Adieu, For Now!

What a ride this has been.

With the semester wrapping up and finals looming, this blog is going to become quiet for awhile. I have two more posts due, which hopefully you'll see put up in the next week or so, but then I plan on relaxing for the break (like everyone else, I hope).

So the big question is, continue or not to continue? My obligations are finished, but this blog has grown on me. Without the deadlines I might be able to continue this blog and enjoy it more in that sense. 

After all, next semester is going to be my last. I plan on having some fun before I leave Moravian forever, so I'm sure somewhere along the way (between the German Club and whatever activities I throw myself into) I'll have something interesting to write about.

Deadlines aside, I did have fun with this blog. It taught me to get out a little more and to start paying attention to what's going on at Moravian. I've gotten to go on a fun trip, attend some events I normally wouldn't have gone to,  and fully grasp the sheer amount of activity and events that go on at Moravian. I'm really grateful for the experience.

Thanks for all the feedback and page views, everyone. I hope everyone has a good break, and good luck with finals!

Happy Holidays, and see you next time.

Moravian "IMPACT" sponsors Baltimore trip

People tend to complain that there isn’t anything to do at Moravian College or in Bethlehem. If I’ve learned anything in keeping up with this blog, it’s this: that’s not the case.

You just have to know where to look and actually pay attention.

Case in point, IMPACT hosted a trip to the Baltimore aquarium on Saturday, Nov. 19. We had about 30 people, a lot more than I expected, considering the majority’s apathy to school-sponsored events. 

Now I’ve never been on a school sponsored trip outside what the German Club’s hosted, so I’m just as guilty as the majority. 

It was a long bus ride down. It took us about three hours both ways. We all passed the time with a movie, sleeping, and whatever we had brought along as entertainment.

Once we arrived at Baltimore’s inner harbor, right outside the aquarium, we stretched our legs and waited as Holly Nonnemacher (advisor to IMPACT) got our tickets. By the time we got in it was 11:15 am, and we had 15 minutes to spare before the dolphin show.

After a long bus ride and a 6:30 am start (we left Moravian at 8 that morning), nothing brightens your day more than seeing dolphins and watching them perform. I’ve seen them in shows before, but I’m still amazed every time I see them just how smart these animals are. 

Once the show was over, we had six hours to wander the aquarium and the inner harbor area. Inside the aquarium we saw marine life of all kinds, from crocodiles to seahorses to electric eels and sea anemones. Oh, and the sharks of course. I found them underwhelming; I was more excited about the stingrays and the giant sea turtle than the sharks.

 Actually, what I was excited the most about, aside from the dolphins, were the turtles. The Australia exhibit had at least six different kinds of turtles on display. I couldn’t have been happier. 

Most of us were done in the aquarium by 3 or 4 P.M., which left us extra time to wander around the area. There was plenty to do. There was a Barnes and Noble, a Best Buy, a Cheesecake Factory, a Hard Rock Café, and plenty of other shops and restaurants. There were also ships that you could tour. Most of them you had to pay, but my friend and I found one that was free. 

Overall it was a really tiring but great trip. It only cost us $20, too, plus whatever food or merchandise we bought. 

What does everyone think? Is that something they would like to go on if Moravian hosted it again?

Moravian Theatre Company Presents 'Book of Gig'

The Real Book of Gig is described as “a tragic jazz opera”.

I’m not so sure about the opera part, but “tragic” and “jazz” are certainly apt terms for the production.

The Moravian College Theatre Company, the college's theater club featured the world premiere of this play on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12 at Foy Hall. I saw the Saturday performance, and the hall was pretty full, so I figured that with this kind of turn out, it had to be good.

The chorus and the actors did a phenomenal job, balancing their singing with their acting parts. My only gripe is that it was difficult to hear what the chorus was singing, which unfortunately included key plot elements to the otherwise vague and at times confusing story. Part of it was the trouble in understanding 8-10 people singing at once, and part of it was in hearing them over the talented but very loud jazz band that served as the orchestra for the opera.

As for the production itself, when it wasn’t vague and when I could understand what was going on (this usually coincided with me being able to hear the chorus), it was definitely a very tragic, heartbreaking play. The opera follows the life of Gig, a musical prodigy who sets out to be a jazz singer. He becomes quite successful, at least for awhile. The same can’t be said for his love life.

