Cammie Wilks, Campus Carrier features editor
Bella Patton, Campus Carrier asst. features editor
With a campus full of creative and hardworking students, campus involvement is high as many Berry students spend their time meeting with clubs on campus. Students always have some sort of commitment throughout the day, which can leave little time for pursuing any passions they may have. Even so, many students allot time in their schedules for clubs that they participate in.
There are many types of clubs that draw in students with varied interests. Clubs at Berry consist of interest groups, volunteer and advocacy work or activities based on one’s major. From Pickleball Club to Empower, there is truly a place for everyone here on campus.
The Eco Club is an example of one of the many ways students can decide to spend their time. According to senior Club President Myriam Saldarriaga, the Eco Club is a great organization for like-minded students who care about the environment to come together and share their ideas in a comfortable space.
“We wanted to be very intentional about making the environment approachable and not having it guilt or shame focused,” Saldarriaga said. “We call it greenwashing, which is pressuring someone to feel guilty when in reality, a lot of the environmental problems we face are not individually our fault.”
Additionally, the Eco Club creates an opportunity for students to find friends and build a community. Meeting every second Thursday of each month, members are encouraged to come together and discuss both local and international environmental factors along with potential volunteer activities.
Berry’s Applied Behavior Analysis Association (ABAA) presents their club at Berry’s Involvement Fair.
“That community is important, and I think it really shaped where I am today,” Saldarriaga said. “I want to be able to give other people that same opportunity to find a community that they really click with.”
The Eco Club offers many chances for students to participate in volunteer work. In the past, they have worked with several local organizations to clean up trash in the area. Saldarriaga talked about their experience cave cleaning, an Eco Club volunteer activity that involved moving trash and other artifacts out of caves that had often been there for many years.
“You also get the experience of not only being able to clean up part of history and help the environment, but you also get to experience caving, which is so cool,” Saldarriaga said.
Another popular club is the Berry College Forensics Union (BCFU). BCFU is Berry’s official speech and debate team, and they have won many awards throughout the years while attending tournaments all around the country. Though writing and practicing speeches takes a lot of time to perfect, students at BCFU are very passionate about the topics they talk about, whether they are discussing a current political issue or interpreting a piece of literature.
“My favorite part is watching teammates and other competitors progress throughout the season,” junior BCFU Co-President Emma Zaworski said. “It’s rewarding to see novices from last year get excited and get ready for tournaments this year. It’s definitely a learning curve trying to figure out what this community is and what it consists of, but once people figure it out, it’s rewarding to watch them fall in love with it.”
Orgullo is a club that promotes
awareness of Hispanic and Latino culture through events and programs.
Zaworski was originally introduced to BCFU during her freshman year in her public speaking class, and since then, she has been in love with it. Though the idea of public speaking is scary, BCFU is a fun environment of kind and diverse students that are welcoming to everyone, regardless of their background.
“BCFU is important to me because it allows students be a part of something much bigger than themselves,” Zaworski said. “You learn to become researchers and advocates and stand up for the things you’re passionate about.”
Though all Berry students are busy with the responsibilities from their day-to-day lives, clubs are a way for students to have an outlet, make friends and participate in community engagement and fun activities. Berry is lucky to have so many clubs that give every student the opportunity to explore their interests and find a space of their own at college.
“I think from a community perspective, it’s important to know that there are individuals on this campus who care about the same things that you might be too scared to speak up about,” Saldarriaga said.