then meeting his suite-mates too. He ended up inviting us to come with him to the room of another teammate of his. When I asked Collin how he made most of his friends, I went to his room and knocked on his door, just like I had when we first met. His suite-mates were in the room but Collin and I didn’t go very far into the suite. 

After explaining my purpose for interviewing him, in regards to making his own friends, he said, “a lot of them are from football, but mainly I just see names on the door and I knock, then I ask who is who.” Collin has a good point. I know that I have done that to many people here at Kutztown. A good portion of my friends, I met while knocking on doors or walking the different hallways in Dixon. If I personally didn’t meet them by knocking on their door, my friends knocked on their door and I met them through them. Some of my closest friends are actually those that I knocked on their doors in Dixon. I now go and hangout in different peoples rooms in Dixon. Regardless, putting yourself out there by knocking on doors and being social, will go a long way.

Caitlyn Stackhouse

Act III - Clubs and Activities

Kutztown University has a variety of clubs that all students are offered to join. Gabby, a freshman at KU, recently joined the Golden Bear Dance Company. She has always had a passion for dance and wanted to continue in college, but didn’t want to join the dance team as she already plays another sport. I asked Gabby how joining the dance club has helped her make new friends. Her response was, “it was extremely easy to make friends at dance because we are all doing what we love. It is a space where you are not only able to talk to others about schooling, but also talk about other interests and things we have in common.” 

As Gabby said, clubs are able to provide a safe space for people to meet other people who all have a common interest. Joining clubs at KU are able to provide a sense of family that many students may need while away from home.  Although Gabby hasn't been in the dance club for long, she claims, “I have met some of my closest friends from dance.” Finally, college comes with a lot of stressors. Clubs can be a space for students to meet new people and take their mind off things while doing what they love. Gabby shared “as a biology major I am taking many stressful classes and always doing school work. Dance has given me a space to take my mind off my work and feel free for a while.” Get out there and join new clubs to have fun and make new friends! 

Elena Graff

Act IV - In Class

Making friends through your classes can be the easiest way to meet people. However, it can also be the most challenging depending on what kind of person you are. If you are outgoing, then you won’t have a tough time reaching out to new people and connecting with them. If you are on the shy side, it may be a little more difficult for you to do that. 

Connor is shy when he is around strangers and tends to keep to himself during classes. When he got to Kutztown, he knew that he had to try to be more outgoing. This benefited him for the better. Connor started out by saying, “I made a lot of friends in all of my classes. It was the first thing that I tried to do when the semester started. I knew that it would be important to have friends, to not only hang out with, but to also do schoolwork with.” I asked Connor to explain how he went about making friends in class. He said, “Compared to other classes, some were easier to make friends. In some of my classes, my teacher did an introduction activity where we got into groups and had to introduce ourselves. In those classes, I became friends with the people that were in my group. It also helped that some of those same people were in a bunch of my classes because we had the same or similar majors. I had some classes that didn’t do an introductory activity so it made it harder to put myself out there. I went up to a few guys and introduced myself. We ended up having a lot in common and became good friends inside and outside of class.” 

Connor had a lot of success making friends in his classes. They take tests together and help each other with homework. Also, Connor has been able to meet other people through the friends that he made in class. This is a great way to meet a lot of new people that aren’t necessarily in your classes. Even though this may sound easy, it is hard for some people to do. I asked Connor to share some advice for new Kutztown students who want to make friends in class. His advice was to not be afraid to put yourself out there and to go up and introduce yourself to other people on the first day of classes. Another piece of advice that he gave was to not only talk to your friends about your class, but to also become friends with them outside of schoolwork.

Emma Stalsitz