Although the majority of student involvement and recruitment events occur in the fall, Spring semester is also a great time to get involved. Whether you”re a new student who decided to limit involvement and focus on classes first semester or someone who didn”t enjoy the organizations they signed up for in the fall, the start of a new calendar year is as good a time as any to branch out and explore the many student organizations available on campus.
One of the most basic ways to get involved is to take a look at academic clubs.
The university offers a multitude of different academic clubs, like the American Society of Interior Designer”s Society, which allows design majors to gain professional experience, or the Society of Women Engineers, which allows women to feel empowered in Engineering in a majorly men”s field.
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Joining an academic club can be as simple as emailing your department or asking a professor within your major about involvement opportunities.
Another great way to get involved is to try out a community service or civic action organization, like Engineers without Borders or the Vandal Volunteers Club.
There are about a dozen community service and civic action clubs at UI that allow students to use their passions as a means of helping others, including Artists Striving to End Poverty, which allows young artist to learn how to use art to help the community.
For those who are interested in joining student organizations that are more community and identity based, there are a number of multicultural and faith-based organizations to choose from.
Embracing cultural diversity is a large part of the university, which is why the university has multiple clubs that are tailored to different cultures. These clubs also encourage members of different ethnicities to learn about other cultures, such as the Brazilian Student Club which allows for anyone that has an interest in Brazil culture.
Student organizations like the African Student Association, The Native American Student Association and the Chinese Students and Scholars Friendship Association also host a variety of events in which students can experience different Chinese and African cultures.
An additional community and identity-based club is the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, which strives to promote a positive and accepting environment for all students.
Alex Brizee
There are faith-based or spiritual clubs, like Campus Christian Center, Impact Campus Ministries and the Vandals Catholic Club for students who already belong to or are interested in exploring a certain faith.
In addition to community or identity based clubs, there are professional student organizations aimed to helping students network and gain professional experience in their field of study. Organizations like the Pre-med club and Pre-law society are a great way for students interested in medicine or law to prepare themselves for their professional lives after college.
It”s never a bad idea to join a recreational organization, like the Fencing or Vandal Boxing Club, either.
Although you may want professional experience in clubs, sometimes a little fun is needed. There are more than a dozen recreational university clubs, including the Vandal Call of Duty club, which allows fans of the game to play it competitively against one another.
Whether you”re craving some recreation, looking to start practicing a new sport or interested in becoming more involved in student government, there are so many different ways to get involved. Although joining a club or applying for a student organization position might seem intimidating half way through the school year, many student organizations on campus are always looking for new members. It”s never too late to get started.
Alex Brizee can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter at @alex_brizee