On Thursday, students and faculty gathered in the McKenna Lobby to check out the many different clubs available at Seton Hill University. Each table was decorated with posters and flyers describing and promoting their clubs.
“There’s a lot of people but it’s a lot of fun. I enjoy all the free stuff I’m getting,” said Diana McDade, freshman sacred music major. Most clubs were giving away free stuff to get students to join. The chemistry club taught those interested how to make silly putty. The math club played a version of “Roulette” for pieces of candy.
As the fair progressed, they started to perform yo-yo tricks. The feminist collective had cupcakes while the student-body activities council gave out free Dippin’ Dots.
“It’s fun,” said freshman Olivia Schultz. “I got free Dippin’ Dots, so that’s good!”
Along with the standard clubs, there were two others introduced this year: the Anime Club, which plans on attending conventions dealing with animation and the Swing Dance Club, which is about learning how to dance and having fun while doing so. All are welcome to join.
The Feminist Collective
Are you looking for a place where you will be treated equal no matter your sexual identity? Seton Hill University (SHU) has a club for that. The Feminist Collective is all about fighting for an individual’s right to gender equality. The advisors for the club are Professor Maureen Vissat, Susan Eichenberger and Reverend David Von Schlichten.
The officers in the club are Natalie Spanner as president, Maria Lemmo as vice president, Holly Reid as secretary, Lani Snyder as treasurer and Maddy Derby as the public relations representative.
In recent years the Collective has gathered students to march on the courthouse for the Equal Pay Day rally. This year Spanner intends to bring this debate to SHU. By doing this they plan to explore why SHU has become a forward-thinking establishment for gender equality while maintaining its Catholic identity.
“I am so proud to be a part of our Seton Hill community, because I know our school’s leaders recognize the vital importance of attaining gender equality and see it as a moral responsibility for those who consider themselves Catholic,” Spanner said.
In the upcoming semester the officers are planning to have regular discussion groups with students and their advisors. They also plan to create videos which highlight interviews with SHU students on their views about being a feminist in today’s society. There are even plans of coming out with eye-catching t-shirts daring everyone to use the F-word. Feminist, that is.
Biology Club
What is the favored means of communication among biologists? A cell phone. You don’t have to tell puns to be in the Biology Club or even be a biology major. Anyone is welcome to join. However it is a great way to meet faculty involved in the Science department.
Each year the Biology Club holds a lot of different events. One is recycling cans every semester to help keep the campus green. There are bamboo sales as well. Another is a campus “campout” where there was a movie on the lawn along with food, prizes and a bonfire.
A major event is the “SHU Dancing with the Stars.” Groups of students with at least one faculty member, the star, compete for a prize. There is even a panel of judges. In this event competitors can do any type of dance to any song.
The advisor for the club is Dr. Butela. The other officers are Mary Calligan as president, Ashley Fisher as vice president and April Falkosky as secretary.
Hockey Club
You don’t necessarily have to be a student athlete to partake in sports on the Seton Hill University (SHU) campus. You can check out intramural sports. Maybe you can grab a frisbee with some friends. Or, you can check out the Hockey Club.
The club originated in 2010 when a few hockey enthusiasts began playing games for fun. Come the following Spring, they were officially recognized as a club on campus with their academic advisor, Robert Zullo.
The club is open to everyone currently enrolled at SHU and all are welcome to join. “The hockey club is a very friendly group of students with a mixed level of hockey ability,” said club president Ben Wingrove.
The club meets multiple times a week for deck hockey in the Sullivan Gym. They also gather to watch hockey games and often participate in other on and off campus activities. Interested? You can check out their Facebook page at “Seton Hill University Hockey Club” for updates, game times and to meet other club members.
Lego Club
Do you remember playing with LEGOs as a kid and building huge sculptures? Do you still enjoy playing with LEGOs? Seton Hill University(SHU) has a club for that! Not only will you get to play with LEGOs but you will be helping add a bit of color to the SHU campus gardens. The advisor for the club is Carol Zola. The officers are Heather Fabery, Willa Black and Cristi Michele.
The idea for the LEGOs club started when Zola was helping in the gardens. She noticed that the gardens needed some color and thought it would be cool to have LEGO super sculptures displayed. After some extensive research and positive feedback, the club was approved.
This club will be made up of several different committees. The Sanitation Committee which are responsible for dumping the donated bricks into a bleach solution to sanitize the pieces. A Marketing Committee will take the structure “on the road” to local schools to help promote science, math and SHU. Last but not least the Design Committee which will decide what shape their sculpture will be.
“I discovered other colleges with LEGO clubs, but none with a true definition of building a work of art for their campuses. That is what is going to make Seton Hill’s club unique.” Zola said.
There will be a few meetings but the main focus will be construction. Members can drop in at any time to add a few bricks to the sculpture. The first structure is yet to be decided.