By Brooke Amodei, ’21

With Loyola transitioning to an online semester, just about everyone has been hard at work making adjustments to keep the Loyola experience as intact as possible. Something I value deeply about Loyola is how passionate students are about extracurriculars and the dedication that students put in to cultivating positive experiences within clubs and organizations. Some of my favorite moments the past three years have come from extracurricular activities of all kinds and the people I’ve met through them. Naturally, it would be a shame if because we are remote this semester, we were to lose these activities and organizations.

Luckily, hounds know how to keep engaging students even when the fun has to become virtual. First-years have no need to fear because club leaders are working hard to assure that there are opportunities for inclusion, events, and fun. In fact, I asked multiple club and organization leaders across campus how they’re planning on adapting to this online semester- and they were excited to share! Take a look at their responses and rest assured knowing that they, and many others, are fostering phenomenal virtual environments.

Nintendo Club

“Nintendo Club is hoping to keep everyone connected during this online semester! We have a Discord server (https://discord.gg/pEqkMdD) where members will ideally get to know each other and meet up to play games. We are planning on hosting gaming events throughout the semester open to everyone on campus. We hope to see you there!!”

-Brendan Sweeney, Class of 2021

Hound Creative Magazine

“Hound Creative is an online arts magazine, so we’re glad we can still share student work in spite of the current circumstances. Email amvigliotti@loyola.edu for inquiries/to submit your work. Submission details can be found on our site, which is linked in our Instagram bio (@houndcreativemag).”

-Alex Vigliotti, Class of 2021

Robotics Club

“We are still conducting weekly meetings with a main focus on programming and having speakers come in to speak about various job opportunities and post undergrad routes (graduate school, industry, research, etc.) Then in the spring we will start competing in VEXU competitions again!”

-Rachel Jarman, Class of 2021

InterVarsity (IV) Christian Fellowship

“InterVarsity’s transition into online spaces has been a welcomed challenge. Since summer, we have been working on ways to engage our IV family in faith filled discussion and community building in online spaces. Though connecting is not the same as it has been in the past, we are going to continue working with our community and creating spaces to pursue our faith.”

-Anna Giardino, Class of 2022

Asian Cultural Alliance

“ACA has started to lean more into social media. Follow us on Instagram @loyolaaca and we are wanting to create polls that our members/followers can answer that guide us towards the topics they want to see in our meetings this semester as we meet virtually. We always want students to join ACA and we are an organization that is open for anyone to join.”

-Kayte Rooney, Class of 2022

Women in Business

“Our club had some great events while still on campus, but we’re looking to host virtual events throughout the fall. We had a trivia night for new students interested in joining our club, and we are definitely welcoming new members of any major and class year! We are aiming to meet at least once per month, and host events such as virtual panels, resume/career workshops, movie nights, and possibly service (and we’re always open to suggestions). Any interested students can email our president at mrbrenner@loyola.edu or follow/message us on Instagram @loyolawomeninbusiness.”

-Maddie Brenner, Class of 2021

This is just a small sample of the clubs awaiting first years and all students on campus. Just because the semester is online, the time is still right to get involved and meet people with common interests as you! It’s where I’ve met some of my best friends and how Loyola can really become home to you, even if you’re not there yet.

To get involved, visit the Clubs and Organizations website to see a listing of clubs including a description and reach out directly to the club president. You can also reach out to Student Engagement to set-up a meeting where someone will help you determine what clubs might be a good fit and assist in getting you included in outreach and communication from those club leaders.