By Josie Osborne, Campus News Editor
It is always said that some of the best memories are made at college; but, for some, classes aren’t the most exciting thing in the world. While some curricula may consist of fun group activities or academic excursions, others are filled with lectures and copying down information from PowerPoints. Thankfully, Saint Leo has many avenues to explore that exist outside of the—sometimes—monotonous classroom to make the college experience memorable.
For starters, Saint Leo has more clubs than a human has fingers and toes. From honors societies and sororities, to special interest and multicultural clubs, there is an opportunity for everyone, even online students. Chances are, if there’s an interest, there’s also probably a club for it!
Many special interest clubs don’t have requirements except for the given: love this subject. Whether it is astronomy, music, or even scuba diving that makes the heart sing, there’s a community waiting. To join, start by locating the organization on EngageLeo, a Saint Leo’s website, which includes an event calendar and information for upcoming events, as well as contact information for the various organizations.
As for honors societies, there usually are some sort of requirements, like a certain GPA or credit hours. If the qualifications are met, the society may send out email notifications to possible applicants, so make sure to keep an eye out for those, too! If curiosities about meeting the qualifications for a certain society linger, don’t be scared to reach out to the representatives.
Adrianna Astudillo, a senior majoring in English, joined one of four of Saint Leo’s Panhellenic sororities, Theta Phi Alpha, at the beginning of her freshman year. Serving as president during her junior year, Astudillo found a home away from home in the family of Theta Phi.
“From gaining more lifelong friends to becoming a leader,” Astudillo says, “the experience is once in a lifetime” as she recalls both the fun times and the challenges that helped her grow as a person.
Astudillo encourages those who want to heighten their college experience to not only consider going Greek, but to also become part of other events and organizations.
On the off chance there isn’t a place that feels just right, anyone can contact the Assistant Director of Student and Family Engagement, Ashley Phelps, to begin the process of creating their own club, per the official Saint Leo website page “Student Clubs and Organizations.”
Even if club life doesn’t suit everyone, the Saint Leo community is always hosting one event or another that doesn’t require club memberships to attend. There’s a wide range in the type of events hosted on campus, including major-based listening sessions and fundraisers, as well as school-wide seasonal festivals and bingo nights. The campus library, Cannon Memorial, often hosts events too, like open-mic night or creative writing readings.
While EngageLeo is probably the best and easiest event source to use, it is worth keeping an eye out for event posters and flyers found on the bulletin boards around campus.
Sports are another great way to get involved at Saint Leo. Between intramural sports and esports, there’s sure to be something for everyone who desires some stress-relieving competition. Saint Leo offers a variety of intramural options, from dodgeball, kickball, and pickleball, to tennis, soccer, and beach volleyball.
There are also competitions in weightlifting such as squatting, benching, and deadlifting that students are welcome to participate in.
In the Esports Arena, you can play just about any game you can get your hands on. For competitive play, there are teams for League of Legends, Valorant, Overwatch, and Super Smash Brothers. While there’s fun in competition, these sports-based organizations also bring friendship and community.
Kore Ramos, a senior majoring in English: Creative Writing, describes her experience in esports positively.
“This is where I met most of my friends,” says Ramos. “We’re like a family who will always be there for each other because it’s not just about competitions.”
Saint Leo also offers student job opportunities that not only help support students financially, but also provide yet another way to get involved on campus. Almost every facility on campus has job opportunities for students, such as library assistants, mail room workers, print shop assistants, and, of course, tutors. While at the end of the day, a job is a job, working is still a way to cultivate more experiences on campus.
As the fall semester begins and the chaos of college ensues, remember to have fun. By checking EngageLeo, keeping an eye on the bulletin boards, or even checking Saint Leo’s and The Lions’Pride’s social media, there are plenty of enriching opportunities waiting to be taken advantage of.
Sometimes the best ways to take your mind off the textbooks is to close them and get involved.
