Student clubs and organizations are the heart of campus culture
Photo courtesy of Orquidia Geraldino
Don't be afraid to give these clubs some love! If you haven't had the time to join any clubs this semester, try to make time for a club or two next semester. It's never too late to get involved!
Student clubs and organizations are a core part of any educational institution, though college is often a time when a larger percentage of students get involved with extracurricular activities on their campus. In any “freshman 101,” it is bound to be said that joining a club or organization is paramount to making friends and getting involved in this new environment. While there are many ways to meet people and get involved, clubs and organizations serve as the central force for activities, programming, and other campus events.
At SUNY Geneseo, we are lucky enough to boast over 180 clubs on campus, including club sports, department clubs, media and broadcasting clubs (that’s us!), cultural clubs, and so much more! This variety hopes to give the student body varied options and ways to get involved and allow for plenty of club and club-sponsored events for campus and even community members to participate in.
This is largely directed through the dispersal of funds by our campus’s Student Association (SA), which is also student-run with the help of advisors and additional staff. SA gains its funding to provide SA-funded clubs with means to host events and other programming through the mandatory student activity fees each student pays as a part of their tuition. This also means students should be encouraged to join clubs and organizations to guarantee that they make the most of their tuition costs and participate in the activities those funds support.
As a way to show how thankful the student body is for the variety of club and organization choices, we here at The Lamron wanted to give some special shoutouts to clubs that we feel go under-appreciated on campus and/or that fellow members of The Lamron enjoy being a part of. Consider this us being a tad bit late to the whole “giving thanks” thing.
Firstly, we would like to give love to a fairly new club on campus known as the Bus Stop Club. This organization does an incredible job creating a space for students on campus who have siblings and family members who are disabled or have mental health challenges. It is a space where students can support and relate to one another on a topic and situation that goes largely under the radar. They also host events that help to bring together non-patient family members and their family members with a disability. For those interested, Bus Stop meets on Mondays at 5 pm in Bailey 110, and reach out to aig1@geneseo.edu for more information.
Another club we wish to send love to is Generation Action (VOX) at SUNY Geneseo. This club works to complete advocacy education work surrounding reproductive justice, healthy relationships, safe sex, and other related issues. They typically host a myriad of events throughout the year, such as sex education trivia nights and the very infamous sexy egg hunt during the Easter season. They have a strong connection to supporting and educating campus community members on topics that are sometimes taboo but often prolific in the college scope. To keep updated on their events and meetings, follow them on Instagram @geneseovox, where they do excellent at updating the campus community about the work they accomplish and further work to educate on a media-oriented scope as well.
For those who are passionate about their degree programs, either in their major and/or minor, Geneseo works to sponsor a multitude of department clubs. If there is a department on campus, it is likely to have an associated club made up of fellow individuals who pursue the study of that field or a related one. These clubs are open to anyone interested in the department or the events they host. Clubs like the Philosophy Club or the Society for Anthropology and Sociomedical Sciences (SASS) hosts weekly meetings, including events like talks or game nights. SASS meets Mondays at 6 pm in Bailey 110, while Philosophy Club meets Thursdays at 7 pm in Welles 111.
Creative Writing Club is a wonderful creative space for those interested in writing. Members can join to get or give feedback, read what fellow campus members are writing, or participate in dedicated creative time through activities like blackout poetry nights or writing sprints. The club meets on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm in Welles 134 this semester.
The math department also sponsors copious clubs focused on various areas of fields or careers related to mathematics. The Pursuing Rewards in the Study of Mathematics (PRISM) and Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) are just two examples, and those interested can be contacted for more information through their club emails, prism@geneseo.edu and siam@geneseo.edu, respectively.
Please keep in mind that all of these club’s meeting times are subject to change now that the semester is coming to a close. Even so, if one catches your eye, please further contact them through any of their social media pages!
We’re not done yet, though! Seeing as this is an appreciative article about clubs. It is only appropriate to give ourselves at The Lamron a little shoutout. We are lucky to have a very dedicated and hardworking group to make up our club that helps to write, format, and post these very articles most weeks. If you are interested in joining our fun little group, we meet on Thursdays at 5:00 pm in The Lamron office, connected to the mailroom of the MacVittie College Union; though, if at any time you see us there, feel free to drop in, say hi, and ask about how to get involved no matter the time. You can keep up to date with our go-ons through our Instagram (@thelamron), TikTok (@the.lamron), physical print around campus and Main Street, or on our website (www.thelamron.com)!