Brandon University Physical Education Club at Club Day on September 11th, 2013. (Holly Kalyniuk / The Quill)
On Wednesday, September 11th, Brandon University’s Mingling Area was humming as students meandered and perused the various displays of some of the campus clubs, offering a wide variety of activities and appealing to a range of disciplines and areas of interest.
Among the mix were several subject-specific groups aimed at bringing students with similar interests together, like the BU History Club. Targeting “anyone with a passing interest in History,” the group is planning to host a meet-and-greet barbecue in the near future to encounter new students and prospective group members, as well as a wine and cheese event next term.
Also organizing a Beer and Pizza Meet-and-Greet event in the coming weeks is the BU Politics Society. Interested in upcoming elections across the country, the group also participates in an annual Peace Garden Conference in conjunction with Minot State University around homecoming, a tradition roughly sixty years and running.
Calling all students dappling in the field of biology is the BU Zoology Society (BUZS). In addition to supplying students with free tutoring and building up the club, Secretary Kendra Elliott is also excited to promote their upcoming Comicon Zoomistry social, which will be organized in conjunction with the BU Chemistry Club. President Alisha Poole said the Chemistry Club will be creating mock mid-terms to aid first year students in preparation for the actual test, and hosting a Careers in Chemistry night, featuring guest speakers from universities across the country, at the beginning of November.
According to BU Physics and Astronomy Club (BUPAC) Vice President Xisra Winder, “[The] club is about building a community of students who support each other academically and socially.” Welcoming students in any faculty, the group provides free tutoring to physics students and aims to have a free pancake breakfast for members in their office (BB 2-37) on the third Wednesday of every month. BUPAC will also continue to have astronomical observatory nights for anyone interested in participating.
The BU Anti-Bullying Society table was cloaked in shades of vibrant pink. Collecting signatures on blankets of pink fabric, the group hopes to gather 40,000 signatures, both from BU and other local institutions. They plan to send the material to the legislature, where, in conjunction with a Winnipeg group’s signatures, they aim to cover an entire school bus.
Beginning with a free barbecue in the BU courtyard at 5:00 pm that evening, the next Varsity Christian Fellowship (VCF) event is a Brandon-wide photo scavenger hunt on September 26th at 6:00 pm. Organizing weekly Bible study and praise and worship in the Education Building, President Jenna Noordenbos invites all students to join.
While the BU Debate Society (BUDS) has been known to participate in challenges across the country, including tournaments held at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina, Vice President Justin Shannon hints at something bigger this year. While the group is “excited to participate in the upcoming CUSID Debate Tournament,” Shannon said, they are also trying to organize a tournament in Brandon, which hasn’t happened in recent years.
With a new school year comes new clubs on campus! Joining the ranks this year is St. John’s Ambulance. “It’s our first year as a BUSU club,” said President Kendra Elliott, “and we’re excited to continue our partnership with the Community Brigade and expand our presence at BU. And to save lives,” she added.
Another new group on-campus this year with a similar aspiration is Brandon University Students for Life (BUSL). The first pro-life group ever at BU, the group’s president, Catherine Dubois, is quite enthused by their official club status and the upcoming year. “We’re really excited to meet students [and] talk about pro-life issues,” Dubois said. The group also alluded to potentially screening a film in upcoming months, after their Life Hike, which begins at 10:00 am on September 28th, with lunch and a light-hearted soccer game to follow.
Designing test preparations for first year philosophy and logic courses, the BU Philosophy Club (BUPC) hopes to have a great impact within the university. “We’re setting ourselves up as a must-have resource for all philosophy students,” said Vice President David Freeman. To welcome newcomers, the group hosted a barbecue on Sunday, September 15th.
Promising a myriad of marvellous activities, BU clubs certainly have something to appeal to everyone. Curious about a group or event? Contact them, or stop by and check it out! Who knows, you might just be the future president of the Debate Society or the Philosophy Club!