Clubs/Orgs on Campus - How you can get involved
By: Team E
As a first year, the involvement fair can look extremely overwhelming, but I promise you it is something you won’t want to miss. The involvement fair is super cool because it is probably an atmosphere you won’t really see at most schools. In the fall semester, all of the clubs line up on the hub lawn and have information and sometimes even free goodies to hand out. It is organized by category of the club so it makes it a little easier to navigate. They also have a sign at the top telling you which clubs are there that day. Some days will have different clubs there. My best advice for the involvement fair is to grab a friend and go check it out! You definitely will not regret it.
While looking at all of these clubs may feel overwhelming, I recommend that you pick 2 - 3 clubs or organizations to be a part of your first year. (I have friends that were not as involved their first year and they say now that they wish they would have at least been a part of one club). It is important to still have fun, make friends around campus, and relax. A big thing I heard once about clubs is to pick one related to engineering, one related to something you enjoy, and maybe even something you have never tried before. For me, I chose to participate in three core things. I was a member of SWE, played IM basketball, and was a part of a church based community. These three core options really helped me to navigate my time my first year and helped me to find people with similar interests to me.
Finally, the involvement fair is not the only way to get involved, so do not be upset if you can’t make it. If you can’t make it to the involvement fair, Penn State has a website where you can look at all of the different clubs and orgs they have to offer (https://orgcentral.psu.edu/). Do not be afraid to ask around to find out what types of clubs people are in! If you know someone that is in a club you are interested in joining, that person can most likely add you to that club’s GroupMe to get you started on being involved.
Fall 2022 Involvement Fair
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
11:00am - 4:00pm
HUB Lawn
One of the best ways to get to know other engineering students is to join engineering specific clubs! Penn State offers many different types of clubs that are specific to just engineers. There are professional engineering organizations for each major such as ASME, ACHE, ASCE, etc. These clubs are a great way to network with other students and alumni since they have frequent meetings with sponsors.
Another type of engineering clubs at Penn State are the design teams. These clubs are a great way to meet other engineering students while working on real world engineering problems. There are design teams who build rockets, cars, planes, concrete canoes, and many other very cool things! One of the most exciting parts of being a member of a design team is that you have the opportunity to compete in design challenges and win prizes.
Lastly, two of the most helpful clubs I have been involved in as a female in engineering are Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Women Engineering Program (WEP). These clubs have allowed me to make lifelong friends and develop a support system to help me through the challenges I’ve faced in my academic career thus far. SWE has a variety of different events weekly focused on different categories such as outreach & inclusion, social, professional development, and service. There are also many leadership opportunities available within the club, even for first year students! WEP has WEP Wednesdays where you can receive advice from upper level students and tips for professional development. Visit: Penn State Engineering: Student Organizations (psu.edu) to learn about more of the engineering specific clubs on campus.
Penn State also offers many chances to participate and volunteer for THON. THON is an annual 46-hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon that is put on each February to culminate the yearlong effort students make towards helping the children and families impacted by childhood cancer. It is truly one of the best events that I have ever seen. Sometimes as a student, you aren’t able to see how much of an impact you can make on someone’s life, but this is the place that does just that. During THON weekend, you are with thousands of students, staff, and families who all share the same goal. I can’t tell you enough how amazing it is to see so many students wanting to work for the same goal year after year. Just this past year, for THON’s 50th anniversary, we raised the largest total yet (*drumroll*), $13,756,374.50!!! I bet this all sounds super amazing and you want to know how to get involved. Well, here’s how:
So there are many types of ways to get involved in THON. The first is through a THON organization. THON organizations are specifically intended to fundraise for THON. Each organization is paired with at least one family that they support throughout the year in addition to raising money for THON’s grand total. There are lots of orgs to choose from (over 400 to be exact!), each a part of 1 of 3 org categories: Special Interest, General, and Greek.
Special Interest Orgs have the sole mission of raising money for THON. They are specifically set for THON and to raise money. They take in all students of any major and any year. These range from large groups with hundreds of students to smaller groups with tens of students. This is a good starting place for an introduction to THON. You are still able to meet lots of people, apply for leadership positions, and of course be there FTK (for the kids)! If you are interested in a larger THON special interest org, some of the top and most known orgs are Atlas, Eclipse, FOTO, and Ohana.
General Orgs are those of which come from within another club. For example SWE (Society of Women Engineers) has a THON branch in which they support their families as well as raise money for the grand total. Many clubs have this additional THON branch which you can also join as it will be a common place for you to meet people with the same interests as you outside of THON. General orgs can be found as a part of professional societies, club sports, and mostly any other club that is interested in participating in THON.
