College is the time to really get involved. In anything, really. There’s an ocean of groups, clubs and organizations that new students get to immerse themselves in.

While there are groups that can sharpen the skills and talents needed for careers, student hall governments offer different opportunities for freshman.

Hall government isn’t just for political science nerds or power-hungry individuals. Rather, this is just a group of students from a conglomerate of backgrounds and aspirations. Not everybody is seeking a career in politics. In fact, most of them are just friends who want to be involved on-campus.

The government doesn’t just sit around and make new rules for students to follow. Instead, they discuss what types of events they want to run, find new ways to decorate the lobby, ways to prank the other halls or even discuss what types of food they want to see in the dining centers.

It’s also where students get to improve where they live. This may not seem like a lot, but remember that where you live can lead to stereotypes about the residents. I’m looking at you, McVey.

Hall government is the place where students can decide what kinds of changes are made to their halls, what events will go on and meet a variety of people who have similar ambitions for their residences. Not only that, but students can either create or continue hall traditions that are carried on for decades.

In Johnstone-Fulton, there is a regular event called “Hall Puddin’.” It started years back with a student who made a large bowl of pudding and left it in the hallway for whoever wanted some.

Now, Hall Puddin’ is an instituted Johnstone-Fulton tradition ran and organized by their government. The event now features black lights, large music speakers and all the pudding cups anyone could ask for.

Through running or even attending these types of events, students can connect and network with each other. Which is nice, because you’ll be living next to them for a year, so you might as well try to get along with each other.

This setting is also excellent for learning how to be an adult. When working with hall government, there’s a sense of role playing for most students. Most students will find a way to be in charge of an event or two that the hall puts on. With this, students learn how to organize and set up events that their residents would enjoy.

Being involved in hall government is also a great resume filler for younger students. Showing that you’re involved in your school is an excellent way of showing passion and motivation to contribute to your surroundings. Not to mention that playing these roles well can lead to very quick promotions within their respective halls. It isn’t uncommon for sophomores becoming presidents or vice presidents of their halls.

The sense of belonging and having a role to play on-campus is pertinent to having a great and productive college experience. The whole point of college is to develop oneself and find ways to leave a mark doing it. Hall government is the quintessential way of making that happen.

It’s completely understandable to think that this article may be another pass-over ad for you to join another group. I get it; I’ve been there. But getting involved on-campus is what makes or breaks the relationship between a student and the university.

Hall government is a quick, easy and efficient way of meeting a wide variety of students who just want to make an impact on their university. They don’t have to become your best friends, but these are people who you can rely on to help make a positive impact on the school and you.

Jacob Notermann is a staff writer for the Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]