Unusual Clubs on Campus

by Rachel Zwerneman | photos by Heather Fletcher and Catherine Coe

Cruising through tables lined with banners and balloons, students hear about saving marine life and boycotting parking on campus. Service organizations and debate societies offer buttons embellished with quotes claiming intelligence is not a thing of the past. Flag football players demonstrate their team's new play in front of the Tate Student Center, while other players carry their trophy and boast about last year's victory.

Visiting an activity fair, students can hear it all. Unfortunately, they often leave with nothing to show for their quest, but a Krispy Kreme doughnut. These delicious treats might satisfy for a moment, but they do not offer the contentment and pleasure associated with belonging to the perfect club.

With so many clubs and avenues for involvement, it might be confusing how anyone would have trouble finding a group to join in college. The abundance of clubs satisfies most, but some students are in search of something a little more unusual to join.

Diversity can be found with the Capoeira Club. It is a combination of martial arts, music, dance and ritual developed by Brazilian slaves. Two people compete in the game, attempting to outmatch each other's skills, while the remaining players clap, sing and play instruments to traditional Portuguese music. Drums and bells play songs about freedom, slavery and liberty.

Capoeira, being both a sport and an art form, captivated Chris Eckenroth, the founder and president of the group. "You're playing against someone and trying to control the space," Eckenroth says. "While the other person is your opponent, you're also cooperating in order to make the game a beautiful one."

Dr. Robert Moser teaches Portuguese and is the faculty advisor for Capoeira. While traveling in Brazil, Moser became fascinated with Capoeira. He enjoys interacting with students who share his passion. Moser says, "The club is a core group of people who have fallen in love with Capoeira and want to make it a part of their lives."

Capoeira is not a typical karate class. There are 30 members currently learning to kick butt and enhance their musical abilities. It is a great workout, a respected martial art and it gives participants an activity they can incorporate into numerous aspects of their lives.

If dancing is strictly what students are after, the Breakdancing Club is an excellent choice. This talented troupe performs all over campus, from basketball games to Dance Marathon. Nearly 50 members groove every week to a variety of rap and older funk.

There is no need for students to have perfected the head spin to join: beginners are welcome and encouraged. Newcomers may quickly find themselves surrounded by people chanting their name as they perform a windmill—spinning on the floor with their legs spread open.

Matt Griffin, president of the Breakdancing Club, says he enjoys the club's originality. "It is something that people don't see very often, so they get really into it," Griffin says.

If movin' and shakin' is not the scene students crave and they find Bruce Lee's shoes hard to fill, they need not worry because there are still many spectacular clubs that may strike their interest.

Are there any future Spielbergs out there? With the Twenty-Four Hour Film Club, students can write, direct, edit and act in their own productions. There is one catch though—it is all done in only one day. Members split into random groups on Fridays and receive a genre, a common line and a common prop. For example, the movie might be required to be a comedy with the phrase, "We have to liberate the comrades" and have a pumpkin as a prop. Movies are produced in 24 hours and members meet on Saturday evenings to view each other's masterpieces.

Acting, editing skills and video cameras are not required to participate. All that is needed is a sense of humor and a willingness to have fun.

William Bounds founded the club last year to give students the opportunity to test their skills and see where their imaginations take them. "My favorite movie that we've made was when we condensed 'The Lion King' into 10 minutes," Bounds says.

Who knows, there may be an Oscar somewhere in the future of one of these video artists.

Whether or not students long to see their names in lights, they are going to need to polish up their public speaking abilities. The Terry Toastmasters offer informal and humorous meetings in an effort to keep members on their toes and enhance their speaking skills. Students gain confidence and are able to use their knowledge when they enter the working world. "It has made me a more spontaneous speaker," says Lindsey Giffin, the secretary and treasurer for the club. "It has also made me a better presenter and will help me in the future."

The club is not limited to Terry business students; anyone can benefit from some Toastmaster advice, even if it is as simple as deleting "like" and "um" from one's vocabulary. "You actually think before you speak," says Tim Price, the club president.

Members attempt to keep the meetings witty and amusing by designating a Table Topic Master each week. This person randomly assigns speakers with questions that they have to lecture on for one minute. An entertaining topic might be, "Let's say you are a termite and I am Noah, convince me to let you on the Ark."

The Toastmasters do not desire members that have already perfected the art of speaking; they seek students needing assistance. With the Toastmasters' help, students become more self-assured. It is also nationally recognized, therefore a great resume-builder. Those interested should get involved and start chatting.

Hopefully all the Krispy Kreme addicts out there will find their calling among these suggestions. Activity fairs steer many in the right direction every semester, but for those in pursuit of something more unique, rest assured that it is out there. College is truly a haven for participation.

contacts

Capoeira: Chris Eckenroth; www.uga.edu/capoeira

The Breakdancing Club: Matt Griffin; surf@hawaii.com

The 24-Hour Film Club: William Bounds; yeha22@uga.edu

The Terry Toastmasters: Tim Price; soc123456@aol.com