As any Cicerone, pamphlet, or R.A. will tell you, there are over 975 official clubs or groups to join at UF. Do you like to dance the Argentine tango? There’s a club for that. Can’t go a day without discussing edible landscaping? There’s a club for that. Do you like to blow off steam by building robots? There’s a club for that, too! If more traditional community service and professional organizations are your cup of tea, well, there are so many of those that it would be impossible to join all of them. But there are some that I have heard a lot about just by being on campus and talking to other students.
Alpha Phi Omega: I have a friend in this national co-ed service fraternity and she loves it. Thousands of students walk by their information booth in Turlington Plaza, next to Subway. The club has rush weeks in both the fall and spring semesters. Hopeful members will participate in fellowship and service events. If accepted, the new members will go through a pledging process before they are officially initiated. The well-known fraternity has diverse community service projects every week. My friend absolutely adores being in the organization. It provides the opportunity to become involved in the Gainesville community while forming strong bonds with a close knit group.
Best Buddies: This group is also prevalent in high schools across the country. Best Buddies is a non-profit group that has volunteers work with people that have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Anyone who enjoys forming meaningful connections will enjoy this group. They have such activities as movie nights, crafting sessions and parties during the holidays. I have another friend in this group and she always comes back from the events saying how fulfilled she feels. She always has a touching story about the people with whom she works. This group does some very meaningful work.
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): This is just one of the many professional groups that exist on campus for those majoring in a certain field. SPJ is an excellent resource for anyone studying journalism. As a member of the group, I can say that it really is a useful group to be a part of. SPJ has meetings discussing certain aspects of the media, journalism conventions, scholarships and contests, and tips on how to succeed in classes here at UF. There are many other professional programs tailored to specific majors.
Member Leadership Program: This group is under the Hispanic Student Association. It is based on professionalism, leadership, and event planning. The group covers a variety of program development, including, how to obtain funds for programs, how to market these events, and work with others to make the events happen. The group has a mentor-mentee program in which an older student is assigned to new members to guide them, even outside of the group. My friend who is a member, talks to her mentor about everything, even if it’s not related to the group. This group is for anyone who would like to gain leadership experience.
Clubs are a great way to stay involved in the both the campus community and Gainesville community. There are so many new people to meet outside of the dorms and classes. What’s the best part? There are over 975 groups available. Go ahead and pick one.
