WSU is home to over 400 clubs and student organizations with new organizations and clubs at WSU, there is a place for everyone who wants to get involved in a wide variety of interests and activities.
The Center for Student Organizations and Leadership is the hub when it comes to getting involved on campus, Anna Somerville, Center for Student Organizations and Leadership graduate assistant, said.
“One of my favorite parts of my job is having either freshman or people who are a little bit more hesitant to get involved come in and just pull up the list of clubs and go through all, you know, near 400 of them A to Z and find [organizations] that they’re interested in,” Somerville said.
The transition from high school to college can be difficult, it is hard and scary to reach out and meet new people, she said.
It is very important for freshmen to get involved as soon as possible, said Chayanne Iyun, Black Men Making A Difference president.
“I feel like it is very critical, especially for African American men, when they’re exposed to a society they’re not really used to they somehow being shut down,” he said.
BMMAD as an organization just brings community or some sort of like home away from home, Iyun said.
Specifically, BMMAD tries to give out some good resources that involve making a difference, trying to encourage volunteer opportunities so they are not just amongst themselves but collaborating with other organizations, he said.
“Being able to find a club that, you know, you’re interested in and that you will likely be around people with similar interests. I think it’s very comforting and it’s kind of like, I think it makes it a little bit easier to put yourself out there when you know that you’ll be kind of around like-minded or like-interested people,” Somerville said.
BMMAD’s vice president, Jabrilo Williams, said he’ here stumbled among the organization his freshman year when people introduced him to the place BMMAD meetings were held and has been involved ever since.
What is unique about WSU’s clubs and organizations stems from how many different organizations are available to students, Somerville said.
“It’s basically as diverse as the majors offered here at WSU and beyond,” she said.
There are STEM, Business, Multicultural and LGBTQ+ organizations and clubs, she said.
Some of these clubs include Active Minds at Washington State University, the Asian American and Pacific Islander Student Center, the Association for Women in STEM and so many more, according to WSU Presence Organizations.
While organizations are built to help get students involved, especially freshmen they are not the only ones targeted for these organizations. Upperclassmen are too, Somerville said.
Those who have been around at WSU longer have the opportunity to dip their toes in multiple different organizations and clubs and feel comfortable doing so. They also can join organizations that are more relevant to their interest or what correlates with their majors and give them experience, she said.
“The opportunities are for sure there and that’s good for you know, more outgoing freshmen to join whatever club they want. There are typically no restrictions on what kind of clubs they can join and so they have the opportunity to either kind of dip their toe and sort of put themselves out there in a more comfortable way with people of like-minds you know,” Somerville said.
