Student Organizations
As a student at Northern Arizona University, I think that is is extremely important to be part of a social group on campus. It has been proven that students who get involved in activities going on around campus are more likely to excel in school as well as enjoy the college experience more. Therefore I think that being a part of the Lutheran Campus Ministry(LCM) is important in my college career. There are several reasons why I feel that this organization is the place for me to be! I get to spend my time with a group of students that believe in the same core concepts as me, make new friends, and even have a support system for times I might need help.
Have you ever been with a person that you simply just can’t see eye to eye with? Everything that you talk about you seems to differ about and slowly your patience just seems to creep away. These situations are not usually health ones and can cause unneeded stress. The LCM program provides an area where this issue is usually not a problem. With students all coming from a common faith results in a lot of the same beliefs about morals, God, and even some political issues. Having friends around that just get you and don’t have to question or argue about issue results in a fun and friendly environment. Another benefit is that the group usually realizes that everyone is there to build up a fellowship and to find the safe environment that I just talked about. With this kind of unspoken goal, everyone usually allows people to feel whatever they chose to believe and agrees to disagree if you see it differently.
LCM is not only a great place to be yourself and believe what you want, but it is also a fabulous place to met new friends while you have just moved to a new town and a new lifestyle. I know moving four hours from home and only truly knowing one person, my roommate, it was important to meet others to whom I could have be my new friends. The whole experience let me meet new people who I will probably know and consider to be good friends for the rest of my life.
Even though a safe and healthy environment and making new friends are amazing features of this club, possibly the best aspect is the social support system that you get. College can be one of the most confusing and difficult times of your life. Don’t get me wrong it can also be the best, but all of a sudden having to pay your own bills and make sure there is food in the refrigerator can be stressful. Classes dump homework on you and you are faced with choices about parties and boys in dorm rooms that were not necessarily present before. All of these things can cause student to turn to making bad decisions and possibly face eating disorders or depression. When crisis does come along having people who will care about you no matter what and know what thing you need to hear to find you way back is the key factor to not developing a problem. LCM is a program where a social support system is always present, the pastor is always available to talk and help and know about the college life style. And the other students know exactly what you are going through and have possibly been through it themselves. All in all the support system that LCM provides is probably one of the best on campus.
LCM is truly a home and is something I think any Lutheran or other student should look into joining. We have fun and make sure that we all leave college with just as much if not more enthusiasm about our faith!!