Getting Involved at Syracuse University
Cody Norman ’20
As an incoming freshman in a new place, it can be hard to make friends and find your circle. One thing that can make the transition a bit easier is joining a Syracuse club or organization on campus!
Your first few weeks on campus can be stressful: adjusting to a new home, navigating campus and classes, and finding your place in a new community. With all this on your mind, joining a club is probably at the bottom of your list. Something I wish I knew as a freshman is how much easier it is to adjust to campus when you make friends who have already done it, and many of the below organizations are a great place to find those friends.
Syracuse’s University Union (UU) is responsible for bringing to life many exciting events on campus such as the highly anticipated Juice Jam in the fall and Block Party in the Spring. These concerts have brought in performances from artists such as Travis Scott, SZA, Khalid, Diplo, & The 1975 in recent years. They also stage advanced film screenings, comedy shows, and talks with distinguished speakers. They welcome all students;the production goes farther than just what you see on stage, so there really is a place for everyone!
The Daily Orange is the campus newspaper and only nonprofit news source, bringing students news from the Syracuse community as well as important happenings on campus and in popular culture. The organization is entirely student-run, bringing power to the student voice. With the large presence of the Newhouse School of Journalism on campus, this is a great choice for journalism majors interested in print media or those who simply desire to share their voice on campus.
Another outlet for potential Newhouse students is Citrus TV, one of Syracuse’s television broadcast stations. This is for any student who has interest in working either in front of or behind the camera. There are positions ranging from producing broadcasts in the control room to reporting the most recent Orange sporting event in front of the camera. Many assume it is only for journalism students, but they welcome any student on campus! It is a great opportunity to get early experience in the television broadcast industry.
This is great for students who are looking for things to do when classes are done and are burnt out from their week. When the weekend rolls around, Orange After Dark offers plenty of fun activities for students such as movie nights, go karting, Dave & Busters, as well as many other fun excursions, free of charge! Any campus away from home can feel like a bubble and this is a good chance to get off campus for a bit and see what the Syracuse community has to offer.
Intramural Sports
While this is not unique to Syracuse University, it is still a great way to meet friends and get involved on campus. With a newly built fitness center, Syracuse has the means to offer intramural leagues across all sports all year long! It is a great way to play and practice sports you love as well as meet other athletes you can compete with beyond the end of a season.
These are just a handful of examples of organizations and programs that exist on the Syracuse campus to help students make friends and adjust to campus. They are absolutely not the only examples! There are countless clubs and organizations on campus that are always looking for new members. If these particular opportunities don’t jump out at you, explore the possibilities on campus at involvement fairs and other functions, and find the group that is right for you!
