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Fall sees growth, 'rebirth' of IU Kokomo student organizations
December 17, 2004 | |||||
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KOKOMO, Ind.—Thanks to student initiative, new and “reborn” student organizations are flourishing at Indiana University Kokomo. In fall semester, 32 student organizations registered with the Office of Student Activities. New organizations include a Chess Club and Speech and Debate team; the Native American Student Organization and Sociology Club have been revitalized. “The organizations are being driven by individual students who see a void, take initiative, and motivate other students to get involved,” said Aimee Sadler, coordinator of programming and applied learning. Students want “to see more activities on campus,” and to socialize with classmates, faculty and administrators outside of classes, she said. Serving the community was a major thrust of student groups' fall activities. As part of the November 19 Grate American Sleepout, members of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority and the Student Senate helped raise $1,200 for local aid to the homeless. In December, Phi Sigs teamed with the Honors Society to collect canned goods and used clothing for the Kokomo Rescue Mission. The 21st Century Achievers served as bell ringers for the Salvation Army's Kettle Drive, and EdSAC gathered 91 children's books for the We Care charity drive. Youngsters at the campus' Halloween Open House enthusiastically painted a community mural, offered by the Humanities Club, and shot basketballs at the Student Athletic Board booth. Members of the History and Political Science Club helped register new voters on campus and presented a “proxy” presidential debate, with students delivering the platforms of major political parties. The Native American Student Organization also encouraged fellow students to political activism, by creating “voter education walls” in a Main Building hallway. The walls offered biographies and positions of Republican, Democratic, and some independent candidates for offices ranging from the U.S. presidency to the Indiana General Assembly. Native American Student Organization members and other students participated in an early December trip to Washington, D.C., co-sponsored by the Office of Campus Climate. An aide for Rep. Dan Burton led the students on a tour of the U.S. Capitol. They also visited the campuses of Georgetown and Howard universities, the Black Fashion Museum, and the recently opened National Museum of the American Indian. In 2005, the multicultural organization Umoja will get the year started by co-sponsoring the IU Kokomo's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon on January 13. The group is also planning an open mic Poetry Slam Jam on February 4. The Speech and Debate Team will make its intercollegiate tournament debut in late January at Bloomington. The International Students Organization will be actively involved in several brown bag discussions, coordinated under the American Democracy Project. And, for those who love sports, the Student Athletic Board is recruiting players for intramural bowling, outdoor soccer, indoor volleyball, and softball teams, as well as informal flag football games in March and April. A club for table tennis is also being organized. Participation in student organizations naturally grows and declines as student leaders graduate or move on to other activities, Sadler noted. Other students “are anxious to take leadership roles on campus but don't know where to start,” she added. To counteract this, Student Activities is offering a ”Leadership Safari” retreat for students February 5 and 6 at the Bradford Woods Retreat Center in Martinsville. Up to 25 participants will learn time management, delegation, motivation, risk-taking, and decision making. For more information on any student organization or activity, contact the Office of Student Activities at (765) 455-9203 or visit www.iuk.edu/student.
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