He marries his first love, Chiara, and they have twin sons. But with Gig being out on the road so much, Chiara grows lonely and desperate as she tries to raise two sons alone. Unable to see any other way out, she commits suicide.

Further tragedy unfolds throughout the rest of the play, almost to the point of being overwhelming, but from the tragedy comes hope. It's a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is always hope.

So, did anyone see the play? Any thoughts on it if you did?

French, Spanish and German Clubs Come Together for Poetry

Today’s post is a triple header of sorts. This past Sunday, Nov. 6 was International Poetry Night. It was hosted not by one, but three clubs: the French, Spanish and German clubs. All the language clubs came together to host, provide poems to be read and supply food. 

International Poetry night is usually during International Week. For some reason International Week was held early this year and there wasn’t enough time for the clubs to host the Poetry Night. They had to get enough submissions, put together the Power Point for the poems and their translations, and pull funds together. So it’s understandable the Poetry Night was pushed off. 

Still, I for one was really concerned when this year’s International Week didn’t end with the International Poetry Night as par course. Luckily the clubs still hosted it, just later. I’ve always wanted to go, and since this is my senior year, it was my last chance to go.

I was impressed with the turnout. There was a little over two dozen people there, both students and professors. 

International Poetry Night was a pretty straightforward event. About fifteen students and two professors got up and recite selected poems. It provided students a chance to show off their linguistic skills as they read the poem in its native language, which was French, Spanish or German. Two of the poems were actually sung (they were French, of course). There was a Power Point they had on a screen showing us the poems, both in their original language and translated into English.

Most of the poems were written by professional poets. One French poem dated back six hundred years, while a few German poems read were from the last century. So it was a nice broad range of poems, with topics including love, beauty, sorrow, evil, and humor. There was something for everyone to enjoy, and it’s always fun to hear fellow students beautifully articulate (or completely flub) the language they’re reciting the poem in. 

My personal favorite was a German poem (surprise) called “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Part of the reason I love the poem is because of its ties to Disney. The poem was animated in the Disney classic Fantasia. You know, the scene where Mickey is the sorcery apprentice and he enchants all those brooms and makes a huge watery mess? Yeah, that’s taken straight from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. It was recited well and I thought it to be the most entertaining of all the poems read that night. 

So, did anyone get a chance to go to the Poetry Night? Any thoughts about it?

Moravian College Theater Company Presents "Good People"

I’m venturing out of the more academic side of Moravian to the creative. Moravian College's Theater Company, one of the best known of the many organized clubs on campus, has been doing a series of play readings on Friday nights. They had a play reading of “Good People” on Friday, Oct. 14. Going hand in hand with this year’s In Focus theme, Poverty and Inequality, the play took us to modern day Southside Boston and the plight of Margie. 

A “Southie” native, Margie is fired from her job at a dollar store due to her being constantly late. Her adult daughter, Joyce, is mentally retarded and cannot take care of herself, so she is constantly late because of her daughter’s fits. With no completed formal education, she has to struggle to find a job in a poor economy.

The play provides a look between the poor and those who are financially well off. It compares Margie to her old childhood friend Michael, who got out of Southside to become a doctor and now lives “comfortably”, as he calls it. 

For a two act play, it gives a really complex interaction between the characters, all who are struggling in their own way, and the lengths to which they’ll go to get by. Margie tries to trick Michael into thinking he is Joyce’s father so she could receive support. She also tries to manipulate her manager so she wouldn’t be fired. It’s essentially a play about survival, and raising questions about the lengths people will go to in order to survive.

It’s hard not to connect the play to the current “We are the 99 Percent” movement taking place right now, fueled by rising unemployment rates and a widening economic gap between the rich and poor. I think many in the audience, including myself, were reminded of someone as we watched the play, someone who was also desperate and struggling, like Margie.

My favorite part was at the end. After a failed confrontation with Michael, Margie is left with no job still and no money for rent. A check shows up containing enough money for one month’s rent. It turns out it came from the man who had to fire her. It wasn’t from Michael, who Margie always considered “good people” but from the man who had put her – however unwillingly – into her current situation, showing us just what really is “good people”. 

So, did anyone else see the play? What did you think?

Moravian's Safe Zone Training: Walking in Another's Shoes

You’ve probably seen the stickers around campus, either on someone’s dorm door or a professor’s office door. They’re the Safe Zone stickers, which indicate that the area they're posted on is a safe haven for homosexuals, and now I can say I’m a proud owner of one.

