With Fall Quarter in full swing, several new student-run clubs on campus are finding their footing. The Spectator spoke with leaders of these groups about plans for the year and a few upcoming events to look forward to.
New Clubs
Redhawk Band
For the first time in Seattle U history, a pep band will play during athletic events. Founders of the Redhawk Band Ariana Barre and Cody Ireland wanted to start a group on campus that would allow all students who play instruments to showcase their talents. After the cancellation of the Seattle U cheer squad earlier this year, the Redhawk Band hopes to make up for lost spirit at home games.
“Bigger schools have marching bands, but I wanted a smaller school. So the fact that we didn’t have a band meant my only creative outlet was my writing,” said Ireland, a junior creative writing major.
With a space for students to utilize their musical talents on campus, Ireland hopes to build a community of people committed to building and growing the Redhawk Band. “First and foremost I just want a family—a family of SU students that are committed to this experience and looking for a good outlet,” Ireland said.
The Redhawk Band will work next to Redline at basketball games. They plan to debut, for the first time in years, the Seattle U fight song, which was recently uncovered from campus archives. Seattle U administration also reached out to the new club to possibly perform at the upcoming 125th anniversary celebration, and get involved with non-athletic events.
The club is embracing any new members that play instruments, regardless of skill level. Band leaders are working to find used and donated instruments to offer all those who don’t own an instrument but still want to participate. There are currently no set meeting or rehearsal times, but to sign up for notifications and get involved, students can contact Cody Ireland at [email protected] or Ariana Barre at [email protected].
The Redhawk Band offers “a community off campus that is different than any other,” Ireland said. “This is an open environment. This is a caring and loving space.”
So if you’ve been itching to start playing music again, blow the dust off your high school instrument, or just meet people passionate about creating a performative group on campus, come on out and check out the Redhawk band’s next practice.
APIECE
Asian and Pacific Islanders for Equity and Political Engagement (APIECE) is a new club on campus that fuses student interests of social justice and communal identities.
“The goals of the club are to talk about social justice, racial equality, struggles in the history of Asian Americans, and Asian solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Amy Huang, a sophomore nursing student and APIECE participant. Many students on campus consider social activism and personal identity important to their core values, and APIECE aims to bring those students together.
“As an Asian American, I am excited to talk to other Asian and Pacific Islanders about our experiences and learning more about my identity as an Asian American,” Huang said. “It made me really happy to see a club like this.”
The club is also meant “to create a safe space for Asian and Pacific Islanders to find people who are similar to them and talk about similar issues,” Huang said. “I hope that we’ll be able to accomplish events related to social justice, like maybe participate in protests or raise awareness about issues.”
All those interested in learning more about getting involved with APIECE should check out the club’s Orgsync page, found on the Seattle U website. From there, you can email the club presidents to receive notifications about upcoming meetings.
Pre-Law
The Pre-Law Club on campus is pioneered by club president and sociology student Haleema Bharoocha, and is meant to help those within the program find opportunities, network, and build peer support within the major.
“The Pre-Law Student Club is a place where any student who is interested in going to law school, or just interested in learning about law, can go and explore,” Bharoocha said.
What makes the Pre-Law Club on campus different is the variety of opportunities offered to club members.
“Different speakers to come talk about what they’re job experience is like, how they got their career, and so the pre-law students can ask them any questions that they might have had,” Bharoocha said.
In addition to these events, there will be opportunities for students to apply for positions in the field.
“We’re going to be having mini fairs with people like ACLU, the community police commission…and students will have the opportunities to apply for jobs or internships that they might offer,” Bharoocha said. The club also offers an LSAT study group for all students preparing to take the exam.
The Pre-Law Club is perfect for anyone interested in meeting like-minded students in an environment with a “professional career
building aspect.”
“I want to see it grow into a tight knit group with a professional aspect to it, so we are all helping each other move forward in our careers and help each other network,” Bharoocha said.
The club is hoping to expand its membership, but you do not have to be a pre-law student to participate.
