Student groups on campus on campus see their numbers rise

Students who want to join IU organizations aren’t letting the economy get in their way.

“Despite the economy, I think students will continue to push forward,” said Caitlin Callahan, vice president of the IU Student Foundation.

Many student organizations have not seen a decline in membership but have changed certain aspects of their organization to accommodate students’ needs during the current economic climate.

Callahan said the number of people that came to this year’s first call-out meeting for IUSF was about the same as the past year’s.

The club also changed is enrollment process this year and now allows members to sign up online instead of attending a meeting, she said, so there could be even greater interest among students than was shown at the call-out meeting.

Jessica Dyrdahl, IU Student Association funding board advisor at the Office of Student Organizations and Leadership Development, said the office has seen an increase in the number of organizations on campus.

“We went from over 650 groups to over 700 by the end of last year,” she said. “People keep wanting to start organizations for students to be involved in.”

The Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority schedules meetings and activities around members’ work schedules, said junior Samantha Moulier.

“Activities aren’t the priority anymore, work is,” she said. “Work does make it harder. Students have to be willing to take the risk of managing their time.”

Fees are one reason some organizations have seen a decrease in membership. Some students do not have the funds to participate in groups they are interested in, Moulier said.

“It happens a lot more now,” she said. “It does get costly. Our dues are around $300 to $400 a year.”

More groups are going to the IUSA student organization funding board for funding than in previous years, Dyrdahl said. The board supported almost 100 student groups during first semester last year, ranging from long-standing organizations to newly formed groups, she said.

“They help as many as they can, as many different types as they can,” Dyrdahl said.
The IU Photography Society, an organization that started three years ago, relies on IUSA for funding, junior Derek Cutting said. The group asks members to pay a yearly fee of $10.

“We haven’t seen a decrease in members,” Cutting said. “Because we’re a new club, we’ve seen an increase so far. Arts are one of few fields that is always functioning, there’s never a boom period.”

Members of the club are worried, however, about receiving assistance from the benefit galleries that they plan, Cutting said. With the recent economic decline, the club is expecting a decrease in donations.

Joining student organizations on campus can provide students with skills they can use later, Dyrdahl said.

“Most students get involved with groups that go along with their careers,” she said.

Senior Ashley Cox said it is harder to find a job these days due to the economy, so students are turning to organizations to fulfill their volunteer requirements for classes.

“If students need volunteer hours, now is a good time to do it,” she said.