To get the sticker, you need to go to the Safe Zone Training. It’s run by the Office of Institutional Diversity but it’s closely linked to Spectrum, the resident Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual (LGBT for short) support club on campus. 

I’d been meaning to go to one of these training sessions since sophomore year, but schedule conflicts always arose. I finally got to go this year and I have to say, wow.

A lot of it was sort of what I was expecting. In the latter half they talked about LGBT issues, like the rights homosexuals are restricted from having and what strides have been made to counteract homophobia and heterosexual privilege (which is what it sounds like: giving more rights and preference to heterosexual persons and couples over homosexuals).

It was the way the program started off, however, that surprised me.

We were each given a colored star. There were four colors: red, blue, green and yellow. Then Sharon Brown, Director of the Office of Institutional Diversity and the one running the training, had us write down something on each point of the star. We wrote down:

- Our best friend’s name

- The family member we're closest to

- Our dreams for the future

- Our career aspiration

- A group or community we’re associated with.

Then Brown read from a list of scenarios. For example, the first scenario was that each of us, pretending to have just come out of the closet as homosexuals, told our best friend about it. Some of us were lucky: if we had a blue or yellow star (I had blue), our best friend supported us. But the others’ weren’t so fortunate: their best friend rejected them, and they had to tear off that point of the star and let it fall to the floor.

It might have just been a piece of paper, but there was something excruciating about hearing that ripping sound and see the pieces fall. I was fortunate enough not to have to rip off any of my pieces, but someone people had all of theirs ripped off. 

The worst part? That’s what some people go through every day. There are people who are hated and turned against just because they have a different sexual preference. It was really an eye-opening experience.

If you want to go to one of these Safe Zone Training sessions, they’ll hold more next semester. Would anyone be interested in going?

Q&A: Meet a Moravian International Club Member

IMPACT might host a lot of activities and tout themselves to be multicultural, but if you really want to talk about a club that's diverse in the cultures department, it's International Club. Made up of students from Moravian and students from abroad, these guys focus on doing multicultural activities and celebrating cultures from outside the U.S. I got more involved with the club this year when I moved into the International Suite, and I'm glad I did. 

So I thought it was time I wrote about it, and I sat down and did a Q&A session with Rachel DeLucia, a sophomore and a member of the International Club. She lives in the International Suite and is the head of the suite (meaning she’s in charge of the suite, acting as a sort of RA and mediator). She’s been in International Club since her freshmen year, so she knows a thing or two about the club. Here’s what I found out from her:

Q: What is International Club?

A: International Club is a club on campus [whose] interest is based on students who...want to go abroad or who are studying abroad at Moravian. This year we have three French students, a German, two Chinese students, two Czech, one from Ghana and one from India. Some are here for a semester, some are here for a full year, and some are here for all four years.

Q: Who are the club officers and advisor(s)?

A: Our club officers are Will Brennan, Vineeth Maradana, Alana Persad, and Alex Irwin. Our advisors are Naomi Gal and Kerry Sethi. Will is the President, Vinnie is the VP, Alana is the Treasurer and Alex is the Secretary.

Q: What sort of events does the club host?

A: We host mixers for the college students to come interact with the international students as well as the club. They have great food [and] cultural experiences. Like tomorrow, a professor is coming to talk about Dia de la Muerte at the mixer. We had that international dinner [and] that welcome back mixer. We are celebrating Holi (an Indian festival of lights). We have invites to other events (like Holi) and co-host some. Lehigh sometimes hosts stuff and we’re invited. [There are also] cultural celebrations within the area we also try to get involved in. 

We do trips, too. We’ll do a sporting event, a Broadway play, and a little sight-seeing (like D.C, New York). 

Q: What do you have planned for this semester?

A: We have a mixer tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 25). We’re trying to get to some kind of sporting event. We usually go to NBA games but with the season [on strike] we’re going to have to cancel that. We might do soccer, football or something else. We’re definitely doing a Broadway play this fall as well as hosting one or two more mixers. And the Holi thing I mentioned before.

Q: What do you find the most appealing about the club?

A: I guess being able to be more culturally diverse. I like learning about other peoples’ cultures and experiencing why it’s so special to them. For me, it gives me insight for study abroad, because I’m working with a lot of people who’ve already gone abroad. 

Q: Is there anything else I missed?

