School Spirit with the Scarlet Super-Star*

* This title is for alliteration purposes only, I am not so self-indulgent to call myself a “super-star.”

It has been said that students that are involved perform better academically, are more socially engaged, and are generally happier than their less-spirited counterparts. This idea hits home for me in a lot of ways. Before 2022, I was one of those students that simply went to school to go to class, then went right back home afterwards; it was a cookie-cutter schedule. I was decently involved in high school, but it was just something about college that swayed me away from engaging with the on-campus activities – maybe it was the fact that my classes were way harder than in high school, or the fact that there were just so many people that I thought I would never really make a name for myself at a university like UNLV.

That all changed when I applied to be an orientation leader over the summer at the end of my junior year. I really wanted to take all of the knowledge I’ve gathered during my time at UNLV and share it with incoming students. My passion and enthusiasm for UNLV really shone through this, and it led to me being chosen as a member of REB’s Glitter Squad. We embody school spirit by covering ourselves in scarlet and gray paint and glitter, UNLV's colors, and acting as the “hype-people” at major events.

Presently, I’m more involved than I ever have been. I still work in the Office of Admissions as a social media assistant, I joined the Rebel Events Board to assist with events in any way I can, and I’m also basically the interim mascot for our mascot-less university. You never really would have expected this from a random mechanical engineering student that only came to campus to go to class and who barely attended any events. However, I can confidently say that I am happier than I have ever been; I’ve met some amazing people over the past year, and I’ve certainly grown academically. All of this happened because I decided to seek discomfort and break out of my shell to experience the opportunities UNLV really had to offer.

What should you take out of reading this random article written by a guy covered in red paint and glitter? My number one piece of advice I would share to the students I led during new student orientations was this:

Get Involved! Whether it be attending Premier UNLV, coming to UNLV’s longest ongoing tradition: Homecoming, going to sporting events, applying for a student job, joining a fraternity or sorority, or just simply joining one of the 400+ clubs on campus that aligns with your interests… get involved. Find where you belong, and I promise it will completely enhance your experience at UNLV!