Some graduate students spend a lot of their time working or gazing at a computer screen, so there's no wonder why there's an itch to get out and have some fun.
Graduate student Samantha Loscalzo thinks it’s good to provide a social and physical environment for graduate students to unwind at the end of a long week.
After hearing about Greater Lansing Sport and Social Club, Loscalzo decided to join and play the intense game of dodgeball, which is open to anyone in the Lansing or East Lansing area, including MSU undergraduate and graduate students. The dodgeball teams meets every Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. at Gier Community Center.
This is a social networking company that strives to bring like-minded individuals together.
“It’s a great thing to provide opportunities to young Lansing alumni and graduates,” MSU Director of Jewish Student Life Sam Appel said. “It’s great to be in an organization who tries to build connections with people.”
And that’s exactly the kind of club Director of the Greater Lansing Sport and Social Club Tyler Reading said it had become.
“We have had people join the club and build relationships, meet new friends and get married,” Reading said. “It’s crazy how fast it works.”
It does not take long for new members to make friends during the activities Greater Lansing Sports and Social club hosts.
“I have definitely made a lot of friends within my team and other teams — I don’t know about lifelong, but I have definitely met some great people,” Loscalzo said.
Appel met people through this club, which he hopes to continue spending time with, even outside of the club.
“Everyone is very friendly and looking to have a great time,” he said.
Graduate students within the club play a variety of sports at several locations in the Lansing area. The sports include soccer, kickball, dodgeball, beach volleyball, cornhole, softball, flag football and indoor volleyball.
“We play in different locations around Lansing,” Reading said. ”(Hope Sports Complex) is where they play flag football and soccer, Gier Community (Center) is where they play dodgeball and kickball is at Fairview Elementary School field.”
Aside from sports, the club throws a variety of events for all the members to interact and socialize with one another.
“We do huge awards parties, formal events (with) red carpet, a field day in the summer, tailgates and every first Friday we do a network event to mingle,” Reading said.
Appel said after dodgeball games, Greater Lansing Sport and Social Club sponsors an event at the Midtown Brewing Company where members can receive discounted drinks and food, thus giving them another opportunity to socialize with each other.
“It’s a great organization to get involved with,” he said.
