More Than Just Free Food: Why Campus Clubs Actually Matter

Hello Owls! 

If you’ve ever awkwardly walked past clubs or organizations with tables around campus and thought, “That looks interesting, maybe I should check it out…” or maybe you just went because you heard there was free food, well this is your sign. Sure, the free food is nice, but so is making friends and getting out of your comfort zone! 

We’ve interviewed a few fellow Owls across different majors and heard their honest takes on various campus clubs. From science to tech to art, they can all agree on one thing: campus clubs are essential to the college experience!

STEM Interests

For our Owls in science, we got Benita’s take on KSU’s Pre-Pharmacy Club. As a senior chemistry student, she’s been through it all, organic chemistry especially. Joining a club is as easy as just showing interest, as in Benita’s case, she simply saw a flyer on a bulletin board on her way to class and thought “Hey, that’s what I’m interested in!” 

Benita describes her club as a way to gain exposure and technical training, particularly she loved the naloxone training the club offered. Now she’s on her way to graduating and supports that clubs matter because being with like-minded people in fields or niches that interest you is thrilling! 

Another Owl we heard from was David, a computer science senior and president of the Information Systems & Security Association (ISSA@KSU). David simply knew what he wanted in a club, gave Owl Life a look to find clubs involved in cybersecurity and technology, and now he’s running the show! 

ISSA is all about welcoming new faces, sharing information, and simply showing up with an open-mind. David’s favorite memory of the club was experiencing his first NCL Hackathon where he and his team spent the whole weekend in the club room working on CTFs. While it’s not essential to become club president (David’s just got a lot of ambition) "clubs give way to community in a more personalized way than just attending classes does. It also doesn’t hurt to learn new hobbies and expand your knowledge."

Religious Interests

If you’re looking for a more religious club, KSU has a diverse range of student-led religious clubs and organizations, whether you’re Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, there’s a space for you.

We spoke to Melody, an elementary education senior, involved in the Navigators@KSU. Religion, specifically Christianity, was important to Melody when beginning college, so freshman year she attended several different campus ministry meetings to find the one that fit her best, and that’s how she found Navs. 

Melody says the club is very encouraging, community-centered, and life-giving, aligning perfectly with her passions. She’s made quite a few memories, but attending Bible study and spring break service trips with the club are her favorite past times. Her takeaways for clubs were the sense of community she gained from joining and her time well spent in community involvement. 

Business Interests

Interested in finance or marketing, Anchiella is the Owl to hear! Anchiella, an accounting and marketing senior, is active in Beta Alpha Psi and the American Marketing Association (AMA@KSU). Getting involved was as easy as showing some hustle and attending meetings, nothing too complicated. 

Anchiella describes BAP as a prestigious club, great for making connections and gaining opportunities in finance and business information, while AMA is more on the fun side, offering real talk and fueling ambition in more business-creative spaces. Anchiella’s found roles in both clubs as a previous events director for BAP and as the current treasurer for AMA, her favorite contributions to the clubs were brainstorming icebreaker games and relaxed events for club bonding. Her take, clubs are there to “connect you to community. Professional clubs provide opportunities and are a great way to display initiative.”

Creative Interests

Last, but not least, for our creative Owls, we spoke to Bailey, a senior digital animation student. As a passionate artist and aspiring professional animator, Bailey signed up online for the Animation Studio Society at KSU. 

She finds the club extremely fun, highly collaborative, and a great way to learn new skills. Her biggest achievement with the club was winning one of the 24-hour animation marathons, which she’s aiming to win again this semester! Bailey believes clubs help students make important connections with their future peers, while giving them a casual outlet for their passions. 

So Why Join?

Every student we talked to had a different story, interests, and reason for joining, but they all agree that clubs make college more worthwhile. Whether it’s making friends, gaining new skills, or just having something to do every week, getting involved can completely change your college experience. 

Just show up to a meeting, sign up online, or stop by a booth. You never know, you might end up finding your people, your passion, or your favorite college memory.

Ready to find your place on campus? Check out Owl Life to explore clubs, discover events, and take that first step toward getting involved!

KSU Extreme Student Involvement Fair

Pro Tip: The KSU Extreme Student Involvement Fair is a great way to find new clubs or organizations on campus to join at the beginning of each semester. Make sure to collect all the free swag!