Welcome to the club. As the University’s Wrestling Club hits the mat for the first time this semester, The Outlook’s editors reflected on the state of clubs at Monmouth and their experiences with them.
All the editors agreed that the University offers enough clubs outside of Greek Life that offer opportunities for all students to get involved. “I think there are plenty of club opportunities on campus,” one editor said. The editor continued, “I feel like since I’ve started here, there have been many new clubs that are added that are centered on new student interests and major-related activities.”
Not only are there plenty of opportunities to join clubs, but the University can help students form their own if they see a need for it. An editor pointed out, “The University makes it accessible for students to take the liberty of forming a club on their own. Amy Bellina, the Director of Student Activities, has been very approachable in my experience and encourages students to pursue the process of beginning a new club and getting it officially recognized by the University.”
A reason why clubs have become an essential fabric of our community is because of how the University promotes their efforts. “I think that Monmouth makes a great effort of promoting clubs and organizations outside of Greek Life, especially through their Instagram stories,” an editor noted. Another editor added, “I always see posters strung around campus for different types of meetings and I’m always surprised by the amount.”
Although the University does all they can to promote club activities, it is up to the students to take that leap to get involved. “The issue is more that students never put the effort into finding out about them or getting involved. The key is for Monmouth to promote their clubs more to the school with events like the Involvement Fair,” one editor said.
While the editors are busy with their work at The Outlook, some have participated in club activities outside of our bustling office in Plangere. One editor had their hands full with, “I am involved with the Monmouth Review, Order of the Phoenix (the Harry Potter club), and occasionally HawkTV. I’m also a part of two honor societies, Sigma Tau Delta for English and Psi Chi for psychology.”
But for the most part, with all the work we put dedicate toward this publication and our classes, most of the editors have stuck with The Outlook as their primary involvement at the University. We are always itching to get more involved though, as one editor acknowledged, “I wish that I had more time so that I could join more clubs. I always wanted to be a part of The Outdoors Club for their ski and snowboard trips, but I could never make the trips.”
Considering most of our club involvement comes from The Outlook, all of the editors felt like they have grown in some way through their club involvement on campus. “Working with these clubs has helped me build my resume and gain more experience with journalism,” an editor stated. Another added, “Though our club is organized differently than others on campus, I think we’ve all adapted to being in a fast-paced environment with strict deadlines.”
Through our experience with club involvement, we have gained some precious memories along the way. In their experience at The Outlook, an editor reflected with, “I definitely enjoyed the impact of creating stories for the campus and being approached about different topics I’ve covered.” Meanwhile, another editor thought their favorite memory was their, “First cover story for The Outlook. It just made me feel proud of myself.”
Even though the University’s clubs have had some impact on our experiences here, some editors were divided on if being a part of an organization is an integral part of being a Hawk. For instance, one editor suggested, “For being a largely commuter school, I think it’s difficult to rally excitement over certain clubs and activities. There are many great organizations on campus, but I am not sure how much of an impact they have on the campus culture.”
Moreover, another editor indicated that the University’s draw toward involvement is more embedded in Greek Life compared to club experiences. “I would say that Greek life is a big part of why a lot of students come to Monmouth. Sorority and fraternity life is a huge part of this school,” the editor stated.
However, there were some that felt that clubs have always been key in our community. “It is a huge part of the Monmouth Community because one thing that makes this school so special is the ability to get involved from day one at this school in any club you want,” an editor advocated.
To get involved on campus, each editor shared their own piece of advice. One encouraged involvement with, “If you want to join a club just be yourself, the rest will follow, you will always find what’s best for you.”
If you do not want to go toe-to-toe with folks at the wrestling club, there are plenty of other opportunities the University offers.
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth University