Sloane Morrow | News Co-Editor

Last Thursday Aug. 29, 81 different tables were set up in the forum for the annual fall event, The Plunge. The Plunge is held each year during the first week of classes and gives new and old Buena Vista University (BVU) students alike an opportunity to visit the tables of student organizations and special programs on campus, as well as tables of partners from the Storm Lake community.

This year, nearly 200 students “plunged” into everything each table had to offer. Most student organizations on campus gave students the opportunity to sign up to become a part of a group, receive applications for certain groups, be put on a list to hear more about what the group is doing throughout the year, or simply learn more about the organization.

“The Plunge was beneficial for us because we got to hand out our applications as well as information sheets about our organization,” Espirit de Corp President and sophomore Kelsey Blum said.

Special programs on campus such as Team Wellness and Alternative Week of Offsite Learning (AWOL) use The Plunge as a way to raise awareness about their program, while Storm Lake Community Partners such as local churches give students an idea of what Storm Lake has to offer. Some even have employment opportunities for those seeking a job.

On top of all of this, most of these groups offer candy, free promo items, coupons, discount cards, and other items that help organizations get their name out there. Although the free stuff draws students in, the event itself has more of a lasting impact for those who are interested in getting involved.

“I think the question is, what can I do on campus? How do I get involved? Who do I contact? The Plunge puts a face to the name. They can see the person who is a part of an organization and sign up all in one night,” Director of Student Activities & Leadership Becka Neary-DeLaPorte said.

For many, being able to see all of the options for involvement all at once saves a lot of time and energy.

“This is an essential one stop shop. It is like a mall. You can come and get all of your business done at one stop otherwise more of it is on the shoulders of the individual to reach out to the organizations to find them and go to their meetings. Everyone is there and able to answer questions on the spot,” Neary-DeLaPorte said.

Although students of all grades are welcome to The Plunge, first year students are generally the most influenced and impacted.

“I thought The Plunge was a very helpful thing to be at as a first year student. I got to know a lot more about the clubs that I didn’t hear about at orientation, and I got to talk to one of the girls from BV Buddies that had done it before. She helped me make the decision that I wanted to do that,” Freshman Taryn Kline said.

Organizations may begin signing up for space at The Plunge the spring before and must include their organization’s name, who to connect with, and what needs they might have when it comes to presenting their information.

Photos courtesy of Zachary Schmidt, Tyson Domingo, Makensie Brown
Video courtesy of Zachary Schmidt