There is a club for everyone here
Find your niche at Geneseo
Photo courtesy of Faith Zatlukal
The first year at college can be intimidating. In a brand new place with new people, you might be worried that you will not be able to find your place. You might wonder where you fit in, and how you can find your group in a campus that, while not necessarily large compared to other universities, still holds around 4,000 people.
The best advice I can give to any student—not only first years—is to find a club that suits you and join. When I arrived at Geneseo, my clubs provided me with a community that my classes did not necessarily immediately provide. Emmelodics a cappella, History Club—on some rare occasions, Badminton Club—and, of course, The Lamron, all gave me a space to meet other students and create my supportive network on campus.
Clubs bring people with similar interests together and give them a space to form connections. At SUNY Geneseo, we have a multitude of options to choose from regarding clubs—and, not to sound like every tour guide at every college campus, but you can always start a club if you do not see one for your interest!
So, what clubs do we have here at Geneseo? One can find the extensive list of all our options on the Geneseo website; I took the liberty of perusing the student organization directory on your behalf, and will be going through some of our most random and interesting clubs.
One of the clubs that caught my eye, even before I arrived on campus, was Geneseo’s Beekeeping Club. Beekeeping seems like something that would be difficult to get into without a community to learn with, and what better time to learn than here and now? Further, what better fun fact to give? You immediately become a more fascinating person when you share that you’re involved in the Beekeeping Club. If I wasn’t the busy bee that I am (haha, get it?), maybe I would join too.
While you are learning how to beekeep, why not get involved in some climbing activities, too? I do not know about you, but my Instagram reels are frequently infiltrated by rock climbers and their progress in grip strength or whatever else it is they do. We happen to have a Climbing Club here at Geneseo! With Cosmic Charlie’s only a short walk away (and its wonderful climbing wall), you can get involved and start your climbing career now. One student involved in the Climbing Club at Geneseo noted that the Climbing Club is a “friendly and warm environment” that is also “beginner friendly and inclusive.” You don’t need to have experience climbing—“anyone is welcome to learn!”
We also have many academic clubs. As someone who occasionally attends History Club meetings, I highly recommend attending. It is not solely about learning history facts, though I’m sure you will get some of those; there are also many community-building, fun activities that are peripherally related to history. It is a great opportunity to meet other people who share the same passion—and, at times, to gain academic insight on history classes and professors.
You could also get involved in Geneseo’s Great Outdoors Club! As a freshman, I attended a few of their events, and it was a great way to meet new people and to get some fresh air. You could join club sports, Her Campus, Karate Club, Geneseo Area Gaming Group, Creative Writing club, etc. The list never ends! So if you have some time, and want to make some connections, open the directory and find your niche. Many clubs have been holding their first meetings for any students interested; find the will to brave the cold and get out of your dorm to attend.