As students head into midterms, the effects of COVID-19 continue to be felt by student organizations. Many college students join student organizations to connect with peers who have similar interests, but the coronavirus has taken away the ability for student organizations to meet in person. As a result, students have had to get creative in the ways they interact with new and returning members.
The Art Installations Club, led by Amanda Schmitt, expressed that despite meeting over Zoom, they are aiming to continue to make a welcoming space for students interested in art and creativity. Although the club has the budget for art supplies but “no means of distributing,” Schmitt has planned other initiatives to get creative this semester. Hosting biweekly Zoom meetings, the software sketchful.io is one way they engage with their members virtually. Schmitt has also planned two main events for the next few months — the first event, planned for later this month, will be a virtual Art Therapy Night, where members will be able to paint and discuss the importance of art and what it brings to the Stevens community. The second event is an annual tradition for the Art Installations Club, which is Bob Ross Night in December. Due to the lack of supplies, they won’t be painting with paper and paintbrush, but instead using Microsoft Paint and other online software to keep the experience alive and engaging. With the club’s 20 new members as of this past week, Schmitt is hopeful for the future.
The Stevens Dramatic Society (SDS), led by Charles Beall, has also come up with ways to “break a leg,” without performing in front of an audience. With its 20 new members, Beall and the rest of the club have held meetings on Zoom to discuss ideas and logistics on executing a musical this semester. They are planning to hold auditions over Zoom as well as perform the musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” to be filmed and uploaded on YouTube for the general public to see. In addition, they hope to perform “God of Carnage” in the spring semester. SDS also has many other events planned for the fall, such as open-mic nights, a Halloween drama party, virtual script readings, and audition prep workshops, all to be held over Zoom.
Religion and fellowship organizations have also had to adapt to virtual meetings. The Stevens Christian Fellowship (SCF), led by Alex Rubino, has worked to adapt to the new challenges. With their seven new members this semester, Rubino explained, “The biggest thing we’ve done is enhanced our efforts to check-in on one another more often …despite the difficult circumstances.” To accomplish this, the SCF has held weekly prayer meetings, small groups, and general body meetings on Zoom. To prepare for these events, they pre-record worship songs, which they explain as helpful to lighten the mood of their members. For the fall semester, Rubino has planned a monthly event known as “Doordash and the Gospel,” a spinoff of their previous “Pizza and the Gospel” events. Members gather on Zoom, discuss their faith, and are given Doordash gift cards as a means to eat and socialize. Although it’s different than what they expected for this semester, the SCF is working around the conditions and getting creative with how they interact with their members.
There are many more student organizations at Stevens, many of which are trying similar tactics to maintain member engagement with Zoom meetings and virtual social activities. While there is hope among the Stevens community for in-person events in the spring, students are still restricted to virtual meetings for the time being.
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