A: We meet once a week, and they’re usually about a half hour to 45 minutes, just to keep in touch for upcoming events and planning other events and get interest in possible trips. We meet in PPHAC in the back room by the old lady portrait. Come check it out. It’s great to be in. 

We’re trying to make more cohesion with the other clubs like the Diversity Club. Spanish club is coming to the mixer tomorrow. IMPACT, USG, all have been really [helpful] with stuff, too. Like the trip to NYC, we want to co-sponsor it with IMPACT or someone like them to help get more money for the buses and more press. Stuff like that.

The Impact of Moravian College's IMPACT

They’re the organization you see everywhere on campus. IMPACT is always hosting some event or another, but just what exactly is IMPACT?

For starters, IMPACT stands for Innovative Multi-cultural Programming of Activities for Campus Togetherness. It’s a mouthful, which is likely why they stick to their better-known acronym, IMPACT.

The club is run by five chair members (or officers) who help organize and sponsor the events. Their advisor is Holly Nonnemacher, the Director of Student Activities. 

IMPACT is the sort of organization you either love or hate, depending on your view of school spirit. That’s what they primarily focus on: encouraging school spirit and sponsoring activities that involve the whole campus. 

They are best known for the Campus Wide Movie Nights. Each Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night they host a movie for the campus to see. They are typically popular or recently released movies like Transformers or Harry Potter (which I am personally looking forward to). They host a wide range of movies, from comedies to action thrillers. Sometime during the year, they will host a movie that you’re interested in. I can almost guarantee it.

IMPACT also hosts shopping trips to the Promenade or even to places farther away like New York City. Anyone who is a student or faculty knows this all too well, as emails are frequently sent out about these. 

A major part of IMPACT’s goal is to sponsor multi-cultural activities as well. They don’t just want to get the whole campus involved, they want to get the whole campus involved doing things they may have never done before. For example, they take weekly trips to the ArtsQuest Farmer’s Market along with booking trips to see comedians like Michael Dean Ester. They also host Bingo nights and had activities for Talk like a Pirate Day on Sept. 19. 

IMPACT is one of the busiest organizations on campus in terms of events. Every week they have something going on. The last major event they had was Spirit Week (aka Homecoming Week), which started Oct. 17. This is the part where you may dislike IMPACT, if you’re one of those grouches who resent school spirit of any kind. They hosted the Spirit Week events, which include the Pep Rally on Friday Oct. 21 and the Homecoming Parade on Saturday Oct. 22. 

If you’re interested in the club or their upcoming events, go over to their site at http://home.moravian.edu/students/org/impact/index.htm and check them out. The club accepts members at any point during the year.

Moravian College German Club Officers

I’ve written a fair amount about German Club events, but I realized I haven’t even profiled the club. 

As the title implies, the German Club is dedicated to promoting German culture on campus. Since the emphasis is on German culture as opposed to the German language, it is not a requirement for interested students to actually speak German. 

Each Wednesday the club has its weekly Kaffeeklatsch meetings at 4:30 p.m, where free coffee and cookies are served while the President runs the meeting.

Speaking of the President, here is a list of the club officers:

President – Gina Ambrosino: Gina is a senior and a Psychology major with German and History minors. She’s taken several semesters of German, and she even managed to take a German course taught by a person with a thick Irish accent (read as: she went to Ireland for a semester and took German there, too. Rather impressive).

Vice President – That’s me: I’m a senior and an English Writing Major. I also took a bunch of German in high school and a few courses at Moravian. I was in the German Club in high school as well, but the one here is way more fun and engaging.

Treasurer – Matt Scott: He’s a junior and an Environmental Science major. Matt’s also taken a fair amount of German in high school (I’m sensing a trend here…) but mostly spends his days in labs and making sure the United Student Government gives us money for all the free food at our events.

Secretary – Corey Creen: He’s also a junior and he’s a Math, Physics and German major. I personally think he’s rather crazy for taking on three majors, especially when he’s a club officer. However, he manages to get down the notes for every meeting and send out reminders to our club members.

Now you might be giving me a strange look through the computer monitor, since you can very clearly see we have only one German major. That’s okay though: it proves that we’re not a bunch of snooty German language academics. Rather, we’re a group who generally loves the German culture and wants everyone to enjoy it with us (and enjoy the yummy food).

So what do you guys think? Does it sound like anything you expected?

