Different Kinds of Societies on Campus: Finding One that is Right for You 

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Written by Natasha Fernandes

Thumbnail photo by Photo by Paolo Nicolello on Unsplash

Societies are a great way to bolster your self-confidence and to build great connections. When you are in university, you might be introduced to many societies and it’s tough to decide which society or club best fits your needs. As the new term begins, this is the ideal time for students to begin their journey with campus societies and to experience the new avenues available to them. In this article, I will try to make choosing the right society for you a bit easier. Currently, there are twenty-five active societies at Saint Mary’s University. When you visit the official SMUSA webpage you will find a list of all the active societies which includes a short description along with the email addresses that you can use to contact them to join. 

There are all kinds of societies to choose from but to make it easier to see which society best fits your niche, let me divide the current active societies for the 2020-2021 term and organize them into seven specific categories: 

1. Academic: University life is filled with learning and growth. Joining an academically oriented society gives you the chance to learn more about your field, and discover what interests you the most. You might meet other passionate students from your major, and can talk to people about specific courses and assignments. You also get the chance to hear about amazing new field trips or academic events that could boost your resume experience. For instance, the SMU Environmental Society recently took a day trip for a Fall hike at the Shaw Wilderness Park. This gave students the opportunity to de-stress and enjoy some time outside with friends before the exam season closed in. Societies like Saint Mary's Environmental Society (SMUES), Engineering Society (Smu Eng Soc), Commerce Society, SMU Chemistry Society, International Development Undergraduate Society (IDSUS), Biology Society, MBA Society, Astronomy and Physics Society, French Society (SMUFS), Anthropology Society (SMUAS),  Developer Student Club Society SMUDSCS, and Investment Society (SMIS) fall under the academic section. You can click the email address attached to each  academic society mentioned to contact the society of your field of interest to join.
I have written a detailed article about the Commerce Society on campus, if you’re interested, you can read up on the feats they have achieved this year, and their upcoming plans, by clicking here

2. Campaigning and Charity: A part and parcel of University life are to figure out what issues or concerns resonate with you as a person. Joining a society that focuses on campaigning for charities can help you open your mind to a wide variety of steps you can take to help make this world a better place to live. Considering the current pandemic which has led to a lot of changes in our daily lives, there will be fewer external events such as marathons or relays for charities. Most of the fundraising for charities is now done through online events such as online raffles. But this is still a good avenue to keep exploring when life gets back to normal. Societies such as UNICEF Campus Club, Metro Universities Relay for Life, SMU Right To Play (SMU RTP) and Friends of Halo Society are all societies that fundraise for charities.
An interesting article on the Metro Universities Relay for Life Society has been published on the SMU Journal webpage. I would suggest clicking here and reading up on their volunteering goals and their affiliation with Dalhousie University. 

3. Cultural: Saint Mary’s University is very diverse and includes students from various parts of the world. Cultural societies sometimes act as a haven for international students, as they can feel at home even when they are away from home. Joining a cultural society can help you discover new things and teach you to embrace and respect cultures from different parts of the world. It is a great place to engage with students through riveting conversation, food, dance, and music. Diverse societies like the Caribbean Society (SMUCS), African Nova Scotian Student Association (ANSSA), Conflict Resolution Society (SMUCRS) and the Vietnamese Student Society (SMU VSA) fall under this umbrella. 

4. Public Speaking: When thinking of being actively engaged on campus, having conversations about politics, media, arts, science, and other things you may be passionate about are a great way to increase your charisma and student engagement. Societies such as Saint Mary’s Debate Society (SMDS) encourage students to have structured debates, develop critical thinking skills, and become more confident public speakers. A beautifully written article on the Debate Society was published by the SMU Journal on their website. Click here to read about the Debate Society’s goals and the challenges they have managed to overcome.


5. Religion/ Faith: University life is filled with new faces and new challenges at every juncture. It is very comforting to experience humility and companionship when you meet people who share the same beliefs as you do. It is fun to engage in conversation, prayer, and ask questions about your faith, and these are all things you can do by joining a religious society on campus. Currently, the only active religious society at Saint Mary’s University is the Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO). I recently published an article about the CCO society where I share my experience as an executive member, and discuss how this society is striving to build the world’s future leaders. You can read this article by clicking here.

6. Media Creation: Radio, TV, Journalism- all forms of media whose job markets are extremely competitive in the real world. University is the place where you try out all of these forms of expression, and learn to nurture your innate creativity. You can have the incredible opportunity to hear yourself speak via a podcast or read an article you published for your university newspaper. Not to mention that these achievements look amazing on your CV!
This is the place where I give a huge shout-out to the SMU Journal Publishing Society. I am a society writer for the SMU Journal and might I say, it is such an incredible feeling to work alongside amazing editors who make sure I’m publishing the best content I can. Plus, you can’t complain when you get paid to do a thing you are immensely passionate about! 

On top of writing, the SMU Journal also has a podcast handle called Husky talks and a youtube channel as well. The SMU Journal is constantly looking to hire new talent. If you feel that writing or creating content is something that you are passionate about, you can apply by clicking this link here

7. Solving World Issues: World problems such as homelessness, hunger, poverty, and abandoned refugees are issues that are too big to disappear. You can do your part by joining societies on campus that focus on combating these issues. Societies such as the World University Services of Canada WUSC and the Habitat For Humanity (SMUHabitat) strive to solve global issues through strong movements locally and even have an impact internationally.

Saint Mary’s University is definitely blessed with an abundance of incredible societies to choose from, all run by passionate, hardworking executives. Do not limit yourself to just choosing one, although you can always begin with the one that aligns best with what you are most interested in. Engaging in a campus society is a great way to step out of your comfort zone and accomplish things you might have otherwise thought to be impossible, and it looks great on your CV! I hope I have convinced you to at least think about how beneficial a society is when trying to understand or follow your passions. That gut feeling you have right now? I say listen to it, you never know the places it could take you. 

P.S: If you are a member or an executive of a campus society at SMU and would like to be featured here at the SMU Journal to have your opinions heard, you can email me at fernnash15@gmail.com and we can have a chat! I want to know more about your experience with societies here on campus, so do not hesitate to reach out!

Claire Keenan