Opportunities for Everyone
Want to get involved? Activities Night is the way to go.
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Aristotle or anime, farming or Frisbee, Quidditch or quotients—whatever your passions, chances are there is a Dickinson club that’s perfect for you. The question is: Do you know about it?
“It can be overwhelming, coming in as a first-year and not knowing what clubs and activities are available,” says Catie Duckworth ’14, a double major in Spanish and international studies and president of the Dickinson College Democrats. "Activities Night gives students the chance to see everything in one place and talk to officers, to see if their clubs are a good fit."
Held at the start of every semester, Activities Night offers a chance for all students to learn about how they can get involved on campus, as the students who lead those clubs gather together in the HUB to spread the word about their organizations and sign up new members. This fall’s event featured informational displays by more than 85 cultural, arts and media, athletics, service and leadership, spiritual, social and special-interest organizations, each vying for the attention of passersby.
While club-sport, intramural and Outing Club members advocated for the right to go outside to play, environmentally conscious students stumped for the Treehouse, ALLARM, environmental-action groups and the College Farm. Student writers, photographers and designers signed up for the Dickinsonian, the square, Microcosm and the Photography Club, and performers and broadcasters found their bliss as members of WDCV-FM, Red Devil Television (RDTV), the Mermaid Players or one of the college's many dance and a cappella groups. There also were eye-catching displays for community-service, cultural, political, social, religious and special-interest organizations.
New clubs this year include Band-Aid, led by Emilia McManus '15; SPANKK (Espirit Basner '15) and RDTV (Diamond McClintock '14). Activities Night is essential to the new organizations' success, McClintock said.
Political-science major Ryan Protter ’16, president of Keystones of Dickinson College, pointed out that students who join campus organizations not only broaden their interests and professional skills but their circle of friends, too. “As a first-year, I joined groups I didn’t know anything about and met a lot of great people as a result,” Protter noted. “If you want to be active on campus, which will enable you to meet new people and try new things, Activities Night is the way to go.”
“It’s like getting to explore a catalog of Dickinson's student life,” added Basner, the president and co-founder of SPANKK, who’s also active as a Spectrum member and an Orientation advisor. “It’s a great opportunity for everyone.”
Published August 27, 2013