Blakely Dishman
Features Editor
On Friday, Sept. 3, Scot Spirit Day returned to campus for the first time since the fall of 2019. While there was the opportunity for a virtual version in 2020, the high vaccination rate among students this year allowed for an in-person event. Over 118 student organizations lined the walkways of the Oak Grove in an effort to recruit and inform their fellow students. These groups included Greek life, BIPOC and multicultural organizations, performance clubs, club sports and more.
Organizations both new and old were happy to have the opportunity to look for new members. With such a variety of groups on campus, there is a space for every single student. While finding the “perfect fit” can be overwhelming, it is helpful to know that student organizations are looking to include anyone! According to Sarah Longsville ‘22, the president of WOODs, their organization is “looking for people who are excited about the outdoors and are community driven, and want to make an inclusive, safe and fun space in the outdoors.” When asked what kind of new members their group is looking for, Inethia Allen, the public relations representative for Women of Images, replied “everyone.”
Student organizations are looking to foster a community of people who are passionate about their group. The Women and Gender Minorities in Economics, for example, is striving to “form a safe space within the department and the field,” according to Madi Buckley ‘22, secretary, and Claudia Partridge ‘22, treasurer. Similarly, Berenice Hernandez ‘23, a co-president of Latinas Unidas, said that their “executive board is made up of leaders who want to encourage and empower Latinx women and bring the community together.”
While the virtual Scot Spirit Day was a wonderful event, having it in-person allowed for the fostering of the CoW community as a whole. During the virtual version, students only attended the information sessions of groups they were interested in, so this year was a wonderful return to normalcy. First years and sophomores experienced this in-person event for the first time, allowing them to further connect with their peers and find new organizations to join. When asked what they were looking for in a group, first year students Cameryn Burkhammer and Sydney Berenson replied with “community. A friendly environment that does what they say they will do. They will support you and be there for you.”
Many groups entered Scot Spirit Day with hopes of gaining new members and sharing their values with the community. It was evident from the high energy that they succeeded and were happy to be back. If you are interested in joining a student organization and did not have the chance to sign up on Scot Spirit Day, go to Scots Connect at https://wooster.presence.io/ to find their contact information.