We kicked the start of the new semester with the much hyped Clubs & Society week. C&S Week took place between the 1st to 5th of August 2022, and Monashians were met with an amazing line-up of clubs to choose from, perfectly tailored for you to find the community that best fit YOU. New and older students were free to browse through an array of clubs that ranged from high-range, sporty activities like the cheerleading club— to much chiller clubs that focused more on unwinding.
Best of all, C&S week was jam packed with fun activities and performance. The Monash foyer held many booths, each creatively decorated with banners and posters by enthusiastic club members. The Monash Career Peer Club for instance had a “Manifest Your Dream Career” section in their booth for students to scribble down on a Post-It—what they wanted to be in the future. Over the course of C&S week, these bright, yellow sticky notes filled with aspirations soon covered their booth.
One thing was certain, every booth was packed with members that were passionate and proud of the clubs they represented.
Now, it would be impossible to list out all the clubs that were present at C&S week, so here are just a few of them:
Board-Gaming Club
This club has been active for almost 5 years, and according to Cheeshen from the School of Engineering, who was manning the booth at the time, it was one of the best places for people to connect. Members would gather together every week and play games ranging from Secret Hitler to Catan. If that sounds like something fun, definitely give it a go.
“Honestly, boardgames can feel intimidating, and very scary because you might not how to play, or the strategy but don’t worry, we’ve got people from all different schools, from beginners to experts, that all love to play and once you get the hang of it, it’ll feel exhilarating.”
Leo Club
The Leo Club encourages students to participate in a range of social service activities. If getting down to business and taking action sounds intriguing, this is the place to be. At it’s core, the Leo Club continues to give back to the community whatever they can.
Members can join in on beach clean-up activities to save the environment, or even join a soup kitchen to feed the homeless. Whatever the cause, know that you would be making a change to the community and helping those around you.
“It feels good to help people and make the environment a safer, better, place. We’re looking forward to scheduling more events now that COVID restrictions have lessened, and we hope to have more community-based activities in the future.” said Giselle from the School of Business who was leading the booth at the time.
Ensemble Club
The Ensemble Club is for anyone that feels they need a safe space for them to be their authentic self. Whether you’re in the closet or out and proud, the Ensemble Club is just the place for you to be.
“When it comes to registration, we don’t have a limit on how many can join; we’re open to everyone.” said Nadine from the School of Arts who was at the booth.
The club acts as a network for queer individuals or anyone that struggles with feeling excluded from the conversation. With bi-weekly (pun-intended) meetings that focus on peers sharing their stories and having discussions on issues not often brought to light, to watching movies that represent the queer community, this group is the place to feel supported and understood.
Most importantly, members value and respect discretion, and there is no pressure to act a certain way— to be yourself.
With C&S week wrapped up, the sentiment amongst all the clubs is clear. Join a club, even if you feel shy. You might enjoy yourself more than you realise.
Article by Shaura Naeem; Photos by Xinyi and Sean
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