Greek orgs are similar to general orgs but instead of coming from a club, they are a branch of fraternities and sororities. If you decide to join a Greek organization, you have the ability to also participate in their THON org. This follows the same type of organization as that of the other THON orgs where you would still be supporting a child and their family while also raising money for THON. One specific sorority geared towards women in engineering is Phi Sigma Rho and they have a THON branch that you are welcome to participate in once you have joined the sorority. Many of our leadership members are involved in Greek Life and would be happy to answer any questions about it, so feel free to reach out.
Another way of getting involved in THON is through a committee. THON committees are part of a year-long effort to spread THON’s mission as well as help out during THON Weekend. There are lots of different types of committees if you are interested in being more involved throughout THON weekend, from helping the dancers on the floor, to merchandise, to technology, to rules and regulations. Whatever you are interested in helping with THON weekend, there is a place for you! Committee applications will come out around the beginning of September and close shortly after, so be on the lookout if you are interested in applying!
Lastly, another way to be a part of THON is to be a dancer. These are the people standing for 46 hours during THON weekend. You are able to be a dancer through your THON org or by dancing independently by lottery. Make sure to check out your THON org’s application or the THON website (https://thon.org/students/) for more information about being a dancer or getting more involved within THON.
Most of our leadership team has been a part of a THON org, THON committee, or have even danced, and we would all be happy to answer any questions you have about joining, applying, or dancing!
You may be wondering what club meetings are like at Penn State. And the answer is that it depends on the club. Typically clubs meet at least an hour per week, but it is a good idea to ask about the time commitment expected of members when you are thinking about joining. Most clubs will reserve classrooms on campus for their meetings, however, they will usually have a zoom option available as well. One other topic worth noting is that some clubs may have dues at the beginning of the semester. This money is used to pay for supplies, food at meetings, or anything else the specific club may need throughout the academic year.
Finally, Team E wants to leave you with some DOs and DON’Ts for club joining and club involvement.
DO
JOIN A CLUB. Join at least one club. This will help you to meet new people that share similar interests as you. Penn State is a big place, so joining a club will hopefully help you find your group of friends that help make it not feel so big.
Go to the Involvement Fair. Even if you don’t want to join a club right away, just check it out so you can look at your options and maybe even talk to some of the clubs to get more information about that specific club.
Join clubs you are passionate or are interested in. Nobody likes to do things that they don’t want to do, and that goes for clubs too. Find something you are passionate about and want to be a part of. Penn State has literally a club for anything, so there’s lots of choices!
Start with joining one major-related club and one fun club. Starting out in your first year, you don’t want to overwhelm yourself so start out with two clubs, see how you can better manage your time and then if you are able and want to join more you can.
Try new things. Penn State offers so many clubs that it may feel overwhelming, but you never know what you might like, so it is always best to try something new.
Attend club meetings. Although they may not be mandatory, you only get out what you put in. Even if you feel like you have too much to do or don’t have time, clubs are an excellent break time to get your mind off of school and have some fun.
Apply for leadership positions. All clubs offer leadership positions, including President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Social Media. Larger clubs may even have more positions and/or chair positions. These not only look great on a resume, but can be really rewarding to help make a difference within the club.
DON’T
Join too many clubs right away. You have 4 years at this amazing school, don’t put all your eggs into one basket. Take your time figuring out your schedule and how you manage your time. Clubs are an excellent break from school, but you should make sure you are not spreading yourself too thin and take the time to do everything with your best effort rather than a lot of things with minimal effort.
Feel obligated to join clubs. Although they show that you have diverse interests and do things outside of school, everyone’s path is different. Your friend may want you to try out a club with them, but make sure to do things that you are interested in too. Clubs aren’t for everyone, but you won’t know if it’s for you unless you try it, so make sure to at least try it. There are lots of other options besides joining a club, so if you find out it’s not your thing, that is totally fine. It’s your college path, so make it yours!
Join a club just for name recognition. Employers who view your resume will want to know about your involvement outside of school, so you should be able to talk about different projects you worked on or clubs you are involved in. If you want to be involved in a club, be an active member so you are able to share your experiences and not just have the club’s name on your resume and be unfamiliar with the work and purpose of the club.
Check out: Organizations - Penn State University Park (psu.edu) for a list of all of the clubs offered at University Park. If you can’t find a club for something you’re passionate about, you can always start one!
Although there are lots of clubs and things to think about, you have to remember that you have four years to figure it all out. It may not seem like a lot of time, but focus on things that make you happy and are interesting to you. Many members on the leadership team have lots of experience joining clubs, being in a leadership position, and working on time management, so be sure to reach out to any of us and we would be happy to answer your questions, get you more information, or help point you in the right direction. We are here as a resource for each and every one of you and we can’t wait to see all that you accomplish!
- Team E
Ava, Claira, and Maddie
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