Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Jupiter Clubs Unite!

It was just your normal Clubfest with various remnants of free food scattered on club tables decorated with smart posters advertising the club’s previous photos and events. Bon Jovi blared in the background that he was wanted “dead or alive.” Haphazard young college boys schlepped around the echoing hall trying to recruit people for their clubs – whether they were pre-med or a future lawyer of America or even interested in joining their clubs. Pink Panzer, the unofficial school emo/alt-rock band set up their drum kit and tuned guitars just outside of the building for their future performance as the fencing club, Sale D’Armes, dueled beside them.

Though it appeared to be the usual Clubfest event, a new element was fostering in the minds of club presidents for their clubs ambitions for the year. In conjunction with SGA and its agency the Inter-Club Council, a new goal for all clubs is synergy. With almost nil budget and lofty visions of club-sponsored events, club presidents and ICC president, Kyle Ashby have decided to join forces, share budgets, and propose a joint projects grant to the senate to increase club participation and to provide better events.

Tiffany Gaston, president of the literary journal, Clichí©, articulated well the cross-club concern, “There needs to be more collaboration.” ICC president Kyle Ashby has just that in mind.

Twice a month, Ashby will be meeting with club presidents to discuss joint-club events, volunteering opportunities, and creating club histories that will provide how-to information for future club officers. In previous years, student club leaders who either graduated or quit would leave their predecessor with nearly nothing with which to build the club. New club officers would have to start from scratch. ICC is trying to stop that from happening again.

Future Lawyers of America, who boast the motto, “Rise to the occasion” plan to join forces with BSU, College Republicans and any other group willing to join efforts and budgets for events. According to recruiters Gabe Kassel and Alan Saladrigas, instead of only club meetings, Future Lawyers wants to provide events such as a seminar on law inquiries, a visit to a law fair at the University of Miami, and LSAT preparation courses.

Clichí© likewise wishes to combine with clubs of similar artistic focus such as Flashes of Photography and the ever-popular and highly successful Different Strokes. Besides coffeeshop and open-mic night events, Gaston also wants to see volunteer activities, such as reading to children, as part of the club events. Clichí© is no longer just a collection of student writings published every so often; Gaston hopes to make it into a full-fledged club, fundraisers and all.

Linda Segovia, president of Galaxy Gazers, a club focused on appreciating the stars, plans a more ambitious year with a proposed trip to the Kennedy Space Center and by collaborating with the Mad Scientists club.

As a part of the goal of synergy, Ashby also envisions more non-residential student participation, meaning more campus interaction and better event response. In the past, there has been a division between honors college clubs and non-residential clubs, which is unfortunate since students in both sets of clubs belong to the same campus. Ashby plans to use the Burrow, where 70% of non-residential students go to use computers, play pool, relax with a book, or purchase snacks, as a place to advertise Club of the Week and Club President of the Week to promote club efforts.

The year will boast the most ambitious year for clubs on the MacArthur campus yet.

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