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Can't find a club to join? Start your own! At St. Bonaventure, freshmen and sophomores don't have to wait for someone to organize a club for them. They can get something started to pursue an interest and invite others to join them. Christina Cardona, a freshman journalism/mass communication major, did just that. Christina pursued a hunch that she wasn't the only student interested in photography, called a meeting for people interested and Photo Club was born. “I was disappointed when I found out that Bona's didn’t have a Photo Club,” Cardona said. “However, I was told time and time again, if Bona's did not have it, start it. That’s what I did.” Fifteen people are currently members of Photo Club. The group is working through the Student Government Association process of receiving an official charter. Their adviser is Dr. Dennis Wilkins, associate professor of journalism and mass communication. Photo Club offers students an opportunity to experiment with different styles of photography in a friendly, inviting atmosphere. The club encourages members' photography by selecting themes for photos, then considering that work at later meetings. The most recent themes were action and candid photos. Previous “assignments” have included portraits, landscapes and photos in black and white. Photo Club members hope to be displaying their work around campus, including pictures in the Café La Verna and in the Laurel, the University's literary magazine. They are also considering fund raising projects which might include making coffee mugs, calendars and posters that will be on sale in the Reilly Center. A raffle for a set of Sabres tickets is also being considered. Through the year, members plan instructional meetings on different photography styles and techniques. They would like to purchase cameras and printers and are also looking into setting up a dark room on campus. “Bona's gives so much to the students – that’s why it’s such a great place to be,” Cardona said. “However, sometimes you have to give back to make it even better.” That “giving back” offers just one example of how Bonaventure allows students to pursue, share and develop their interests. -Heather Manaher |
Intramural Involvement Even if your student wasn't an athlete in high school, she can get involved with sports at St. Bonaventure. This semester, the University offered 23 intramural tournaments and leagues through its Sandra A. and William L. Richter Center. Among the most popular for participants were football, basketball and volleyball. Other intramural sports offered include volleyball, soccer and ultimate Frisbee. Offered as club sports were men’s hockey, men’s rugby, women’s rugby, women’s soccer and racquetball. Club sports and intramurals are open to anyone and everyone is encouraged to give a new sport a try. Bona's Web site says more than 80 percent of students participate in some intramural, recreational or club sport activity. DeFazio also mentioned that intramural sports are productive as stress relievers. Signing up for intramurals and club sports is easy, DeFazio explained. All you have to do is pick up a roster and gather a team. Most freshmen teams are initially made up of floor-mates, DeFazio said. Eventually, he added, as freshmen meet more people, teams are made up of students from different residence halls and classes. Information about intramural and club sports was delivered to every residence hall room during Welcome Days. Information is also hanging in the Richter Center. The Richter Center is also running an Iron Man and Woman Challenge. Over 240 students are participating in the semester-long event that includes running, biking and swimming. Those who complete the challenge are invited to a social and given a free T-shirt, a coveted prize in the college community. The goal at the Richter Center is to get every student actively involved in the center in some way – through intramural or club sports, the Iron Man and -Brianne Rehac |
_____________________________________________________ On-Campus employment Freshmen looking for on-campus job opportunities at St. Bonaventure have plenty of options from which to choose. From federal work study to volunteer projects to internships, the University offers a wide variety of enticing job possibilities. Some on-campus job opportunities require students to be eligible for federal work study. To qualify for this, students must meet certain need-based requirements based on family income and ability to pay college costs. On-campus employers only pay one-fourth of students’ work study paychecks, with the other three-fourths coming from federal funds. The Richter Center, one of the main student employers, offers various opportunities for students to earn money. Rob DeFazio, director of intramurals and club sports, said student workers may perform such tasks as handing out athletic equipment, swiping student identification cards, cleaning cardio and exercise machines and teaching exercise classes. DeFazio said there are even opportunities for freshmen to advance within the ranks of the Richter Center staff. “I try to reward those students that are good workers,” DeFazio said. “We’ve had freshmen or sophomores move up to a supervisory level position if they show they can do the job and are responsible.” Another on-campus employment outlet for students with specific skills is technology services. Dan Donner, assistant director/user services manager, said students need only an interest and general background in computers to become library lab assistants or student technology assistants. As in many areas, technology services prefers students with federal work study eligibility. Students who are lab assistants monitor the library labs, while student technology assistants work on combating computer viruses and spyware, and installing computer software. Donner said this experience gives students tools they can use later in life. “I’ve had alumni who’ve contacted me and they work on their friends’ or their own computers,” Donner said. Two on-campus job opportunities open to students who are not eligible for federal work study are the Teaching and Learning Center and the Journey Project. Through the Teaching and Learning Center, students can become peer tutors or note-takers. Peer tutors are matched up tutoring students based on students’ schedules and classes. They generally meet with each other for an hour each session. Reliable or skilled tutors are often recommended for further tutoring opportunities. The Center’s director, Jean Trevarton Ehman, said tutors’ biggest gain is often times not the minimum-wage paycheck they pick up, but the satisfaction they gain from helping fellow students reach their academic potential. The Journey Project, directed by Mike Williams, allows students to gain an income from creative projects and internships they can sometimes design for themselves. Williams said the Journey Project helps students explore vocations with their own creative employment ideas and hires between 25 and 50 students each year. “They take ownership of their experience,” Williams said. Whether through volunteer work, teaching opportunities, athletic management or technology assistance, freshmen at St. Bonaventure have many opportunities to defray their college costs and gain valuable work experience. -Charlie Specht |
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