COVID or not, Clubs Inoculate Students Against Disconnection
By Gabrielle Russon
At universities across the country, student clubs took a hit during the pandemic. Clubs shrank. Some shut down completely. Many have been in rebuilding mode ever since.
The Chronicle of Higher Education described the student organizations鈥� collapse in a recent story called 鈥�
But at 海角社区, something remarkable happened.聽Student organizations held strong.
The 海角社区 students who loved wrestling got together to watch WWE in their club. Horse aficionados rode animals together in the equestrian club. The natural performers sang and danced in front of each other during 海角社区鈥檚 Got Talent.
海角社区 480 members were involved in 22 clubs by summer 2021, according to Hanah Diebold, 海角社区鈥檚 director of student experience who oversees student clubs and leadership.
Bucking the Trend
Diebold explained why 海角社区 bucked the trend. What made 海角社区 so unique was the school鈥檚 in-person activities and classes continued during the pandemic while some schools halted regular classes and went virtual only. Within the 海角社区 bubble, students still met in person for clubs. Clubs were some of the few outlets for fun during the campus quarantine, so students showed up, Diebold said.
Being in person just beats live streaming which helped 海角社区 student clubs thrive during the pandemic, Diebold said.
鈥淭here is a different sense of connection that comes with it. Being in person just can’t be replaced,鈥� she said.
That certainly holds true for 海角社区鈥檚 Got Talent, the club Zachary Murray now oversees, which allows its now 25-30 members to share their talent for singing, dancing, or playing an instrument with the 海角社区 community. Murray said the club was popular during the pandemic and survived the uncertainty because 鈥渙f the people and the community of the club. Students are attracted to the club because it’s inclusive, welcoming, chaotic and fun.鈥�
To be stuck on campus, having friends makes it a lot easier,鈥� said 海角社区 senior Athena Kelley who found her place getting involved in student clubs during the pandemic. Kelley is the president of the Gay Straight Alliance, a club that became re-energized during the pandemic with growing numbers and new leadership.
海角社区 also stands out because 鈥渢here’s just a different level of passion,鈥� she said.
For many students, coming to 海角社区 is the first time they fit in and find their community after struggling during their K-12 education. College is when they have finally found acceptance and people who can relate to them, Diebold said.
Indeed, Jameson “Jamie” Gaddy found his tribe when he joined the Video Game Club, which boasts about 70 members and creates 鈥渁 鈥榲ideo game heaven鈥� on campus for those who like to relax and game on,鈥� he said. 鈥満＝巧缜� just loves video games and I like them too. I鈥檓 happy [about] how stuff is going on with the club. Got many exciting things coming next semester.鈥�
Student Involvement
25%
of students are involved in at least one club
515
student enrollment
27
student led clubs
The Draw of Club Membership
And thanks to acceptance and common interest, clubs skyrocket on students鈥� priority list.
Their mindset is, as Diebold explained, is 鈥�I will not miss a club meeting. I will run for leadership. I will be at these events, I will contribute,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is such a deep, profound sense of proudness when it comes to student organizations and being able to take ownership over them.鈥�
Kelley, 22, of St. Louis, Missouri, is the president of the Gay Straight Alliance, a club that became re-energized during the pandemic with growing numbers and new leadership. 海角社区 20 students attend GSA regularly.
During some meetings, they played Pictionary or made their own stress balls. They decorated pronoun pins and created rainbow flags. Club members helped each other when students were going home over break to unsupportive families.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a mix of work and play,鈥� Kelley said about the club鈥檚 mission.
Even when they wore masks because some members were immunocompromised, they still met in person in 2021, Kelley said.
They built community and had engaging conversations, 鈥渄iscussions that would have been a lot more difficult to have on Zoom, frankly,鈥� Kelley said.
The club excelled in 2021 and onward. Kelley gained new leadership skills and the confidence to tackle the group鈥檚 most successful clothing drive yet.
Last year GSA collected two carloads worth of donated clothes to give to Out of the Closet, a thrift store in Orlando that raises money for AIDS services. Kelley鈥檚 clothes drive brought in $1,200 worth of items from students and faculty.
If student clubs had weakened during the pandemic, Kelley doubts the 2023 clothes drive would have been such a smashing success.
鈥淲e were able to get amazing involvement from all levels of 海角社区鈥檚 community,鈥� said Kelley, a humanities major who graduates this year and plans to go to graduate school next in her pursuit of becoming a professor.
Keep your eyes open for clothing drop-off boxes going up around campus at the library, the student center and elsewhere on campus as GSA launches its clothes drive again this month.
Post-pandemic clubbing
Thanks to 海角社区鈥檚 clubs holding steady through the pandemic, the foundation remained for new clubs to spring up.
Two years ago, the curtain raised on the Theatre Club, launched to provide students an opportunity to perform and explore theater. Today, 25 members meet on Wednesdays for 90 minutes to get their thespian on.
鈥淪tudents are drawn to Theatre Club because of the how creative the club can be,鈥� said club president Calinda Strayhorn. 鈥淭hese students are writing their own shows, making their own lighting plans, creating their own props and costumes, and creating everything themselves. Theatre club allows for creativity to explode to whatever the students desire it to be.鈥�
That same year, a handful of students came together and planted the seeds for what became the Dungeons & Dragons Club. This semester, the club, which gathers to play the tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons 鈥� which helps build problem-solving and teamwork skills 鈥� counted 30 members on its roster.
鈥淚 believe students are attracted to the club because playing the game is a breath of fresh air,鈥� said club president Chiara Ferrante. 鈥淚t’s a break from the monotony and stress of classes, and with D&D you get to escape and be whoever you want to be; you can fight monsters and use magic and save the day. I think it’s a really great time for everyone who gets involved, and we have faculty and staff who express interest as well.鈥