By Neal Kirmer
Staff Writer
Cameron University is home to many clubs and organizations. Every year, these entities must replenish their ranks as members leave after graduation or other reasons. However, after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, these numbers have yet to reach their pre-COVID-19 quota.
Marlon Banner is a member of Kappa Sigma, a fraternity on campus. They’re trying to host different events on campus to drum up new membership.
“We want to be physically present on campus,” Banner said. “We want to have a good time and show people (who we are) and to be present.”
One way Kappa Sigma is trying to gather new initiates, is with what they are dubbing “tailgating events.” The fraternity members have been seen setting up a tent in high traffic areas of campus. They have music, soft drinks and games with plans to add more activities.
“One thing we discussed doing is a drive-in movie night,” Banner said. “We are thinking about getting out a projector and some bed sheets, and showing our own brothers movies that they have made and having a movie night in that way.”
Other organizations hope to bring awareness to their groups with charity drives. Abi Heaverin, the activities coordinator for the Biology Club, explained how they hope to bring awareness to the Biology Club with a campus wide charity drive.
“We are collecting feminine hygiene products for Eisenhower High School,” Heaverin said. “I am working with one of their counselors to make sure they go to low income students to make sure they have access to these items.”
The Biology Club is one of those organizations that is trying to figure itself out after COVID-19.
“It’s a learning curve, we are trying to take a club and rise it back from the dead,” Heaverin said. “We inherited this club from pre-COVID members that couldn’t really do much the last few years. We are starting from scratch.”
Students do not need to be Biology majors to join the Biology Club. All that is required is a love of science.
“We take any student,” Heaverin said. “We have a Psychology major who wants to go to dentistry school, we have a communications major who is a member. You just need to be interested in biological sciences.”
Getting the full college experience has been difficult since COVID-19 interrupted daily life. The student organizations on campus are hoping to bring that experience back to those who attend Cameron University.
“I feel that after COVID, none of us have had the traditional college experience,” Heaverin said. “I would love for more people to come to the clubs so we get some of that before our last years here.”
In nearly every building around campus, in the commons area, student organizations post flyers and informational materials about their groups. Check your Cameron email for periodic announcements about meeting times and activities that are planned. Students may can also find a complete list of active organizations on the Cameron website. For those wishing to donate to the Biology Clubs charity drive, donations can be dropped off at Shepler Towers, the Science Complex and in the Library.
