This Friday (February 12th), from 12:30 to 2:30, SGA will host a virtual club fair for the spring. I encourage everyone that can attend to attend. While it may not be exciting as in years past, I can toss a rugby ball with you or demonstrate a full-size robot. It is still a great way to get involved and meet people of similar interests. There are so many clubs for such a wide variety of interests that everyone has a place. If you still cannot find something that even slightly interests you, you can always start a new club that can be the gateway to meeting new people and forming friendships over a common interest.  

As we start another semester with much uncertainty, various levels of remote activities, and other ways students may find themselves isolated, it is important now more than ever to get involved. The Student Government Association (SGA) has been putting an enormous amount of effort into making sure that we can meet other people with similar interests and try our best to enjoy the community while doing it safely. As the president of the Men’s Rugby Team and the president of The Robotics Club on campus, I can speak first hand that while the adjustments have been complicated, the executive boards of every club have been working incredibly hard to continue to meet and be able to bond with club members while sharing the similar interests that brought us together. 

When I first started at the University of Hartford, my top priority was academics, and I wanted to make sure I adjusted to the classes properly. My mistake was thinking that I could not do anything else besides academics. Every day felt the same, there was much monotony, and I could not break out of the cycle. It was not until my sophomore year when I decided I needed to change the way I was living at college, and that started by embracing a group of lovable crazy hooligans who like to play rugby. The best part was that most of us had never played before. We all came from various backgrounds playing a bunch of different sports to no sports at all and just wanted to be a part of a team.  

What I thought would just be rugby on the weekends turned into my favorite pastime. Game film study once a week turned into study groups as we all worked together to learn across various majors and share our experiences in academics. Team workouts turned into healthy habits and diets with a support group surrounding you. Team practices turned into escapes from school where we could block out all the stress we had in life. Weekend games turned into adventures to other colleges where we would triumph and celebrate as a team or lose and learn as a team. However, most notably, that group of crazy, lovable hooligans turned into a brotherhood and family that I will have besides me for the rest of my life. 

Even though things have been different recently, we still interact, and the feeling of family is still there. Whether it be watch parties for the Super Bowl, or a Covid friendly team hike (like in the picture above), because of the clubs and the wonderful people you meet along the way, college went from feeling like an obligation to a lifestyle I wish that I never have to leave behind. One thing is for sure, I know I will always have a home at the University of Hartford because of the people I have met and the clubs I was a part of.  

So, please come to the club fair and try to find your future family or even just say hi!