Student Orgs and Where To Find Them?
Opening Thoughts
One of the things that helped me feel like I belonged on campus was finding student organizations that felt like a second or even third family. I will say it is hard to find those organizations on campus that make you feel at home. Still, I’m here to tell you a little about how to find those student organizations so you don’t get overwhelmed by the selection the University offers every student.
What Are Student Organizations?
They are self-explanatory because they are different organizations run by students from the University of Iowa. Most are entirely run by students and usually run during the academic year.
The Student Org Fair
The Student Org Fair is where different clubs, greek life, and organizations can show the students what the clubs are about. The fair is split into sections corresponding to their activities, like athletic clubs, multicultural clubs, and Greek life. It usually occurs near the beginning of the Fall semester because that’s when sign-up happens to get everything going for the year. There are also over 600 organizations registered with the university. You may also meet people that you have a lot in common with. The fair can also help you make friends that aren’t in your classes.
What Student Orgs Am I Apart Of
Dance Club at the University of Iowa
By the name, I’m guessing most of you think this is a dance club, and you’re right. This club allows students to dance like they are in a studio setting. I used to dance at my old dance studio for about 13 years, and I wanted to continue dancing because I love it so much. You can either have some dance experience or just get a few classes. Different classes with many styles of dance focus on technique and learning dance combinations. There is also an opportunity for dancers to learn and perform full routines in our benefit show at the end of the school year. This benefit show allows our dancers to showcase our skills, and donation proceeds go to Dance Without Limits. This non-profit organization provides dance classes to children and young adults with disabilities, and the DEA Youth Dance program.
The styles of dance I love are Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, and sometimes Ballet if I’m feeling it. Contemporary and Lyrical have always been my strong suit because I love to feel the emotion they both bring to the table of dance styles. I did competitive dance for 4 years and did 1 lyrical and 2 contemporary solos. Plus, I always loved the costumes that Contemporary and Lyrical bring to the dance community.
Walk It Out
Walk It Out is the most prominent multicultural organization on this campus. East Asia, South Asia, Latin America, LGBTQIA+, Hip Hop, and Africa are some groups we represent in our organization. This organization combines diversity and culture to create something unique. Each spring semester, we put on a show to showcase the different cultures through fashion and dance. It’s a really cool event, and you can learn a lot about the different cultures on this campus.
This is my first year doing Walk It Out. I didn’t know this was a thing until one of my great friends did a performance with their group last year, and it was AMAZING. All the groups did good at showcasing who they are and what it means to represent their community. This is, overall, a great experience and community.
I’m a part of the hip-hop group, and I love it. The hip-hop group is one of the most prominent groups within WalkItOut, but still, it’s so much fun. Hip-hop has never really been a style I liked as a kid because I never did hip-hop as a kid. Then, my old studio decided to add it when I was a freshman in high school. I did a few classes, but it wasn’t for me. Mainly because most of the moves felt a little childish, but when I saw the WalkItOut performance of the hip-hop group, I realized that is the style of hip-hop I like to dance.
How I Choose My Student Organizations
I chose mine because I wanted to keep dancing, and they sounded the most appealing to me. Dance Club was something I wanted to do last year, but I decided to take a break from dancing to see if it’s something that I wanna keep doing, so I did Dance Club this year. I chose to do Walk it Out because of the meaning and multicultural aspect of the groups. Everyone deserves to be represented in one way or another, and Walk it Out represents culture through fashion and dance.
Closing Thoughts
There are SO MANY student organizations on our campus that it can be overwhelming to figure out. Look at something you did in high school or try something you wanted to do. These student organizations range from Greek life to intramural sports and clubs. If something catches your eye about the group, go to a meeting and see if it’s the right pick for you.