Alex Emerson
Transcript Correspondent
aaemerso@owu.edu
For whatever interest an Ohio Wesleyan student might have, it’s likely they can find a club on campus to help them pursue that passion.
Club recruitment was in full swing yesterday at the Hamilton Williams Campus Center at the Student Involvement Fair. A wide variety of clubs and their members were on hand, pitching their organizations and trying to enlist new members.
The 16 clubs represented ranged from academia to greek life to video game enthusiasts. A full list of OWU clubs can be found here.
One organization that will draw attention this semester and which has been an OWU tradition since 1884 is Mock Convention. The clubmeets every four years during the presidential election cycle to teach students more about the electoral process, said Ahmed Hamed, the organization’s president.
The “Mock” represents the party not in control of the White House, with the aim of predicting the party’s nominee for the coming election.
Some clubs are focused on activism. One example is the Citizens Climate Lobby.
“Our focus right now is that civic engagement is important. Helping people realize that their voice matters … and (offering) a bipartisan climate solution,” said Juniper Deitering, the group’s treasurer.
Pride is another activist club.
“The club is an inclusive space for the LGBT community and allies, attempting to connect queer people so they can express themselves, socialize and support queer related activism,” said Ben Acuna, the organization’s vice president. “It’s a casual student space, more so than student counseling or something.”
Fun is another element for many clubs, including the Game Club, which is also designed to promote new friendships.
“It’s a really relaxed club where people who like tabletop games and video games can hang out,” said President Ocheme Connell. “Occasionally, we hold events like the Super Smash Brothers Tournament. It meets Friday from 8 p.m. until we feel like going to bed.”
All clubs have signup sheets which include non-committal email lists.