This semester, instead of a hot new bombshell entering the villa, a fresh face has joined the Office of Campus Life.
Newly appointed Assistant Director for Campus Life Lucas Beal, whose motto is “be open-minded to new things, new experiences,” said his primary job is to “be more engaged on campus while supporting all students.”
“As the assistant director for Campus Life, I help with clubs, advise Union Board and just help students who are trying to put on events or start new groups,” Beal said.
Beal also defines his role as more hands-on than the assistant dean’s and added that he’s here to “align student’s goals and missions with the institution’s.”
“I try to help students find their needs outside of the classroom. You’re in class five days a week, where you’re learning more of the technical skills you need in life,” Beal said. “We provide more of the life skills you need: that team building, that communication, that critical thinking.”
Beal, who formerly assisted with campus life operations at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, said that being familiar with a small liberal arts institution helped him make the transition to Albion College.
When it came to hiring a new assistant director, Assistant Dean of Campus Life Sharese Shannon-Mathis said that she wanted a candidate with experience in “college student development.”
“He definitely was qualified, and he’s already coming in with a whole lot of energy and experience. His background was with student orgs and volunteerism and leadership,” Shannon-Mathis said.
Shannon-Mathis added that what convinced her Beal would be a good fit was his experience being in different parts of the country and his diverse background. He was both a football player and cheerleader in high school and played a key role in facilitating the annual Dance Marathon at Columbus State University.
Beal said he credits his preparedness for his new role with being a graduate assistant for the activity board at Columbus State University, amongst other things.
“I worked with our intercultural affairs office and also our Greek students at my last institution to get service hours and to give back to the community,” Beal said.
Having also worked with Engage, a student organization hub, at his former institution, Beal said that one of his current goals is to best adapt it for Albion students.
“For my goals, there’s endless possibilities, so I am always open to whatever the journey has for me,” Beal said.
Adding that making connections with students themselves “is always a go,” Beal wants to make sure “that they know that they have someone that they can trust and lean on for different things.”
“Students leave because they don’t find their support system. We want to make sure students understand that we are here for you all and helping you find what works,” Beal said.
One of those students, Miles Newman, Rolesville, North Carolina senior and president of Union Board, said that he’s excited to have Beal on campus.
“From the way that he talked about everything, I could tell that his ideas and his enthusiasm come from not even a place of, ‘Oh, I’m taking this job’. It’s, ‘Oh, yeah, I enjoy this, and I’m going to enjoy doing this,’” Newman said.
Union Board, which is listed on Albion College’s website as “advised directly by the Office of Campus Life,” is set to, along with other organizations on campus, receive the assistance of Beal and Shannon-Mathis.
Beal said that under Shannon-Mathis’s mentorship and advice from students, he’s “willing to step up and actually take a swing at” things he could learn from.
In accordance with Albion College’s website, the Office of Campus Life “provides learning opportunities for all students to belong, engage and lead in a supportive and inclusive environment.”
For students still unsure how to access that inclusive environment, Beal advises them to, “be willing to try things for the first time.”
“Let us know what y’all would like to see, because you’re only bored on campus if you don’t get involved,” Beal said.
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