Sheridan clubs off to a fair start

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JESSICA BEAULIEU

Whether you’re into taking pictures or drawing them, Christianity or gay pride, Sheridan College has a club for you.

Last Thursday, Trafalgar Campus’ Atrium played host to 13 of Sheridan’s 20 clubs, which had gathered there in order to spread awareness and gain membership.

“In order for a club to get club status it has to have 10 members,” said Alexander Curley, Sheridan grad and resource manager for Sheridan Pride.

Clubs meet between one to three times a week, depending on member participation and availability.

Some clubs, like the 18% Grey Club and the Sheridan Animation Council, are put in place in order to help fundraise for their program’s end of year projects. The photography students and animation students have to pay for their events out of pocket, so club awareness and fundraising goes a long way.

Other groups, such as the Martial Arts Club and the Street Dance Society, get together to break a sweat and improve their moves.

Generally, clubs are a place for like-minded students to get together and enjoy their common interests.

For example, Sheridan Pride is responsible for hosting the Queer Cabaret for the past two years, provides free screenings of queer films and generally acts as an advocate for the rights of gay students.

“It provides social gathering spaces and allows students to grow and broaden their perspectives,” said Curley.

“The club transforms with membership every year, eventually I’d like to see it influence content creators to include gay content in course outlines.”

But it can be hard to get students to find the time for club involvement.

“We have lots of members, just not committed members,” said Robert Ree, faculty sponsor for the Sheridan Makers, a club that creates visual creative arts products using 3D printing and robotics.

“Being a part of a club is definitely a positive experience,” said Leslie Pulsifer, Sheridan club coordinator. “If you’re in an academic club you’re gaining a competitive edge and networking with faculty members and upper-classmen. If you’re in a social club you’re building professional skills in a casual setting.”

Pulsifer belongs to three clubs, while completing her third year in the animation program and holding down her position at Student Union.

“We were very pleased with how the clubs fair went on Thursday, the last couple years haven’t been so successful so this year was exciting,” she said.

But for some, the excitement wasn’t exactly infectious.

“Clubs have consistently been poorly run by administration,” Curley said. “They need more resources allocated to them and more help running them.”

If you’d like to start up a new club or join an existing one, check out the Sheridan clubs website or contact Pulsifer at clubs.ssuitrc@sheridancollege.ca