Often, SUNY Rockland students come to campus for their classes and leave immediately after. Campus clubs are a great way to meet new people while engaging in an activity of interest.
Besides being an easy path to making new friends, clubs offer an avenue of stress relief to overburdened students. Involvement in extracurricular activities also helps when transferring to a four-year school or applying for a job.
Colleges and employers want to see what makes you different, and involvement in clubs is a great way to do that. Aside from the benefits clubs provide in terms of strengthening your résumé, they are also enjoyable.
Every club has officers, usually a secretary, treasurer, vice president, and president. Holding any one of these positions looks good on an application. Being a club officer also helps improve certain practical skills.
A list of the activities completed every meeting has to be submitted to the Student Involvement Office by the club secretary. This improves time management and organizational skills.
By managing the club's finances, the treasurer hones her accounting abilities. The vice president and president gain leadership training by running club meetings. You don't even have to hold any position in the club to gain benefits. Many clubs, such as Habitat for Humanity, spend a great deal of time doing community service.
There is a wide range of different clubs on campus, everything from video gaming to chess. Ethnic- based groups such as the Haitian Club give students a chance to associate with others from the same background. Religious-based groups, such as Hillel, offer many fun- and food-filled celebrations around holidays.
Many clubs organize exciting trips for their members, such as the Environmental Club's canoeing trip last spring. Others have weekly activies right on campus, such as growing vegetables with the Organic Gardening Club. If you are looking to be involved in the community, student chapters of national organizations may be a good choice. Good examples on campus are ROTORACT, the student chapter of the national service organization the Rotary Club, and Habitat for Humanity.
For the politically active student, clubs like the Gay-Straight Alliance or the Hemp Activist Group provide an issue to fight for. Some clubs offer a chance to actively develop a skill, such as writing for a newspaper (Outlook) or working on a stage production (Stage Crew).
Sports teams and clubs offer a chance to be both involved and physically active. Other clubs, such as the Chess Club, are perfect for students looking to develop a new hobby or have fun with an old one. With all these options, there is a club for everyone
Finding a club to join is easy. All clubs are required to have a table at Club Fest, an event at the start of the semester designed to help students find clubs. One can also find a list of clubs on the RCC website.
Most clubs meet during the Common Hour, 12:30 - 1:30, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Most classes do not meet during that time period to allow students to participate in extracurricular activities. Some clubs meet only one day a week, while others meet both days. Many clubs also serve lunch. Try joining a club this semester. You will discover that RCC has another side, and that it's not all about academics.
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