Ways to get involved on campus

ERYN THOREY MAKENZIE, STAFF

If you think going to university is all about class-time and hitting the books, it’s time to think twice. Whether you’re into staying fit, getting creative, meeting people with common interests, or helping someone out, the University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus offers a cornucopia of ways to get involved and enhance your post-secondary education experience.

Bison sports and personal fitness:

It looks like most of the Bisons’ team rosters are full for the 2007-08 season, but if women’s hockey is your thing, the Bisons’ women’s hockey team is holding a training camp meeting, open to all U of M full-time students on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 5 p.m., in 133 Frank Kennedy Centre, personal hockey equipment required. Or, perhaps you’re into gymnastics, tumbling and maybe being thrown around in the air a bit? The Bisons co-ed cheerleading team is holding open try-outs on Sunday, Sept. 16 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the 2nd floor of Frank Kennedy Centre. And of course, even if playing on a team isn’t your thing, or you missed the try-outs, being a fan is always a great way to participate, and a season pass only costs $10. For a list of requirements for both of the above events, or for game schedule and ticket information, go to www.umanitoba.ca/bisons/ or call 474-9611.

Staying active throughout the school year is a great way to reduce all that stress from being a student, and, of course, to stay fit. The Bison Sport and Active Living (BSAL) guide is a good place to start for all your recreation needs. The BSAL offers a range of instructional programs for both adults and kids covering everything from CPR and first aid to hip-hop dance classes, as well as gym memberships at very reasonable rates for students. (Twelve months is only $128 for students and their spouses)! With a gym membership, you will have access to the swimming pool. the weight and workout equipment, the track, and courts for sports such as badminton, racquetball and indoor and outdoor tennis. If you still really want to make the team, why not create your own, and join one of eight men’s intramural leagues or nine co-ed leagues. The possibilities for the first term are floor hockey, volleyball, ice hockey, and touch football for men; basketball, dodgeball, volleyball, soccer and ultimate for co-ed. The second term offers basketball, floor hockey, ice hockey and indoor touch football for men, with volleyball, dodgeball, indoor soccer and indoor ultimate for co-ed. Check out www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/kinrec/bsal/programs/ for more information on all the BSAL has to offer.

Get your creative juices flowing:

Do you have a creative itch you need to scratch? A good place to start is the Gallery of Student Art (GoSA), located on the main floor of University Centre, and coordinated by myself, Eryn Thorey MacKenzie. The GoSA is open to submissions from all students at both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses who have it in them to create art. This covers anything from painting and drawing to video art installation. A selections committee chooses works from the submissions for group or solo shows to fill the gallery for one to two week long shows throughout the year. Sometimes a call will be put out for artists to submit for specific show ideas, such as a 28-day art-making event coming up in February (even though it’s a leap year). Submission information can be found at www.gosa.umsu.ca, with the first deadline being Sept. 21, 2007. If the gallery setting is intimidating and you want something less formal, UMSU is looking for artists to fill the walls of Degrees Diner, the student lounge next to Wiseguys, and the Student Group Resource Centre. To express interest in showing off your artwork in these three locations, e-mail gosagallery@gmail.ca, with subject heading “Art for UMSU.”

The U of M photography club, located in room 116 of University Centre is a great place for both SLR and digital enthusiasts to share their work and enthusiasm for all things photographic. The club is open to U of M and other university or college students, as well as non-students for annual fees of $25, $40 and $50 respectively. They offer a black and white darkroom, bulk black and white film, workshops, field trips, and an annual winter retreat. To find out more, e-mail photo-club@cc.umanitoba.ca, or visit their website at www.umphotoclub.umsu.ca.

Getting to know you:

A good way to meet people with common interests, or to get to know people from different backgrounds, is to research and join one or more of 100 student groups on campus. You might be curious about sororities or fraternities, maybe the U of M Womyn’s Centre has piqued your interest, or you want to find out the difference between the U of M Gamers Association and the Science Students Gamers Association. A great way to find out what a lot of these groups are about is to head down to University Centre September 17-21. This is a week for student groups to set up an information table to recruit members. Not all groups will take advantage of this, so a complete list of student groups can be found at www.umsu.ca, with some providing links to their own website, or by going to the Student Group Resource Centre in 180 Helen Glass Centre, and by e-mail: studentgroup@umsu.ca.

I just want to help:

Volunteering is a noble, and perhaps most prolific, way to get involved and help out an organization or your peers on campus. A place to start is your local student union. UMSU offers opportunities to volunteer by helping out with a range of activities from poster distribution to event planning. They are still looking for volunteers for this year’s “Arrr-ientation” week events. This is probably the quickest and most fun way to find out what UMSU is all about. The UMSU volunteer contact is Marlo Ostrow, who can be reached by e-mail at volunteer@umsu.ca, and you can also download the volunteer application form from www.umsu.ca under the “Get Involved” menu. The UMSU office is located near the main doors of University Centre, on the main floor, and welcomes people to come in and find out what’s available.

If sharing music and ideas is your niche, the campus and community radio station is the right place to start. In the words of Michael Elves, UMFM’s fabulous program director, “If you’ve ever listened to 101.5 UMFM and wondered just who exactly is broadcasting all that great music and interesting ideas — the answer is ‘people just like you.’’’ Get involved with your campus & community radio station, located at 308 University Centre, right next to Degrees restaurant. For more information contact UMFM at 474 -7027 or by e-mail cjum@umfm.com.”

When you want to share your exemplary essay-writing abilities check out the Learning Assistance Centre (LAC), the located in 201 Tier Building to learn about their writing tutors program. Disability Services, located in 155 University Centre, offers opportunities for students to help other students with note taking and tutoring in a variety of subjects. To find out which subjects are available, head to www.umanitoba.ca/student/resource/ and find “Disability Services” in the menu on the left side.

A yen for journalism is easily satisfied right here on campus. The Manitoban, this fine publication you are currently perusing, welcomes volunteer writers to cover news, sports, features and events, as well as artists and photographers to contribute to the visual aspect of the paper. Come down to the Manitoban office, 105 University Centre, and get your journalistic fix.

I just want to get paid for all my hard work:

Sometimes getting paid takes priority over offering help from the kindness of your heart. If that is the case, or you are unable to work off campus due to a student work visa situation, UMSU has many businesses and services on campus that offer employment to students. They take applications year round to cover vacancies GPAs, Degrees Diner, the Copy Centre, IQs and the Bison Patrol. You can head to the UMSU office in University Centre to fill out a general application form, expressing an interest in where you want to work.

U of M Special Functions regularly hires servers and bartenders, as do the two call centres on campus, run by U of M’s department of development and St. John’s College. Aramark hires some students, and so do the many private businesses on campus.

And hey, the Manitoban is hiring reporters to cover a variety of stories for the section editors of the paper. Stop by the office to submit your resumé and cover letter.

Whether you’re a first-time student, or you’ve been here for years, getting involved on campus is a great way to learn your way around, meet people, or just search for a change to your regular school routine.