Mary MacIntire
Contributing Writer
Several clubs on campus are looking for members and officers as another school year comes towards an end. With many students graduating this May, there are many spots opening up in clubs for newcomers who may be looking to take on leadership roles.
As the reality sets in that many club leaders will be moving on, it raises the issue of who will fill their shoes as involved student leaders.
“We are looking for officers because several of us are graduating, slash, have graduated or can no longer commit because of schedules,” says Rachel Bailey, a business management major from Stroudsburg, Pa and treasurer of the Outings Club.
“Being an officer is an important job because none of the club activities would be possible without the officers’ hard work and dedication.”
Without enough officers and active members, clubs can succumb to deactivation, as is the case with several clubs already. A non-negligible portion of clubs listed on Warriorlinks are no longer active.
But just as old clubs fall to the wayside, new clubs form to replace them. One club that was recently recognized as a new student organization by the Student Activity Association is Women in STEM and Supporters. The club had its share of hardships in the process of becoming recognized, and with some of the founders graduating, they recently held elections for the 2024-2025 term.
“I’m excited for our first year as an active club,” said Sarah MacIntire, a biotechnology major from East Stroudsburg, Pa. MacIntire also serves as the newly elected president of Women in STEM and Supporters. “It will definitely make things easier with going to events and reaching potential new members.”
Most student groups are always open to new members. Throughout the year there are opportunities to get involved with clubs doing community work, planning other events or going on trips. Some clubs actively recruit members to be officers throughout the semester. Positions like social media manager or secretary could be good for students who want to try participating more in an organization.
Besides joining existing clubs, students can also attempt to create their own club or re-vamp a club that has been declared inactive. The Student Activity Association oversees all student organizations. This means that any club looking to become officially active will need to go through a multiple-step process which includes finding a faculty advisor, recruiting officers and creating a constitution.
The steps to becoming an active club can take a lot of time, which is why it is so important for those who are active to keep up with their status. “We found it to be incredibly important for officers to have good communication working together, to make a club operate,” says Bailey.
The Outings Club recently won an award from the Student Activity Association for being the most active in the community. This is an example of why having a strong foundation of leaders in a club is so important to its success. “We hope to find officers with good spirit about running the club, who can put in the effort to make sure club trips and events are still possible,” Bailey says.
