As a freshman, I received a campuswide email asking students if they would attend an interest meeting for a new chess club. As a passionate chess player, I saw an opportunity to be an active part of a community with the same interests as me.
Around 20 people attended the meeting, and I volunteered to be the club’s secretary. For the rest of the semester, we met up and played chess every week. It was one of the best parts of my first year at ULM.
Recognized student organizations (RSOs) are the lifeblood of our university. They offer students a chance to engage in various areas of college life such as recreation, career development and religion.
Unfortunately, most RSOs do not cater to students’ different niches and hobbies.
Greek life has a vast number of fraternities and sororities, such as PIKE, Delta Sig or AKA. We also have a large variety of honorary, religious and professional organizations.
However, recreational groups engaged in a specific hobby, such as the Table Tennis Club and Phi Boota Ruta, are scarce.
Students looking for a board game, a bowling or a skating club are out of luck unless they form their own.
Students need more options when looking for a community that aligns with their interests. For that to happen, more students need to create their own.
Starting an RSO gives students the chance to be leaders, make a name for themselves and step out of their comfort zones.
Students may be intimidated by all the work that goes into creating a club. However, creating an RSO application takes less effort than one might think.
Securing a faculty advisor, a requirement for forming an RSO can be done by simply asking a professor. Plenty of faculty members will help students create an organization.
Drafting a constitution for the club requires minimal effort. Through the Suitable app, RSOs present their constitutions for everyone to see. Students can use them as examples to write their own constitutions. The Office of Student Development also provides advice and guidelines for anyone who struggles with drafting a constitution.
Maintaining an RSO requires dedication from the club’s executive board members. The lack of communication between my board members led to the chess club’s slow, quiet death.
To avoid having RSOs fade into obscurity, student leaders need to communicate with each other to plan events.
Starting an RSO allows students to lay the foundations of an organization that will last long after they leave ULM.
By working together with a vision in mind for their club, RSO members can contribute to a community. It would allow every student to explore their interests with others.
