Lakeland Mirror

Issue date: 11/21/02 Section: Features

Photo by Jim Kolodzinski

"I'm not a hard-core fan of football, but I would have to say that I like the Packers," Amanda Clarmont shyly admitted. This new Director of Student Activities shared her interesting personality and link to Lakeland College, as well as her goals for her new position.

Clarmont visited the campus in the spring of 2000 when her fiancé graduated. "My first impression was that Lakeland had a very small and pretty campus." She liked what she saw, and applied for the position of Director of Student Activities. Her reasons for trying to get this position were twofold. She wanted to be in the Midwest. She grew up here, and she has a lot of family in the area. She also was hoping to get involved in a small school, as she values the relationships that can be developed in this kind of environment.

She understands the difficulties that organizations have in small schools. She said the greatest challenge to student activities is that students have to be heavily involved in multiple organizations, since there just aren't enough students that are able to fill the necessary positions.

"They have to pitch in and do so much more than at a larger campus; it's not necessarily a bad thing." She said that students at small colleges have an easier time forming the necessary contacts with their fellow students and that this helps them perform their duties.

Clarmont hopes to take a middle road when dealing with the organizations. She wants them to feel that they can do things their way without any unnecessary interference. "I'm not going to stand by and only step in when there is a problem. I do want to be involved with the organizations." She said that she's not one to demand that things are done in a certain way.

Clarmont did ask to be excused for any jet lag that might be evident for the next few days. She explained that her sorority, Kappa Beta Gamma, had a national board meeting this weekend in Detroit. On Friday she left Pacific Time, flew to the Eastern time zone, and on Sunday she arrived in Central time when she landed in Milwaukee.

She said that she wasn't a Bears fan. While she was born in Chicago, her family moved to Green Bay when she was eight. She chose to go to St. Norbert College for her undergraduate degree, where she majored in Spanish. Four months in Toledo, Spain helped round out her experiences in this field.

Clarmont then moved to Tempe, where she attained her Master of Education degree at Arizona State University. This allowed her to attain the position of Activities Coordinator at San Jose State University in California. She has been involved in student organizations since her undergraduate years, and has held several positions relating to student life and activities.

She's excited to be a part of the Lakeland community and wants the students to feel free to visit her office. Clarmont is located in the student activities office, right next to the office of Sandy Gibbons-Vollbrecht.

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