From scuba diving, ballroom dancing, bass fishing and even astronomy — whatever interests you — chances are you’re not alone.
All of these pastimes are clubs available at Dixie State University, along with many more. About 30 clubs crowded the Diagonal Wednesday and Thursday during the traditional Club Rush, their members brandishing sign-up sheets to passers-by, eager to share their passions with new members for the semester.
McKell Price, vice president of clubs and a junior communication major from Brigham City, said Club Rush is a crucial event for the start of each semester, not only so new clubs can debut to the student body, but also so new students can find a domain on campus to enjoy and meet people with the same hobbies. With roughly 70 clubs, DSU probably has a club for everyone, she said.
“Club Rush is incredible because it lets freshmen know what’s out there,” Price said. “Clubs give [students] their specialized niches. They set people up with lifelong friends.”
Students can find clubs with cultural, academic, entertainment and active applications. Just a few include the Japanese Culture Club, the Accounting Club, the “Minecraft” Club and the Parkour and Freerun Club. See a full list of DSU’s current clubs at dixiestudentlife.com.
Two new clubs joined DSU’s ranks this semester: the Lacrosse Club and the Sustainability Club. Their respective presidents, Spencer Steele, a junior art major from South Jordan, and Trevor Anderson, a junior biology major from La Verkin, introduced their clubs with zeal for new members.
Steele, however, said he was surprised when more than 150 people signed up for the Lacrosse Club.
“I didn’t think it was going to explode that much, especially our first year,” Steele said. “I thought we’d just have people who wanted to play and have fun, but now we’re going to have to have tryouts, and I think we’ll have a really good team.”
Steele said he’s now faces the challenge of narrowing down his members to a properly-sized team of 30, which he hopes will result in one of the most competitive teams on campus. If all goes well, the team will join the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association and play in the national championships in May, he said.
Steele said his hope is the Lacrosse Club, if it wins in a national league, might one day join the NCAA. He said he would be ecstatic if his club could set a precedent for an official DSU lacrosse team.
“If we’re recognized on a national level when it comes to lacrosse, so will Dixie State,” Steele said.
Tryouts for the Lacrosse Club will take place Sept. 5 and 6 on the campus field. Steele said the club’s players will then be decided Sept. 7. From there, the club will practice three to four days a week.
Dixie’s other newest addition, the Sustainability Club, began as an idea last semester to push for a more sustainable, energy-efficient university, from increased recycling to more vigilant water conservation. Now as an official club, its regular activities will include collecting recycling across campus and meeting once a week to discuss its initiative.
Currently the Sustainability Club has about 10 members. Anderson said he welcomes every student to join, but he values those with dedication.
The first priority of the club is to push the student body to think greener, he said.
“We’re filling a gap for environmental awareness; there’s not another environmental group on campus,” Anderson said. “(Students should join) because we’re doing something that matters and will have a lasting impact.”
For more information on the Sustainability Club, read the article on DixieSunNews.com.
To join a club (or maybe even start your own), visit dixiestudentlife.com.
