True Life: I'm in Honors College

Laura Bennett is a junior from Great Neck, NY majoring in Physics and Biochemistry. She was invited to join Hofstra's Honors College as a first-year student and has been enjoying it ever since! Let's hear about it in Laura's own words.

When I first received my acceptance letter to Hofstra University, I also received an invitation to the Honors College, which has truly impacted my college experience in more ways than I could imagine. When choosing my residence hall for my first year, I decided to live in honors housing, where I met so many great people including my best friend and future roommate.

Before coming to Hofstra, I was concerned that my grades might suffer as a result of taking honors classes, but for once, I’m very happy to be wrong. I take one or two of my classes for honors credit every semester, and I can honestly say that if anything, my grades in these classes have improved because of my honors involvement. It is little bit of extra work, but it usually extends the scope of the course, which really deepens my understanding of the material.

Outside of the classroom, there are so many fun (free) trips run by the Honors College that go into New York City on a regular basis. I’ve received invitations to everything from Broadway shows to Yankees games, and it’s always a blast! If you have the opportunity, I’d highly recommend going on as many trips as possible (and grabbing free coffee and snacks from the Honors College office!)

True Life: I started a new club

Joanne Norris is a senior from Auburn, Massachusetts, majoring in economics and sustainability studies.

Hofstra already has more than 200 clubs on campus, but student interests vary even more than that. I found many clubs at Hofstra that I loved being part of, but I still thought there was room for expansion and improvement in the area of sustainability. I was the second person at Hofstra to declare the major in our new Sustainability Studies program, and I have always been passionate about the subject, but I felt there was something missing. I wanted a way to participate in on- and off-campus events related to my major but be able to have fun with my peers at the same time. I had faculty support and found other students who were interested in helping me start the new club, so together we wrote a club constitution and budget, pitched the idea to the Student Government Association, and were eventually established as the Hofstra Sustainability Club. 

At the time, I was already the president of Hofstra Women's Club Soccer, which was helpful in terms of leadership experience. However, with the right support and motivation, any student can start a club on campus. The process can be a little complicated but there are always people in SGA, OSLE, faculty advisers, and fellow club leaders who are willing to help.

Starting a club was a great way to get to know more people with similar interests, build connections with faculty members, and improve my leadership skills. The Sustainability Club now helps connect students with internship and job opportunities, networking possibilities, and helps organize events on campus such as Earth Festival and gardening with the day care.I recommend starting a new club on campus if you aren't satisfied with the current selection, because chances are there are plenty of other students with the same interests as you, just waiting for a leader to step up and start a new club. Good luck!

True Life: I'm part of Greek life

Sheila Springer is a senior from Alameda, California majoring in Theater Arts. She shares her experience joining a sorority as a first year student.

Hofstra University has seven sororities, nine fraternities, and ten multicultural fraternities and sororities. As a rule, first semester freshmen are not eligible to join Greek life. Any semester after that, full-time undergraduate students with a GPA of 2.3 or higher can take part in recruitment to join one of the chapters here on campus. 

Each organization serves on a council - Panhellenic, Inter-Fraternity or Multicultural Fraternity Sorority Council. Greek life participates in a number of events around campus including, but not limited to Relay for Life, Homecoming, the Leadership Conference, multiple Community Service events, Greek Week, Information Sessions and more!

I am in Alpha Phi, one of the sororities on campus. I joined second semester of my first year. In high school, I never thought I would be in a sorority. In fact, when I called my parents to tell them I was going out for recruitment they were extremely surprised. I took a risk not really knowing what Greek life fully entailed or if I would like it. I can confidently say that the risk was worth it. My life would not be the same without Alpha Phi. I have met some of my closest friends and have had some of the best moments of my college career with these women. And this isn't limited to my organization - in every organization I see dedicated members who are committed to service, education, philanthropy, community, leadership, and brotherhood/sisterhood. I am proud to represent Alpha Phi and Hofstra Greek life and I encourage everyone to check it out, you may find your home away from home.

True Life: I’m part of WRHU (Radio Hofstra University)

Juliana Spano is a junior from Smithtown, New York majoring in political communications.

                         

True Life: I’m part of WRHU (Radio Hofstra University)

Being part of the radio station has given me tons of experience. I have been able to interview celebrities and community leaders, report at various events, and produce my own news show. It’s given me amazing networking opportunities as well. I frequently go into the city to meet with professionals. The cool thing about our station is that you can virtually do whatever you want. We have a plethora of different music shows, including classic rock, top 40, and even polka! If you are interested in sports, you can report on our Hofstra games as well as the Long Island Ducks and New York Cosmo teams.

Personally, I have interviewed local politicians such as Rob Astorino and Bruce Blakeman. As a political communications major in the School of Communications it has given me an exponential amount of experience in the field. As a host for the morning show, I have to have weekly interviews to air and discuss current events. It has really increased my teamwork, leadership, and time management skills. I encourage anyone—no matter what major—to get involved!