“The main purpose of the club was to have a place for people to explore, so that is why I welcome anyone to come check it out,” Bharoocha said. There are no designated meeting times yet, but if you are interested in participating, visit the club’s website, Facebook, Orgsync page, or email Haleema Bharoocha at [email protected].
Triangle Club Revival
Triangle Club is the official LGBTQ club on campus, however, this is not the club’s first year at Seattle U. With the exception of their popular annual drag show event, the club faded into the background of campus activities after an overturn in leadership and dwindling participation. But this year, LGBTQ students have banded together to revive the club.
Triangle Club aims to commemorate and improve the legacy of the LGBTQ presence on campus. The number of participants has doubled since last year, with a mailing list of over 100 students. With this increasing population, Assistant Director Cody Ireland and other club participants are working to create a better space for LGBTQ students on campus.
“We have a lounge in the student center, but it’s just kind of bleak, so we’re trying to just make ourselves present,” Ireland said.
In addition to new leadership and members, the structure of the club has been changed to encompass and support all events and meetings.
“We actually have a big leadership board now to help separate tasks,” Ireland said. These changes and improvements will change the club’s outreach, presence on campus, and help develop a stronger LGBTQ community.
EMILY MOZZONE • THE SPECTATOR
Upcoming Club Events
Diwali Festival
This year, The Indian Student Association will host its first Diwali Festival. This small club is meant to create awareness of and appreciation for Indian culture.
“Diwali is a huge festival in India,” ISA President Shambhavi Mehrotra said. “All family members meet together and friends come together and it’s a huge celebration.” Although traditional Diwali celebrations include fireworks displays and firecrackers, this event will focus on the holiday’s culinary and familial traditions.
Diwali, also known as the “festival of lights,” typically includes copious amounts of food, friends, family, dancing, music and of course, lights. ISA’s Diwali will offer Bollywood dance performances courtesy of Salsa in Seattle, Indian food catered by Bon Appétit, henna, a photo booth, things to buy, games, and although it is not confirmed, the ISA is working on hiring a band for the evening. In addition to these festivities, there will be an introduction into the history of Diwali.
“You don’t have to be a part of a culture to enjoy that culture,” Mehrotra said.
ISA’s Diwali will take place Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Student Center in room 160. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event starts at 6:30 and goes until 8. There will be a $10 flat rate to all those interested in attending, an expense that can be covered by Seattle U meal plans.
Since it is the event’s debut on campus, “we are just trying to dip our toes in and see how it goes,” Mehrotra said. So far the event is estimated to yield around 60 people, but ISA is confident that the event will be a success regardless of attendees.
“We are aiming for it to be a very fun event,” Mehrotra said. “come and get some very good butter chicken, naan bread, and chai tea!”
Those interested in getting more information or joining the Indian Student Association, email club president Polo (Shambhavi) Mehrotra at [email protected].
SUVC Salutes
Next month, Veterans Community at Seattle U will host a 5K and a Veteran’s Day flag ceremony, called SUVC Salutes.
“This event will be SUVC’s first large scale event. This event will be to draw focus to Seattle University Veteran’s Community as well as the Seattle Stand Down,” SUVC president Thomas Hove said. “We will have a flag presentation ceremony at the beginning of the event, which will be presented by the SU ROTC and the national anthem will be sung by SU choir members.”
Seattle Stand Down is an organization dedicated to assisting veterans transitioning out of the military. They also offer services to help veterans at risk for becoming homeless, and offer ways for all veterans to get involved and support each other.
The SVCU salute event is to also highlight the importance of veterans on campus. “We will be raising awareness about the community as a whole, the programs we will be starting, and the need for financial support for a permanent veterans resource center,” said Hove. This resource center helps make possible such as “morale building activities on and off campus…social gatherings, outdoor activities, etc,” Hove said.
The event will take place Sunday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will meet in room 160 in the Seattle U Student Center. There is no official registration required and no official time keep. Other veteran communities are welcome to join the 5K as well.
Madeline can be reached at
[email protected]