German Club Oktoberfest Draws Crowd of 53

The German Club's annual Oktoberfest had the best turnout that I’ve ever seen in my four years at Moravian.

The turnout varies each year, likely because of a combination of advertising, timing, and the weather. This year the weather wasn’t fantastic, but that didn’t stop the 53 people who came to Oktoberfest.

Yup, you read that right. 53 people. It might not sound like much, but considering Oktoberfest usually draws 25-30 people, we got almost double the usual turnout.

Of course, having more people turn up than you expected has its drawbacks. The German Club President and I were scrambling to keep cooking food for the guests. The bratwurst in particular was popular, and we went through all of what we bought. In the end we had to resort to making hot dogs.

The bratwurst was not the only smashing success. The other food items that did well included raspberry kuchen (basically a pastry with raspberry filling in the middle and topped with icing), apple strudel (a personal favorite), and spaezle (a kind of noodle that you can put salt, olive oil, or any other dressing on). They were all delicious and were gone in an hour and a half.

We also had sauerkraut to go along with the bratwurst, but not too many people ate that. I can’t blame them; I hate the smell of it, and it was hard cooking the bratwurst while I was inhaling ode de sauerkraut.

Interestingly enough, the usual chips and pretzels were hardly touched. Then again, the President and I forgot to bring them out until halfway through the party. Still, it was nice to see everyone enjoying the German-themed food.

As to the party itself, everyone seemed to be having a good time. We had background music playing while everyone was conversing (in English) and eating. It was a great chance for the officers to talk to the new members and for the German professors to talk to their students (there were some who came because they are taking German and heard about it) outside of class. It was also a chance to just sit back and relax a bit. Well, for everyone else. The President and I, not so much. But it’s a small price to pay for having such a good turnout.

The only notable thing that happened was the balloon fight. We had blown up some balloons and scattered them around the suite, along with some streamers we had put up. Some of the new members took the balloons and decided to start a volleyball-esque battle. Luckily it was contained in the living room and nothing was broken. It might have been slightly childish but it was fun to watch.

To anyone who attended, what did you think of Oktoberfest?

International Week Kicks Off

International Education Week, better known as just International Week, kicks off Oct 2 with a week of global-related activities.

If you’re a student interested in global topics, this is a great opportunity. This is also a chance for those interested in study abroad to get pertinent information and ask any questions at the study abroad seminar. I went abroad last semester to England and I attended a similar seminar in the previous fall; trust me, it helped quite a bit. Even though I went to a country where they (mainly) spoke the same language, it was still a new country and I could have easily gotten in over my head. These seminars are a great start to preparing yourself if you're going abroad.

The International Club and the Study Abroad office host this week-long event each year. The programs they host vary; many are unique to each year while a few are brought back each time.

So far they've had:

• An International Dinner with the Barynya Russian Dance Ensemble

• A talk on How to Travel Anywhere in the World on your Own
  

Coming up for the rest of the week:

Oct 4: Faculty Round Table: Blame Game and Xenophobia Under the Table at Global Crisis at 11:45 a.m in the UBC Room

Study Abroad Information Session at 4 p.m in the UBC Room

Film: To Feed A Girl (UNICEF) at 6:45 pm in Prosser Auditorium

In Honor of US Vets: Personal Experiences from Afghanistan and Iraq at 7 p.m in the UBC Room

Oct 5: Teach UNICEF at 11:15 a.m

Celebration of Cultures: Food and Music from Around the World at 7:30 p.m in the Pavilion

Oct 6: Study Abroad Information Session at 12 p.m

View of India Past and Present at 7 p.m

The list is all the confirmed programs and activities. There may be more contributed by the other clubs on campus. There is also a chance the times and locations of any of these events may be changed at the last minute. I will keep the blog updated if I hear of any changes. 

So, what do you guys think? Any of them sound like something you would go to?

More Oktoberfest!

We still have a half hour left! Food is running low (what a turn out!) so get here soon to nab the last of it! Remember, we are in HILL suite 5F!

Oktoberfest!

It's past 5 and Oktoberfest is in full swing! We've got bratwurst and spaezle, so come down to HILL suite 5F and get some free German food!

Kaffeeklatsch

For those who don't speak German, Kaffeeklatsch translates to “coffee party,” and it’s a coffee party every Wednesday at 4 p.m at the German House (Hillside 5F, not to be confused with HILL Suite 5F).

