Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at American chapter.

Her Campus American: Can you talk a little bit about what you do on campus?

Arin Kaye: On campus, I am the Commodore of the AU Sailing Team, member of Sigma Delta Tau and on the Panhellenic Judicial Board. In Sig Delt, I also help with Recruitment and sit on the Sunshine Committee.

HCAU: How do you find time to manage all of your activities while maintaining a full course load?

AK: I am actually over-enrolled currently, I am taking 18 credits instead of the average AU course-load of 15. With that said, I prefer to be busy. I am one of those people who is more productive when given more tasks, so I use almost all my time productively, separating grueling academic tasks with some more fun tasks for the sailing team or Sig Delt like designing shirts. Having a range of responsibilities in an array of disciplines helps to keep me productive for extended periods of time. Also, I held an internship both of my past two semesters, one at non-profit and one in Congress, which gave me various mental breaks to focus on things I find interesting.

HCAU: Why did you choose these activities?

AK: I chose my various activities because I enjoy them. My mom always told me to do what I love and love what I do so that is exactly what I do.

HCAU: Can you talk to me a little more about club sports?

AK: Club sports at AU are tons of fun from the participant side. Dozens of my friends play on various teams ranging from gymnastics to ultimate frisbee, crew to sailing. They are operated by students who love the sports, which fosters a community of people who enjoy hanging out together. However, club sports are also severely underfunded. Particularly in the case of sailing, we have found that most people don’t understand what we do, so we don’t get enough support from the school. We do a ton of fundraising, though!

HCAU: Would you recommend joining a club sports team?

AK: I think club sports are great and everyone should do them.

HCAU: As an involved upperclassman what advice would you give to freshmen about finding their place on campus?

AK: I would tell freshman to try things. Roughly half of our team had never sailed before they got to AU. College is about finding what you love and a community in which you belong.

HCAU: What is the best class you’ve taken and why?

AK: The best class I took was Cross-Cultural Communication with Professor Bates. I had taken From Bean to Brew with Bates the past semester and knew I really benefited from his laissez-faire teaching style. My class also became very close for a 35 person 8:00am discussion, and we’ve had some mind-altering conversations because of it.

 

(All photos belong to Arin Kaye)

Anna Waldman

American '21

Hi, I'm Anna. I'm a sophmore at American University in Washington D.C. I grew up in Rye, New York, but have always felt like I belonged in the city. I love going to baseball games with my friends (go Yankees and Nationals!), watching Netflix (Gray's Anatomy ftw!), and reading my New York Times Daily Briefing each morning. Some other favorites include Bryce Harper, Barack Obama, SDT, my best friends, and of course Panera Mac and Cheese!
`