Club Corner: ASA fosters student-alumni relations

Some of the biggest campus events celebrated annually at Lehigh are the first-year student rally, Founder’s Day and bed races. Credit for these occasions goes to the Association of Student Alumni, or ASA, a club whose goal is to unite the campus through past traditions and school spirit by way of Lehigh alumni.

While these main events take place in the fall, ASA President Erica Kier, ’17, said members continue to be active in the spring and focus more internally on alumni by hosting dinner clubs or small gatherings on the UC Front Lawn.

At the dinner clubs, alumni engage and share stories with students about their Lehigh experiences, and are also curious to learn about what the school is doing.

“I think it’s more for the student experience more than anything,” Kier said. “It’s just for us to get to know how the culture was when (the alumni) were here and what their student experiences were like and how it’s changed.”

Club member Ian McDonald, ’17, said his role involves putting in a lot of the legwork for the events. Members help with event setup and inform people about what exactly is going on.

Using bed races as an example, McDonald said this is an event people know of but don’t necessarily understand.

“It’s our job for people to actually know what it is, not just some vague thing of background,” he said.

Members of the club need to be committed and eager to represent their group around campus. They are also welcome to bring different event ideas to the executive board.

“The more members that you have that are dedicated, the more they can provide for the campus,” Kier said. “Exec’s next position is to take those ideas and put them into play and make it happen. So I think members play a huge role in having the eyes of ASA on campus.”

Steph Behrens, ’17, the vice president of administration, fulfills her club responsibilities by taking attendance at all ASA-held events and keeping members informed about upcoming events.

For students interested in joining the club, there is an application and interview process at the beginning of each school year.

“The club looks for members who love all things Lehigh — the history, the traditions, the alumni network,” Behrens said. “We look for students who want to devote the time to keep these traditions alive and want to get to know area alumni better.”

In essence, ASA looks to develop relationships between alumni and students, administration and students, and between students themselves.

“For me, it’s the bonding of the whole Lehigh family, whether it’s on campus or off campus,” Kier said. “For me, it’s creating that environment on campus where students can have student spirit, why they’re here and then combine that to their journey off campus as well.”

Members of ASA often experience personal growth, as well as the opportunity to give back to the Lehigh community.

“I’ve definitely grown as a result of my participation in ASA,” Behrens said. “My love for Lehigh has grown extensively, as has my appreciation for all the hard work that has to be put in behind the scenes for events like bed races.”