"We just can’t get enough people!" So goes the cry of so many student-run organizations at EMU. Why? There are two possibilities:

1. The student population is simply too small to adequately fill the spaces requesting student involvement.
2. Too few students recognize and take advantage of the opportunities offered by peer-directed organizations.

The directory of student-run clubs and organizations lists 36 such entities existing at EMU this academic year. Cheerleading Club reduced the number to 35 since they went out with the echo, "We just can’t get enough people!" (See article in last week’s Weather Vane.) Although the number of undergraduate students is debatable, the comfortable figure of 1,000 will serve our purpose here. Dividing 1,000 by 35 gives us 28.57. Therefore, if each undergraduate student participated in one student-led organization, each such organization would have about 28.57 members.

NOTE: Keep in mind that the 28.57 figure is a conservative estimate. We can safely assume many students could potentially handle involvement in more than one organization.

How many clubs and organizations can brag of half that many fully dedicated participants? Precious few. (Directories and sign-up sheets don’t count. Here we’re only considering those blessed elite who show up faithfully at nearly every function and who are willing to invest quality time and energy into helping the organization succeed.) Therefore, we can conclude that possibility number 2, as listed above, most accurately reflects what is occurring at EMU.

Evidently a good number of us haven’t realized that these organizations aren’t primarily about new "to-do" lists. The list is a sidekick. In the center of the show, student-run organizations inspire friendships, create connections and aid in essential networking. They expand our concept of who we are and what we can do. They’re about gleaning more from whatever is meant by the "EMU Experience." (See Dan Umbel’s opinion piece in last week’s Weather Vane.)

Perhaps "We-just-can’t-get-enough-people" is because we live in a country where we’re overwhelmed by opportunity. We have more than a dozen options for filling each flexible time slot in our schedules. We have the freedom to do essentially whatever we want (within reason, mind you). We don’t have to fight for the freedom to congregate and communicate as organized student groups. Money is available (again, within reason). And since there are more opportunities within student organizations than there are students, we don’t have to deal with competition.

Maybe we’re becoming lazy because we’re saturated by opportunities. Ultimately, maybe that loved-hated concept called "opportunity" needs to be limited in order for it to become attractive. Unfortunately.

K.J.S.