Donovan Wilson – Reporter
Southern’s various clubs and organizations have been using social media as a way to keep involved in their community.
This semester brought students back on campus after the full lockdown in the spring. With campus back up and running guidelines are forcing clubs to adapt to this new landscape.
With significantly less people on campus, some activities such as sports are up in the air due to distancing guidelines and the proximity of people in certain volumes.
“We’re trying to do social events but virtually,” said Pamela Karbeinikoff, president of the Active Minds club.
Active Minds work to raise awareness on mental illnesses and try to erase stigmas they often carry.
They have many events they are aiming for this semester, including virtual social events like movie nights, mental health screenings, and bullying prevention.
These events will focus on an online medium, much like their club meetings during the first few weeks of the semester. However, there is a plan to possibly have a socially distanced tabling event in October for domestic violence awareness.
“No matter what your major is, you can join. It’s a little community,” said Alyssa Martinez, public relations co-chair at the Southern chapter of Global Brigades.
This club is a chapter of the international organization Global Brigades. They focus on connecting students to communities all over the world. In the past, the chapter would go to these communities to perform duties.
Earlier this year, before COVID-19 sent students into lockdown, the chapter traveled to Panama to put on a medical brigade. Then in 2019, they traveled to Ghana where they aided in a now-ongoing initiative to get bio-digestive toilets installed in homes.
These events usually happen in January, so the chapter is now planning what they will do for 2021. They currently use Instagram to advertise their weekly meetings which anybody can attend. They happen on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Global Brigades is most likely planning to have a telebrigades in 2021 rather than an in-person event. This event would include them getting a large lecture room on campus and virtually calling medical professionals in Honduras to give them advice. The event will also be cost effective, as it will only run the club around $300.
“It’s a better way for individuals looking to get involved. It helps them to start following cool people and see cool events,” said Jonathan Lopez, the new member educator of Alpha Phi Delta.
Greek life clubs are also active. They utilize Instagram and post fliers on their stories as an easy way to keep people’s attention.
Social media has always been integrated into how clubs find and recruit new members, but especially in a time where COVID-19 makes it harder for these clubs to meet in person.
