As the semester comes to a close and the academic year ends, it’s time to start studying for those finals and maybe an extra test or two before finals begin along with research papers and projects. Sounds like a lot of work shoved into only a handful of weeks left. I also forgot to mention packing (for those of us who live here and need to move back home for the summer), finding a summer job, applications for this and applications for that; it seems never ending around this time of the year. When will it end?

Sadly, it never ends. The work load only gets worse after college (at least so I’ve heard); so seniors brace yourselves for this real world everyone seems to be talking about. For those of you, like me, who may not be leaving UNH for good just yet, I have one more thing you can add to your list of “Things to Do” before you leave for the summer. Don’t complain, because it’s something really important.

As we all know, with a new academic year comes a new opportunity for leadership positions to open up, whether they include a position on an executive board for a club or organization, a committee head of some sort, or even just preparation to be more involved in something to gain more experience. With seniors leaving and the rest of us moving on up on campus, leadership falls to all of you to carry on the good work that seniors have done. As hard as it is to see some of them go, we want to make them all proud, especially showing that that they can leave their clubs and organizations, many of which they created on their own, in good hands. We are the future for these organizations, and with that said, we have to step up.

So, in the next few weeks before the semester ends, clubs and organizations will be having elections for positions. If you have been in a club for some time now, and you are passionate about it, seriously consider running for a position. Clubs grow and flourish with new ideas from new members and new leaders on the e-board. If you have ideas and think that running for a position is a good idea, go for it. It looks fantastic on a resume, and the extra leadership experience molds you for bigger leadership opportunities in the future.

If you aren’t ready to take on a position as of yet, getting more involved is probably the next best step for you then. Attending as many events as possible and helping out in any way you can with the organization is a great way to show people your dedication and get your name out there. Remember that it’s okay to start small and work your way up. The logical process for these things is almost always to start small and then move onto the high positions later on: general member, committee head, and e-board. However, if you’re feeling ambitious take that ambition and put it to good use. Show everyone that you would make a great candidate for the position you are applying for, and remember to always bring new ideas with you to impress people.

I know that we have a campus full of already great leaders who hold important positions in clubs, organizations, and the various offices on campus. I also have extreme faith in the future leaders on this campus who are just getting into the swing of things and who are ready and waiting to impress all of the leaders before them.