“Birds Aren’t Real” isn’t just a belief by conspiracy theorists, but the name of the club that was awarded best club at Utah Tech University for the fall 2022 semester.
This club was first started at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year by Nick Fajardo, a junior history major from St. George, as a way to get students more involved on campus and to increase a community feel by highlighting the rivalry between Utah Tech and Southern Utah University.
According to the clubs webpage, the goal of the club is to “boost involvement in a way that involves the movement of ‘Birds Aren’t Real’ as our marketing technique. The name helps get attention, and the events help people come together.”
Club president, Fajardo, said, “I just asked my friends if I started a club called ‘Birds Aren’t Real’ would you join, and they surprisingly all said ‘yes’.”
From that one question, Fajardo started making this idea into a reality. After taking the steps needed to start a club, like creating a club constitution, filling out an application and presenting to the club council, “Birds Aren’t Real” was up and running in time for the 2022 fall semester club rush.
The first goals when the club was started was to gain 100 members and host one event during the semester. However, those goals expanded to more when the club gained traction from students and the Utah Tech Student Association. After collaborating with the Stampede for the first sporting event against SUU, a tradition was formed to highlight all games against SUU as “Birds Aren’t Real” games.
“We didn’t think we’d be as successful as we were,” Fajardo said. “We couldn’t even dream of being big enough to collaborate with the Stampede.”
One of the turning points for the club’s popularity was winning the homecoming football game against SUU according to Fajardo. The student section was covered in banners with the club’s name “Birds Aren’t Real”.
“Seeing all of the ‘Birds Aren’t Real’ signs during the homecoming game was one of the most special moments for us,” Fajardo said.
Utah Tech offers a various selection of clubs and a three step process to start a new one.
Clubs are a great way to meet new people, have new experiences and find a “home” on campus. The “Birds Aren’t Real” club is no exception.
This club has an open membership and invite all to join at its events. It has been this specific club that has helped so many students, just like Olivia Pedersen, a freshman media studies major from Lehi.
Pedersen said she joined the club after seeing the booth at club rush her first semester at Utah Tech.
“I thought the name of the club was funny, so I wanted to be a part of it,” Pedersen said. “Honestly this club has blessed my life, and I was able to find really good friends and be a part of, not just going to events on campus, but being able to help host them.”
This club has also deepened other friendships and allowed for opportunities to be a leader on campus for others.
Club secretary Aftyn Hale, a senior population health major from Preston, Idaho, said: “I joined because of Nick. He told me his idea about it, and Nick it just a go-getter. So I knew if anyone could make this club possible it would be Nick, and we would have fun doing it.”
“Birds Aren’t Real” not only promotes rivalry games against SUU, but they also host events of its own.
Some of the events hosted last semester were bird watching, movie night, album listening parties and protests. This semester, the club hopes to continue hosting broader events this semester on top of the themed sporting events such as karaoke night, sign making and a carnival collaboration event with other clubs on campus.
“Our team is willing to throw a lot of events together, and we are able to combine brain cells and plan events that we are excited for,” Fajardo said.
“Birds Aren’t Real” club is a great example of why clubs are important on a university campus. Being able to bring together a community and expand friendships is what makes the hard times bearable. Pedersen said, on a day she was not feeling well, the event hosted by “Birds Aren’t Real” was able to lift her spirits.
This club is one of high energy and camaraderie for all those involved. It has offered a great “home” on campus and at events for its members like Pedersen and Hale.
Clubs are places to be around people with common interests and to have the chance to add an impact on campus. “Birds Aren’t Real” has been able to have that impact in just one semester running, which may possibly be the reason it was named club of the fall 2022 semester.
