The beginning of a new semester means renewed opportunities for Ohio University students to create lasting friendships, network and learn with and from their fellow Bobcats.
For the past 214 years, Ohio University has been committed to the development of well-rounded students who are continually learning and growing – both inside and outside of the classroom. Key to that objective is a growing list of opportunities for students to explore their personal and professional interests.
The Campus Involvement Center serves as the support unit for the nearly 500 annually recognized Ohio University student organizations and clubs. This year, around nine new student organizations have registered with the Campus Involvement Center, promoting the University’s five core values of character, citizenship, civility, commitment and community.
Inclusion is a top priority for OU Adopts. This organization is open to individuals who are adopted, who grew up in a foster or single-parent home, whose parents divorced, and those who are interested in learning about child services. According to the organization’s founders, OU Adopts is devoted to creating a positive and inclusive environment, as well as a support system, for all of its members.
“I feel like we all understand each other in a different way,” Courtney Cron said in explaining why this organization is so beneficial to its members and adoptees.
The goal of OU Adopts is to have a positive impact on Ohio University students while also serving the local community. Members of the organization plan to host fundraisers for the local foster care system and engage in activities with the Athens-area children in foster care. OU Adopts meets every other Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Baker University Center 239. For more information on joining OU Adopts, contact the organization’s president, Courtney Cron, at cc905714@ohio.edu.
Among the new student organizations dedicated to professional development and advocacy in a social setting is the Undergraduate Black Law Student Association, which provides programming to students from all cultures and backgrounds. In helping to create the organization, Akabalon Khalfani, who serves as the association’s president, said she wanted to provide resources to underrepresented students who are planning to study law while also creating a community for those individuals to connect with one another.
In addition to providing a platform for students with similar professional goals to network and connect, Khalfani hopes the Undergraduate Black Law Student Association can help students practice for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) through study sessions and schedule visits to law schools. Khalfani is also planning to hold practice LSATs at the association’s meetings along with workshops and speakers to address applying for admission to law schools. To participate in these events, there is a general body fee of $10 per year. For more information on joining the Undergraduate Black Law Student Association, contact Akabalon Khalfani at ak593014@ohio.edu.
If adventure is calling, the OU Climbers student organization was formed this past semester. President and founder Haley Carnahan said she was hanging out with some friends this past summer when she realized Ohio University needed a club for rock climbers. Catering to students of all rock-climbing and bouldering experience, including those with no experience, OU Climbers hosts both general body meetings as well as Sunday night meetings at the Ping Center’s climbing wall aimed at teaching members the ropes of climbing. Certification, administered by Ping Center staff, is required for use of the center’s climbing wall.
Last semester, members of the OU Climbers ventured to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky and are considering a return trip this semester as well as a possible trip to West Virginia’s New River Gorge. The general fee for members of OU Climbers is $40, which goes toward buying gear. For more information on OU Climbers, contact Haley Carnahan at hc971914@ohio.edu.
Ohio University’s student chapter of one of the largest associations of digital journalists is making a comeback this year. OHIO’s Online News Association aims to provide its members an opportunity to learn the ways in which media organizations are distributing news in the digital age. The organization plans to have meetings every other week with the first meeting of the semester slated for 6 p.m. on Feb. 8 in Schoonover 015.
The organization will be focusing on a variety of issues related to journalism and the media such as fake news, data and Excel programs, and social gathering tools. A fun and exciting new concept that ONA members may be delving into is virtual reality and its role in delivering the news. There will also be opportunities for professional growth and development.
Anyone looking to learn more about how technology is impacting media and the ways media is distributed is encouraged to join. For more information, contact the association’s president, Cat Hofacker, at ch519113@ohio.edu.
Other new student organizations to check out include:
- The Association of Women Surgeons
- The Pre-occupational Therapy Club
- The Ohio University Powerlifting Team
- Women in Sports
To explore all of Ohio University’s registered student organizations, click here.