At a vibrant iFest, Retrievers explored hundreds of student-led organizations that sharpen the mind, strengthen the body, and nourish the soul
On an early September afternoon, more than a thousand students filled the walkways between The Commons and the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery. The occasion was UMBC’s biannual Involvement Fest, or iFest for short, an event for students to mingle and learn about the more than 250 student-led organizations at UMBC.
“We have academically driven groups, religious organizations, cultural organizations, groups organized around hobbies, sports and recreational groups, political and governing groups, intellectual sports, service and social action groups, and more,” says Abdoulie Sarr, the coordinator for student organizations in the Division of Student Affairs. “And the number of organizations has increased 14 percent since last year.”
Each semester, Student Affairs organizes iFest to showcase the diversity of clubs and the vibrant community they create—a community that offers opportunities for UMBC students to nurture their whole persons: mind, body, and soul.
Sharpening the mind
UMBC’s academic courses offer students myriad opportunities to grow their minds. And for students who like their extracurriculars just as intellectually challenging, there are a host of student orgs to choose from.
Want to explore what makes a meaningful life, whether God exists, or how important it is to seek the objective truth? Philosophers Anonymous has, for more than two decades, offered students a weekly venue to present and discuss ideas of their own choosing. Maybe you first want to hone your communication and debate skills on a national stage. UMBC’s relatively new Speech and Debate Team regularly competes in online and in-person venues, leading up to nationwide competitions in the summer. If breaking out tools and building something is more your style, the UMBC chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) offers the chance to construct flying machines of all sorts, including autonomous airplanes and drones.
Participation in Philosophers Anonymous has been a “coming of age experience, for sure,” says Dana Ragsdale, a junior philosophy and psychology major who is vice president of the club. “I’ve realized just how shallow my own understanding is.” Summer Haddad, a junior anthropology major on the speech and debate team, says her participation in extemporaneous and impromptu speech competitions has significantly improved her ability to think on her feet. And Helena Steele, a junior mechanical engineering student, learned she was “pretty good at soldering,” after joining AIAA for a day of drone-making last year. “We welcome everyone, no experience necessary, and we’ll teach you how to make something that flies,” she says.
From chapters of professional organizations to intellectual sports teams and more, the student-org scene at UMBC offers plenty of chances to find friends, eat free pizza, and flex new thinking skills.
“When I joined the Tae Kwon Do Club, I had no experience. Through the club I’ve developed a better sense of discipline, met new people, and gained leadership opportunities.”
Strengthening the body
Plenty of UMBC clubs help students balance the intellectual work of college with opportunities to get the body moving and build social connections.
Running Club meets on weekdays for runs around campus, in nearby neighborhoods, and on the trails of Patapsco Valley State Park. They compete in a handful of races each semester, but the bigger draw is the combination of fitness and friendship. Shelby Smith, a junior psychology major, notes that, “as a commuter, running has helped me get familiar with the area.” Luke Seidlich, a sophomore information systems major, sums up: “The best thing about running club is that you can get a workout and socialize at the same time.”
In Tae Kwon Do Club, roughly 30 regulars train with instructors from the club’s parent dojo. Club president Nathan Le, a senior business technology administration major, started with zero experience and now competes at an advanced level. “Everyone who shows up is working toward self-improvement,” he says. “Sparring is a great way to experience an adrenaline rush—you have to be so focused and in the moment.” Vice president Alexis Goetz, a senior biological sciences and emergency, disaster, and health systems major, shares, “When I joined, I had no experience, but through the club I’ve developed a better sense of discipline, met new people, and gained leadership opportunities.”
UMBC’s men’s and women’s ultimate frisbee squads lean into the social side of the sport. “Ultimate frisbee has a very laid-back culture overall, but we do like to win,” says Avery Klein, a senior psychology major. Teammate Antonion Lazzaro, a senior computer science major, adds, “You can always find some of us throwing a frisbee around on campus—it’s like a family. Everyone’s welcome.”
Sae Egoshi, a senior animation major on the women’s ultimate team, finds the group dynamic especially helpful: “It’s more motivating for me to get physical activity with a group. I love the community aspect of the team—it’s nice to have a smaller group of people on campus who I connect with regularly.”
Nourishing the soul
Retrievers find their place to belong where their souls find rest and acceptance, knowing that the people around them are there to support and encourage their pursuits.
“Join for the fun, stay for the community” is the collective attitude of Milan Valderrama, Jessica Graziano, and Abu Kamara, the presidents of UMBC’s Bonsai Club, the Garden Club, and the Dog-Collar Comedy Troupe, respectively. When project due dates pile up, work schedules are demanding, and the world at large seems chaotic, these Retrievers ease their members’ burdens by helping them focus on something other than themselves—clipping tiny branches to shape a tree, pulling up weeds encroaching on this season’s vegetables, and laughing at the ridiculous.
Seniors Valderrama, computer science and financial economics, and Graziano, geography and environmental systems, enjoy the calm and quiet that tending to plant life can bring as much as the chatter of conversation during events like the bonsai LEGO nights and houseplant sales. Kamara, a junior animation major, relishes the cacophony of learning and practicing jokes with enthusiasts of all things improvised and unexpected. Don’t be fooled. They take their craft seriously. This is an audition-only troupe, with three shows a year and a newsletter, that works with the Washington Improv Theatre.
“I have a lot of stage fright, but I’ve been told I’m a very funny person as well,” says Kamara. This “come as you are” mentality is what makes these clubs, which are free and open to all students, so inviting, making it easy for students from different backgrounds to connect and build a trusting community. “A lot of the troupe is just a bunch of people first trying to make each other laugh and then, maybe three times a semester, trying to make a bunch of other people laugh at once. I feel like it’s really nice to have a space where you can do that.”
For Retrievers who want to get involved, there’s a club for everyone. And, “If students don’t see an organization they were looking for, we’re always promoting the opportunity for students to create a new one,” Sarr says.
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