There’s nothing worse than being stuck in your dorm with nothing to do but study. College is about more than just studying, it’s about experience.
For most students, that experience comes from getting active on campus.
According to National Survey of Student Engagement getting involved on campus has tremendous benefits for students. NSSE studies have shown that these students have significantly higher grades than those who don’t participate in student organizations.
Student Life and Engagement is one of the key components that influences the culture and traditions of USF St. Petersburg. Student, staff and faculty pride themselves on the wide range of clubs and organizations offered on our campus. USFSP is home to over 100 clubs and organizations of varying interests such as event planning, leadership, diversity and inclusion, journalism, sports and the environment.
For those students who have an interest but can’t find a club or organization dedicated to their passion, it’s easy to start one. Five students and one advisor are required for those who would like to create a club on campus.
But you don’t need to create a club to be involved on campus. Check out our list of the most active clubs below.
Harborside Activities Board (HAB)
“Going to a HAB event is a great way to meet new people and have a lot of fun.” ~ Makenzie Burrows, President of Harborside Activities Board.
Harborside Activities Board is a student-run organization that plans social events to enhance student life on campus. The organization is known for bringing musicians and comedians on campus along with its established events such as Screen on the Greens, Casino Night, the annual haunted house and do it yourself events.
HAB is also the organization that implements two of USFSP’s most established traditions – Homecoming in the fall and USFSP Week in the spring. These are two weeks meant to celebrate Bull pride and remind students of all that our campus has to offer.
Office of Leadership and Student Organizations
“LSO is an on-campus organization that helps students enjoy their time at USFSP… We facilitate an atmosphere for leadership development by always challenging students to try new things.” ~ Rachel Clemetson, Student Assistant for the Office of Leadership and Student Organizations.
The Office of Leadership & Student Organizations is home to over 100 clubs and organizations. LSO’s main purpose is to facilitate student organizations and provide leadership and service opportunities for students, staff and faculty. When LSO isn’t assisting other organizations, it is planning its own events such as TedX and Dance Marathon.
They host a series of leadership events meant to enhance students’ understanding of the concept and to provide opportunities to gain new leadership skills in a fun and competitive environment such as Emerging Leaders and Disney Leadership Series. For those interested in giving back to the community, LSO has an annual trip, un-BULL-ievable. This is a weeklong service project where students pick a social issue and complete it in a nearby state.
Office of Multicultural Affairs
“OMA provides students with a sense of diversity and inclusion on campus. We shed light on prominent issues and celebrate differences in America. OMA is a safe place for underrepresented populations on campus.” ~ Taylor Singleton.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs’ mission is to uphold and celebrate the heritage of underrepresented students and create an appreciation for different cultural backgrounds. In an effort to promote inclusion and diversity, they host events and workshops that educate students about different topics including microaggressions and social identities.
One special program that OMA sponsors in collaboration with the Wellness Center is Safe Zone Ally Training. Safe Zone helps teach students how to be supportive of the LGBTQ community.
OMA is an umbrella organization that includes other diversity clubs such as PRIDE, Women’s Empowerment Club, Latin American Student Association and more. Two major programs that are under OMA include the Spectrum Mentor Program and Multicultural Activities Council, which are two large organizations that acknowledge the presence of underrepresented students on campus.
Campus Recreation
Campus Recreation is more than just a fitness center and the waterfront. It is home to our Intramural Sports and Sports Club. Intramural sports are weekly competitions in which students come in teams, or as individuals, to participate in different sports on the outside courts and field. Some common IMs are football, soccer and basketball.
Sport Clubs are similar to IMs, except instead of competing against your fellow Bulls, you compete against other schools. An example of a Sports Club is the South Florida All Stars, a USFSP dance team that recently competed in Next Star dance competitions.
Student Green Energy Fund
Student Green Energy Fund is a campaign that began in 2007. The club’s main focus is to promote clean energy, renewable energy technology, and lower greenhouse gas emission. SGEF is funded by the student’s fee which is $1 per credit hour. With those funds, the members decide what projects to focus on during the school year.
Some of SGEF’s past projects include bottle refill stations around campus, recycling bins and net zero treadmills for the fitness center. Aside from creating and implementing projects to make USFSP an eco-friendly campus, it hosts events to get other clubs involved in its causes such as the butterfly garden clean-up.
© Tamiracle Williams/TCN and Nicole Carroll/TCN
