UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 6, Page 4
October 10, 1991
There's something for everyone in campus student groups

     By now, most students have settled into the fall semester, and
some may be looking for new ways to get involved at the University.
     One avenue for involvement is through the approximately 180
different student organizations on campus, each offering different
programs and opportunities to students.
     According to Scott F. Mason, assistant director of student
affairs, some of the more popular and better-known organizations
include the Blue Hen yearbook, the Delaware Undergraduate Student
Congress (DUSC) and the Resident Student Association (RSA) but,
there are many others.
     The real key to whether an organization is successful depends
on enthusiasm, he said, and student interest in organizations is
increasing.
     This September's Student Activities Night was one of the
highest ever in attendance. More than 90 groups participated, and
they had to be packed into the Perkins Student Center. Mason said
he feels one reason students are becoming more involved is because
the 1990s has become a time of social concern and students are
demonstrating more interest in cultural experiences.
     Additional student activity programs are on the way, Mason
said. One program, Student Organization Leadership Activity
Resources (SOLAR), involves workshops, designed to promote
self-development and to help students become positive leaders.  The
workshops include information on improving interpersonal
communication skills and assessing leadership styles
     Upcoming speakers will include alumni from the University who
held held leadership positions in student organizations. They will
share with current students how these campus positions affected
their professional careers.
     To start a group on campus, Mason said, students must fill out
forms at the Student Activities Office in the Perkins Student
Center. These forms describe the goals of the organization and
serve as a guideline for rules they will follow. The group must be
registered, and, acceptance is determined by DUSC.
     Mason explained that an organization can exist without
approval from DUSC but it will not have campus privileges, such as
campus rooms for meetings or help with support for activities.
     A group can start with less than five people, he said, or it
can have more than 50 members. Approximately 40 percent of the
student body is involved in more than one campus organization.
     Many student groups are not widely known. There are
co-curricular organizations such as the American Society of
Interior Designers, food science clubs and even an organization
called the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
     For students interested in the arts and entertainment, there
are music clubs such as The Deltones or The Golden Blues, and
theater groups like E-52 and Montage Repertory Theatre. For those
interested in filmmaking, there's an organization called the
Student Film-Makers Co-op.
     Among the religious organizations are the Campus Crusade for
Christ and the Muslim Students Association.
     Students can get involved in service organizations such as the
Alcohol Peer Education Program/Wellspring or the Delaware Emergency
Care Unit, a student-staffed ambulance service that trains student
emergency health volunteers.
     There are other special interest groups including the
University Jugglers Association, the Amateur Radio Association and
Citizens Against War! If a student wants to improve his or her
speaking skills, there's a Toastmaster Club to help.
     For those students who are looking for recreational activity,
there are karate clubs, cycling clubs, the Delaware Equestrian Team
and even a rugby club.
     For more information on student programs, or how to start a
new organization, call the Student Activities Office at 451-2428.
                                        - Lisa Greiner