When you enter college, one awesome way to meet other people and makes friends is by joining organizations. No matter what college you're at, there seem to be about a thousand different organizations that you could join. You go to the involvement fairs, talk to about a thousand different people, get about a thousand different free gifts, and take about a thousand different flyers for organizations you really don't know a ton about. Hopefully, at some point, you passed the Boo Radley Society booth, and maybe it caught your eye, but you weren't sure what it was all about and didn't really feel like stopping. However, I can tell you that the Boo Radley Society is one of the best organizations to join on campus.
Before I get into why it's the best, here's a little background on how it got its name since a lot of people seem to have questions about it. Boo Radley is a character in the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird." A lot of people remember him being a little bit off-putting, but let me remind you of the good deeds he did for the children in the novel. Boo Radley left small gifts in the trees for the children in his neighborhood to find, which is essentially what the Boo Radley Society does as well, just on campus.
1. Kindness. Kindness everywhere.
Just about everyone likes doing nice things for people or making the world a better place. We all have some desire to make others' days, even in the smallest of ways. The Boo Radley Society dedicates itself to spreading kindness and making students' days through various fun events throughout the year.
2. The people
Since everyone in the organization is there because they love to do nice things for people, everyone in the organization is also extremely nice themselves. You could reach out to anyone in the organization when you're having an issue, and there will undoubtedly be someone there to help you. You will make countless friends, which might help to make campus a little smaller.
3. The events
Throughout the semester, the Boo Radley Society hosts over 40 events around campus. However, you can pick and choose which ones you attend and which ones you don't. Also, with these many events lined up, there are a plethora of fun times to choose from anyways. There's pass out events, High Five Fridays, and even booth events. There are also tons of fundraisers for the club that you can go to with some friends and socials so that you can get to know your fellow Boos better.
4. It's not a huge commitment
A lot of times people will shy away from clubs because of how much of a time commitment it can be. However, the Boo Radley Society is pretty low in terms of commitment. There's a one-hour meeting every Tuesday at night so it's easier to make, as well as a 7-event requirement for the entire semester. A lot of times these events are pass out events, so they're over within a matter of minutes. Finally, if you feel like you are going to be overwhelmed in an upcoming semester, there's always the option of "ghosting," which means that you remain a member of the organization, but you do not have to worry about making it to events. You really don't have to show up to anything for that semester, but you don't have to worry about quitting the club or going through the interview process again.
5. Memories to last a lifetime
In college, you're going to be making tons of memories. This organization will give you plenty of times you'll never forget. You'll meet tons of new people, experience tons of new things, and overall just truly enjoy yourself in the most rewarding of ways. There are tons of organizations that you could join, but why not join one that has kindness at the center of its core values? The meetings are a blast, the people are awesome, and the club as a whole is filled with fun.
If you're on the fence about joining the Boo Radley Society, just go ahead and take a leap of faith. Submit your application, talk to an executive board member, or check out the social media pages. All your questions will be answered and your doubts will be assuaged. I definitely recommend joining, because there has not been a single moment where I regretted my decision, and I can almost guarantee you won't either.
