As if leaving home for the first time isn’t hard enough, coming to college without a set group of friends can be a daunting task. Sparticipation, an event set up on MSU's campus, helps bring student organizations into one area so that students can find the right fit.
When faced with the immediate challenge of making friends, a great way to go about it is to join a student-run club or organization. Finding folks with like-minded ideas and goals is a good way to make friends, but with more than 900 student organizations scattered across campus, finding the right fit can be a task in and of itself.
Although Sparticipation is open to all students, it is focused more toward incoming freshmen and those who are new to campus.
For someone with a love and passion for the outdoors, the MSU Outdoors Club may be an organization that sticks out. Founded in 1927 under the name The Outing Club, the MSU Outdoors Club has nearly 100 years of experience exploring the outdoors.
“I think everyone should at least give it a shot. But anybody that has a certain appreciation for nature, somebody that grew up camping, or somebody that just wants to try it,” Skyler Leslie, a member of the MSU Outdoors Club E-board, said.
Being stuck in the middle of an urban environment may be a bit suffocating for someone whose heart belongs in nature, but the Outdoors Club has a fix for that. Members can go out on different events and trips that help them get back in tune with nature, while making new friends along the way.
“Our main thing is just getting people outside, and getting people trying stuff they’ve never tried before, and keeping it safe,” E-board member Joe Dewan said. “We are kids still, but we’re big kids that just have a lot of fun.”
The Outdoors Club does several activities such as ice climbing and weekend camping trip, Dewan said.
Interim President John Engler roamed the rows talking to attendees and viewing the different student groups. He said Sparticipation is fantastic and all students should try out a group.
"They're all great," Engler said. "I said at convocation that, look, there's 503 were supposed to be here. Now, you don't--shouldn't-- try to join them all, but everybody, if they joined one, two or three, life would be good and it would be better for each of those students."
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