Don’t miss the club showcase this week in Red Square
By Tommy Cha
It is a dry and cold day. People are breathing in the chill crystals of air. Some may be appalled by this, some feeling revitalized. But nonetheless, the weather has no effect on these students at Western. Not just an ordinary students, but the ones who are willing to sit outside in Red Square for a long period of time, giving up their free time to the clubs they represent.
There are over 200 clubs that currently exist at Western, and many people may not have heard of at least a few of them. That can be a problem for students and clubs alike. This is where the AS Club Showcase can help.
The AS Club Showcase, a two-week-long event, takes place in Red Square, every weekday, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., starting Monday, February 12,, and ending on Friday, February 23.
According to Douglas Van Druff, AS Club Events Coordinator, the purpose of this long event is to expose clubs to the students of Western, in hopes of increasing club retention, due to Winter Quarter having a decreased amount of membership within clubs. Along with that, the AS attracts students by using donuts as an incentives to talk to the clubs that are present.
A few clubs expressed thoughts towards the event, saying that it livens up the mood on Red Square, and makes it very interactive. Many people said they liked the free donuts.
Some of the clubs that were a part of the AS Club Showcase were:
Campus Christian Fellowship
Cascadia Climbers WWU
The INN University Ministries
NAMI WWU
Robotics Club
To Write Love on Her Arms
WWU Swing Kids
WWU TAG Team
Just in case you missed out on a day, and wanted to know about a few of these clubs, here is a little bit of information and interesting things about them!
The Campus Christian Fellowship has small groups with each and every dorm on campus, with male and female separated groups. Every Friday nights, there is a big group get together.
Cascadia Climbers WWU, a place and club to build a friendly community! This club meets every other Mondays. A few interesting things about Cascadia Climbers is that they give out free gear for rent! And if you are not a climber, they can teach you! During each Spring Break, the Climbers go on trips. Last year, they went to California.
Ever wanted to learn a bit more about technology? Robotics Club is the place! Joseph Renault, a club member, said they “build a community of curious folks to expand what we know.” They meet Fridays at the Communications Facility from 4 to 6 p.m. The Robotics Club has projects that happen each quarter. The projects can vary from Arduino cars to the team making robots. As Renault saidL: “Don’t know how to code? No problem! Project? Bring it in!”
The WWU TAG Team is a club for students who identify as non-conforming, or transgender. It is a safe place for those students to feel comfortable and not need to worry about being misgendered.
They have also done a fundraiser where they charged one dollar for people to ask transgender folks questions. TAG team also focuses on community and friendship building!
Now that was only a few of the club on campus. As mentioned earlier, there are over 200 clubs at Western, and the number is only growing!
Just a word for those who are not in clubs, joining clubs can help people grow and learn a lot more about themselves and their interests. Go and explore more clubs, as the AS Club Showcase ends on Friday, February 23, 2018.