Well, “party” may not be the appropriate term. There’s usually no music or dancing, but there is coffee. There are also cookies, straight from the oven (some days, literally). With plenty of coffee and cookies, the weekly Kaffeeklatsch are laidback and conversational. And very yummy.

No one remembers when exactly the Kaffeeklatsch meetings began. I know when I was a freshman they had them, so they are at least three years old. Regardless of the age, it’s become a tradition and main staple of the German Club. They always precede and then continue after the regular meetings, helping to keep everyone full and caffeinated.

One of the biggest draws of the German Club is the free food, whether it's at the meetings or the events. Call it bribery or whatever you want, but it is something the club always strives to have. The weekly Kaffeeklatsch is the best example of this. The way I see it, the Germans take their food and drink seriously, so the German Club should as well. And free food is the best kind.

Correction: USG-funded food is the best kind. The cookies, coffee, and creamer come straight out of our rather generous budget. So we get to have Kekse (cookies) and Kaffee (coffee) at every meeting without making the club officers go broke.

You might say, “I don’t speak German so I can’t come to the Kaffie-coffee-whatever-it's-called, right?” Wrong. Speaking German is optional. The meetings are not conducted in German and most of the conversation is not. Of course, if you want to, we usually have the two German professors and a number of German speakers at the meetings. They would love to help you with your German. However, more often than not, the conversations are in English.

The point of the club is to promote and enjoy German culture. The point of the Kaffeeklatsch is to gather everyone interested in German culture and converse with each other. We usually get a good group of 6-12 people showing up, so there's never a lack of conversation. Even if you’re only remotely interested, you’re encouraged to stop by and have a cup of coffee and chat. The meetings start at 4:30 and run about 15 minutes, depending on how much needs to be talked about. Then we hang out some more afterwards and chat. Interested students are always welcome, and there’s always plenty of coffee to spare.

Come to Oktoberfest!

It's that time of year again. I don't mean mid-terms, either. 

The German Club will host its annual Oktoberfest celebration on Friday, Sept. 30 at HILL suite 5F (a.k.a the International Suite). While alcohol can’t be served due to college policies, German food such as sausages and potato salad (it's technically Pennsylvania Dutch but we figured it was German enough) will be. There will also be the usual array of chips, pretzels, and soda. And streamers. No, they're not edible but it will make the suite look awesome and very German-like.

 

Normally the event is hosted at the German House, the club’s special interest house. If you've gone to Oktoberfest in years before, you probably remember this. However, due to size restrictions, this year it will be held at  from 4:30 p.m to 6:30 p.m, though feel free to stay longer.

 

You might be wondering why the celebration is at the end of September, considering it’s called Oktoberfest. The famous Oktoberfest in Munich is a 16-18 day long celebration that begins sometime in mid-September. This year’s Oktoberfest started Sep. 17 and will last until Oct. 3, which is the national unification holiday. The unification holiday, if you're not familiar with German history, is the day when the country was officially united after the Berlin Wall came down. If Oktoberfest comes up right against the holiday, they extend it an extra day so they can party harder for a day longer. So technically, our event is right in the middle of the real celebration.

 

The German Club’s Oktoberfest won’t be quite as big or as long as the Munich festival, since the United Student Government would likely throw a fit if it was. It'd be great if we could budget a trip to Munich and really party it up there, but again, USG would take serious issue with that, and then there's those pesky issues of accountability and safety. To compromise, we hold our own. It's smaller but it proves to be fun every year. I've seen everywhere from 15-45 people show up at Oktoberfest celebrations in the past. The free food is a big draw (it's dinner without using a swipe) but also the party atmosphere brings people in. Especially after the end of a long, rough week and with mid-terms approaching, it's a good opportunity to kick back, relax, and listen to a mix of polka music and Rammstein (a very popular German band).

You don’t need to be a German Club member to come to Oktoberfest. The event is open to the entire campus and everyone is encouraged to attend. 5F is a handicap-accessible suite, so anyone with disabilities can come as well. If you enjoy parties and free food, then stop by on Sep. 30 and check it out.

Remember:

• Friday, Sept. 30
• 4:30-6:30
• HILL Suite 5F (International Suite)
• It's free!
  

