Are you a freshman, transfer, or any student looking to get more involved on campus? There are several opportunities for students at Ramapo College to be active, and the Club Fair is a great place to start. With over 100 active clubs and organizations on campus, Ramapo caters to a wide variety of interests.
If you’ve missed the Club Fair, you can always stop by the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) to check out an updated list of clubs and organizations. Check out Orgsync, too, where you can find contact information for active clubs, as well as their events and meeting times.
Graduate Assistant for Student Activities and Commuter Affairs Olivia Evans said that if a student can’t find a club that fits their needs, they can always start their own.
“The process is simple and painless,” Evans said. “All a student has to do is find 10 people who have interest in being in the club, and three of the 10 have to serve as e-board members.”
The student then needs to write up a constitution and present his or her idea to the Student Government Association.
Orgsync also has a calendar of events and activities on campus. The calendar is filled with free social, academic, and community service events. The College Programming Board also puts out a new event every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“The programs range from new movie releases (after theaters but before released on DVD), craft nights, Fro-yo Friday, holiday themed nights, a semi-formal dance, a spa day and many more,” Evans said.
Evans added that students don’t even have to leave their residence halls to have a good time and meet other students. RAs are always hosting creative events for their residents, from trivia nights to video game tournaments.
Junior Elena-Maria Ilieva, an international student from Bulgaria, has taken advantage of programs held at her residence halls since she was a freshman. Aside from playing tennis for the Ramapo College women’s tennis team, working at the library and attending sporting events, Ilieva said she has enjoyed RHA (Residence Hall Association), RHC (Residence Hall Council) and programs organized by RAs.
“I love interacting and meeting new people,” she said.
Even students who don’t live on campus can get involved. New commuter students can participate in Commuter Connections and Commuter Caucus, where commuters can meet and get to know each other. Evans encourages commuters to attend events so they can connect with other people and enhance their Ramapo experience.
For the athletically inclined, there are other options. Students don’t have to be on a varsity team in order to participate in sports; intramural teams are open to anyone, even if it’s your first time playing. If you’d rather be a spectator, paint your face, dress in Ramapo gear and take a seat with the Ramapo Rowdies, Ramapo College’s biggest sports fans, to cheer on your classmates.
Greek Life is also offered at Ramapo College. Although freshmen cannot go through new member recruitment during their first semester, they can still come out and see what all the organizations have to offer at the Fraternity and Sorority Life Fair and Meet the Greeks on Sept. 17.
Don’t forget, doing activities on your own is also encouraged. Sophomore Matthew Cicetta said he stays socially involved by playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons with his suitemates and friends when he is not doing homework. He also serves as treasurer for a freshmen honors society and is a peer facilitator.
He believes that what makes the programs on campus so fun is that they are organized by students.
Yet Cicetta advised students, “[You] mustn’t sign up for too much though. After all, academics come first!”
There are also plenty of clubs, extracurricular activities and even jobs that correlate to specific majors and fields of study. Senior theater major Caroline Harvey is the vice president of Ramapo College’s theater honors society (Alpha Psi Omega), works in the Berrie Center’s scene shop, and acts in the main stage theater shows. She became involved because upperclassmen in the theater department recommended them to her.
“When people invite you out to a campus event, go to it!” Harvey advised. “You never know who you’re going to meet.”
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kbiss@ramapo.edu
