EJ JACOBS
Staff Writer
There is no other feeling like that experienced when one finally discovers a place to nurture and enjoy their hobbies. Activities Night has always been a great way to find people that share your interests.
Activities Night has also given students the opportunity to discover new interests they never thought they would have. Over 100 clubs come together once a semester to teach people about why they should join their club and help them possibly discover a new interest they never thought they would have. This semester’s Activities Night was held on Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. in the Steele Hall Fieldhouse.
There are constantly new clubs being created on the Fredonia campus, and this semester is no different. This semester, Activities Night showcased seven new clubs for students to discover and possibly join.
The new clubs to join were: The Michael Johnathon Fan Club, Kazoo Choir, Fredonia Skateboard Club, Knitting/Crochet Club, Pool/Billiards Club, Fashion Club and Cooking Club.
The addition of these clubs all bring something fresh to the campus community for those with various unique interests. For Cebastian Spisak, the inclusion of a Skateboard Club was more than exciting.
“Fredonia Skateboarding Club gives an entertaining, pleasant and athletic environment to people with an interest in skateboarding and longboarding at SUNY Fredonia,” Spisak said. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously; we just want to shine a light on skaters at Fredonia and have people to skate with.”
The Skateboard Club will start to hold events as it gets warmer this semester. However, if your interests do not include skateboarding, you might want to try your hands in the kitchen, as Fredonia will soon be adding a Cooking Club.
“Adulting is hard, especially when you don’t know how to cook,” said Makenzie Rosario, the club’s president. “As a vegetarian, I don’t get the best healthy options, and I want to teach people that there are healthier and easier options that they can make in their dorm kitchens. It won’t be all plant-based, but I do want to rotate non-plant based and plant-based.”
Joining a cooking club could expand your food palette. But if you cannot see yourself in the kitchen, there is the new Knitting/Crochet Club.
Considering the stresses we all have faced in recent years, students have found themselves staying in more and doing crafts. If you want to learn new skills or just want to have something to do with your hands while watching television, you should try knitting or crocheting.
President of the Knitting/Crochet Club, Olivia Sylvester said, “Besides its self-descriptive title, Knitting/Crochet Club will consist of weekly meetings where members can get together, knit/crochet, and relax, along with some occasional workshops where we will feature a project that everyone can learn to make.”
During Activities Night, the Knitting/Crochet Club made great strides in its new life, getting 85 sign ups.
Many of us have that one celebrity that we follow religiously, and for Kelly Ibach, that celebrity is Michael Johnathon. Ibach loves the artist so much that she designed a club dedicated to him.
“The Michael Johnathon Fan Club (MJFC) was made to celebrate the Country Bluegrass artist Michael Johnathon’s accomplishments and what he stands for,” Ibach said. “We are a club that was made to celebrate music and advocate for others to appreciate music in whatever way they please.”
Aside from the new clubs that were displayed at Activities Night, there were also the clubs that have been a staple on campus. Fredonia upperclassmen have seen a handful of different Activities Nights throughout the years.
Junior, Music Therapy major, Megan Kidby describes Activities Night as “a way to get everybody in one place and … to see things that maybe you didn’t know existed on campus like the Geology Club or Kazoo Choir. … It’s really nice to see everybody and get to experience what this school has to offer.”
As the semester is coming to a start, it is a great time to keep in touch with your hobby while balancing a busy semester.
To receive updates from Fredonia’s newest clubs on campus, you can follow @fredcooking, @michaeljohnathonfanclub, @kazoos_of_fred and @fred_yarn_club on Instagram.