The Mighty but Not-so-Up-to-Date List of Clubs

If you're still interested in joining more clubs this semester, you might want to start haunting the USG's clubs and organizations list. So far, about 50 clubs registered at Moravian College this semester. Katie Danstin of the Leadership Center believes there are at least 80 clubs on campus, though she is still waiting to hear back from all of them. Because of this, I can't provide a complete list of this semester's clubs just yet. Follow this blog for a later update on the new clubs for this semester.

Club registration is a hectic time for both the United Student Government (USG) and for the clubs. After helping with the German Club's registration, I know partly how the process works. I can only imagine how difficult it is on USG's end. 

Last semester (May 2011), Moravian College had 93 registered clubs and organizations. For a full list, see http://www.moravian.edu/default.aspx?pageid=1691.Those 93 clubs included:

• Academic Associations: These are the kinds of clubs to look into if you enjoy learning something new, whether it's a language, accounting, art, history, philosophy, etc. They host lectures and trips, and even parties on occasion. Basically I like to think of these as the "major clubs:" if you've got a major, there's more than likely a club for it, and you'll find it under Academic Associations.

• Campus Communications and Media: Aspiring journalists, writers, and radio personalities, ahoy! The organizations here deal with the newspaper, yearbook, radio, and magazines.
•  
• Campus Life Organizations: These organizations are involved with the campus, whether it's USG representing the student body or IMPACT that keeps the students entertained and active on campus. They all help to better and provide services to the campus.
•  
• Club Sports: They are the non-varsity clubs, such as the cheerleaders and the equestrian team.
•  
• Community Service Organizations: As the name implies, they are volunteer community service groups that help the community, the campus, or even the environment.
•  
• Health Awareness: It's another group whose category says it all: they deal with health awareness on campus, promoting good eating habits and sponsoring health-centered programs and talks.
•  
• Honor Organizations: These are a bit different from the other organizations. You need to be nominated into these societies by participating in a certain major and meeting set requirements. They recognize achievement in their designated fields, such as political science and biology.
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• Performing Arts: This group is focused on music and drama. Aspiring actors and musicians should look into the organizations under this header to see if there are any clubs they might be interested in.
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• Religious Life: These clubs are focused on religion and spirituality with groups like the Christian Associations to the Muslim Students Association.

• Special Interest: This covers a wide range of clubs. All the organizations under this title don't belong to the ones above, so they are considered special interest. Such clubs include the Harry Potter Society, the Environmental Coalition, and political clubs.

 

What should be noted is that this list does not include Greek Life and the varsity sports. Those are separate from the USG-run clubs. USG’s listed organizations are what I plan to blog about. The Greek sororities and fraternities are in-depth and massive enough to warrant a totally separate blog, and the same goes for the varsity sports. Sorry if that's what you were looking for, but I think those organizations get enough coverage on campus. I'm speaking up for the smaller guys here.

The Club Scene

Welcome to “The Club Scene,” my blog about the clubs/organizations at Moravian College. Although my blog is a requirement for my Online Journalism class, I chose this topic for three main reasons:

• Clubs help develop and nurture the interests and passions of the students.
• They help students meet new friends and develop new interests.
• The clubs need to spread word about them.

Let me elaborate.

Consider this: Moravian College is a small school. There are less than 2,000 students on campus. That’s smaller than some of the high schools in the area.

With such a small population, it’s hard to imagine any kind of diversity on campus. At a quick glance, most of the students you see here are white and are from Pennsylvania or New Jersey. That doesn’t exactly scream ‘variety.’

No, if you want to find the heart of Moravian’s diversity, you have to take a look at the clubs. There are several dozen of them just funded by the United Student Government (USG) alone; that does not cover all the sports clubs or the Greek Societies. I’ve been going here for nearly four years, and I’m still learning about clubs I never knew existed.

This myriad of organizations is the true reflection of diversity at Moravian. They cover a range of interests, from sports to languages to literature and beyond. They’re the best way for like-minded students to ban together and do (or talk about) what they love.

Secondly, there are over seven dozen listed organizations on campus. It means that, more than likely, there is something for everyone to do.

It also presents an opportunity to learn about new things and meet new people. I consider myself pretty curious. If something sounds even remotely interesting, I’ll want to look into it. Besides, why blog about one particular thing when you can write about a whole bunch of them?

The third reason I want to blog about the clubs is slightly more personal. I’m an officer of the German Club, and I know the struggles of getting word out about club meetings and events. I’m sure other clubs have the same problem. So I’m hoping if this blog can at least help spread the word, then I’ll consider it a great accomplishment.