Four unique ways to get involved around campus this semester
Here at Lees-McRae, we are proud to offer a strong Campus Life experience with a variety of extracurricular activities that lean into our location, mission, and sense of community. As you begin to settle in for a new academic year, one of the best ways to find your niche and make new friends is getting involved around campus.
Whether you are a freshman just starting out on your Lees-McRae journey, or a senior looking to make the most of your final year on campus, we’ve got you covered with all kinds of clubs, events, volunteer opportunities, and more.
Here are four unique ways to get involved around campus this semester:
Give back with Bobcats Serve
Bobcats Serve is the college’s student volunteer organization, and they have a packed schedule for Fall 2024. This semester the organization will lead student volunteers in service days for seven local organizations including Mountain Alliance, Ensemble Stage, Feeding Avery Families, and the Avery Humane Society.
Bobcats Serve is open to all students and is a great way to give back to the community while forming friendships and building new skills.
Interested in joining Bobcats Serve? Visit their table at the Club Fair in Swank Park on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 5 p.m., or email Director of Student Conduct and Engagement Elizabeth Cope.
Join a new club
Registered student organizations are a great way to make friends who share your interests and build your leadership skills. With dozens of clubs and new ones each year, Lees-McRae has something for everyone, and the Club Fair is the best place to learn more.
An example of a new club you can join this year is Students of Appalachia. Students of Appalachia strives to help students understand their community more deeply by hosting themed meetings that dive into the history, arts, sciences, and culture of Southern Appalachia.
Weekly meetings will include both on-campus sessions and off-campus experiences that relate to each month’s topic.
Learn more about Students of Appalachia
Other clubs complement majors, like the Pre-Veterinary Club or Special and Elementary Education Leaders (SEEL); plan campus events, like Campus Activities Board (CAB); or let students explore specific interests, like Bird Club or Equestrian Club.
Cultivate a green thumb
Do you love plants and want to spend time nourishing them, or do you kill every houseplant you own and want to learn more about how to keep them happy and healthy? Regardless of the green-ness of your thumb, the college’s on-campus greenhouse is the perfect outlet to learn more about the lives of plants and how to care for them.
Throughout the year, the greenhouse holds plant sales where all the hard work put in by students is shown off.
Interested in getting involved? Contact Assistant Dean of Natural and Health Sciences Shinjini Goswami via email.
Enjoy live music in a fun atmosphere
Throughout the fall semester, Campus Life is hosting a coffee house music series in the newly renovated Pinnacle Room. Enjoy chill tunes in a cozy environment right here on campus.
Shows are free for students, and the series will kick off with its first performance by Chris McGinnis at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5. McGinnis is a North Carolina-based artist who describes his music as “Appalachian absurdity for the 21st century.” His latest album, “Mamaw’s Angel,” is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Keep an eye on The Den for more coffee house music performances throughout the semester.
