by Hannah Lazarus
September 19, 2018 | News
New semester, new clubs! There are so many of them on the second floor C wing that it can be hard to keep track of them all. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the newer clubs and some others that have re-established themselves.
The Feminist Union is a relatively new club that started out last fall. They had some difficulty taking off at the time as there weren’t many members and they didn’t have a club space. They are now more than ready to tackle feminist issues thanks to their six executive members, a spot of their own, and a lot of new members. Treasurer Sarah Petkau explained how their goal was to “create a safe space where anyone can come to have open discussions.” Although they started off humbly, this club still managed to provide sanitary products to various women’s shelters through the year, put on feminist art shows, and have bi-weekly meetings. Next week, they plan to continue these discussions in a location that is yet to be announced, so keep an eye out! The Feminist Union is not high commitment club and follows a more come-as-you-please schedule. Everyone is encouraged and welcomed to drop by their office in 2C.10-1 for advice, open-dialogue conversation, or just to hang out in a safe space.
Life Academy started out as a concept by Ricardo Javier Alvarez to help students obtain their dream job for the reason being that “we all have the same diploma, but we need something to help us stand out.” Alvarez, as the president of this new club, has divided it into three categories: personal, professional, and entrepreneurial. The personal aspect focuses on teaching people how to manage their time and money in an efficient manner. The professional side aims to network students with professionals in the domain they wish to be working in and to have them act as mentors. The way they plan to achieve this is by attending events and coaching them on the best methods to use LinkedIn. The entrepreneurial division allows individuals to develop the skills necessary to achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves: “We help students figure out what they want, we network them with people who have their dream jobs, and we help them develop their skills,” added Alvarez. In addition to their weekly meetings, they also have online business courses to make sure their members are always up to date. They are located in 2C.3.
The Dawson Debate Club has been around for a couple of years and started with the intention of creating a “big community and great atmosphere that helps people develop the ability to think critically,” according to Communications Director Alex Rona. Once the executive members came to the realization that debating is just as popular in college as it was in high school, they knew they had to turn this idea into a reality. The debates are made up of of two teams: opposition and proposition. They are given 7 minutes of speaking time and face 1,3, or 5 judges. The use of electronics and access to the internet is prohibited during debates, which are held every Wednesday at 6pm in a classroom that is to be determined.
The Dawson Green Earth Club has existed for several years, although it was restarted in winter 2017 after being shut down for a year and a half. “Our execs at the time had graduated and their spots were open,” explained Co-President Abigail Lalonde. Students such as Lalonde and Director of External Affairs Shir Gruber felt the need to have an environmental club and took it upon themselves to rebuild it from scratch. Gruber explains how their purpose is to “link sustainable Dawson to the environment and allow people to instigate their ideas to make an impact in a space that creates change.” A unique aspect of this club is that it works as a grassroots movement. Everything starts as just an idea with the students and then makes their way up to administration to be put into action once it is well planned out. Green Earth’s main goal last semester was to regain popularity by hostings events such as GreenXTalks, which was held in April. They hold many fundraisers throughout the school year, one of them being The Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Fund that took place last November and raised $500. To find out how to make Dawson and the world a greener place, go visit Dawson’s Green Earth Club in room 2C.10-1.
Besides the fact that these clubs are a great way to get involved in the school, they also provide students with countless opportunities. Jobs and schools are always searching for people who have valuable life skills and experiences that many of these clubs offer. Plus, they are always looking for new faces!