It’s a whole new semester and the start of a new year. Why not take advantage of all this newness and do some new things on campus? There’s many opportunities to engage with other students, find new places to study and take in some of the work that your fellow students and community members have done.
Join a student organization
There are student organizations to meet every interest. If you’re interested in helping animals and the environment, the Animals and Earth Club meets regularly and hosts events throughout the term. If public service is more aligned with your interests, check out the Circle K International or the Center for Service-Learning for a chance to give back to the community. Other groups are subject-specific, like the History Club and the National Student Nursing Association. To check out what other clubs and organizations we offer on campus, go to Red Wolf Life on the campus website and click on the PackLife link.
Go to the art gallery
Did you know that IU East has an art gallery on campus? The gallery is located in Whitewater Hall across from the Den and offers nine different rotating exhibitions each year. In April, the gallery features an exhibition dedicated entirely to student artwork. The gallery is also home to the Whitewater Valley Art Competition, which started in 1978 and ranks among the more prestigious art exhibitions in the Midwest. On the gallery’s website, you can also watch interviews with artists discussing their work and practices. The art gallery is an excellent way to refresh your spirit after class or get a new perspective on the world. All art gallery shows are free to attend.
Check out the library’s book collections
The library is located in Hayes Hall on the first floor. In addition to its study spaces, databases and computers (not to mention its excellent librarians), it also boasts two expanded book collections. The Graphic Novel collection has recently added to its holdings, including both fiction and nonfiction titles. While the collection has held onto its core of classics like Maus and Blankets, the library has also added memoirs about mental illness, historical non fiction and retellings of Japanese folk tales. The library also expanded its banned books collection in the past year, adding more titles from the most recent American Library Association’s Banned Book List and including classic banned titles like Howl (Allen Ginsberg) and Lady Chatterley’s Lover (D. H. Lawrence).
Start the New Year with exploration, new habits and, best of all, a fresh mindset for the upcoming semester. Need a book on how to be more social? Want to learn more about art history? Interested in banned books or sequential storytelling? Ask us! iueref@iu.edu.