Exchange District campus has three times as many clubs as other campuses, but membership stays low
By Sheen Chan
Business adminstration students Justice Henderson and Sean Dumali said they would like to see a club focused on mental health at Red River College./SHEEN CHAN
Despite an increase in the number of extracurricular clubs offered at Red River College – wine and cheese club, anime club, and cannabis club, to name a few – not many students are signing up to participate.
According to the college’s website, more than 22,000 students are enrolled in classes every year, but only 378 people signed up for the clubs offered on both the Exchange District and Notre Dame campuses last month, said Red River College Students’ Association internal vice president Joshua Roopchaud.
Roopchaud said he would like to see more students take advantage of the clubs available on campus.
Justice Henderson and Sean Dumali, second-year business administration students, said they have no idea what kind of clubs exist on campus.
“I think there’s an HR club,” said Henderson as she and Dumali shared looks of uncertainty.
Henderson and Dumali said they would like to see a club focused on mental health.
“As a student, that would be really helpful to get through classes,” said Dumali.
To be considered active, clubs at the college must include five members and hold at least one meeting each term with the minutes recorded.
Joshua Roopchaud, RRCSA internal vice president, said he is available to answer students’ questions about on-campus clubs./ SHEEN CHAN
Ron Omanito, a first-year business administration student, said he is excited for the first anime club meeting coming up later this month.
“We saw all the tables down the atrium and decided to check it out,” said Omanito.
“I signed up for the salsa club, too,” said Joseph Senovy, another first-year business administration student. “Why not?”
While the Notre Dame campus has a bigger population of students, the Exchange District campus had triple the number of students sign up for clubs, said Roopchaud. More than 250 students at EDC signed up for clubs this semester.
Students interested in joining or creating a club can drop by the RRCSA office located on both campuses, or visit the RRCSA website page on clubs at rrcsa.ca/clubs.
