When frosh week ends on Sept. 6, first-year students will be leaving rigorously scheduled activities, vibrant positive energy, and communal spirit behind to chart their own university experiences.
However, frosh week isn’t just a week of fun—it’s an introduction. The diverse clubs and societies active at Carleton allow students to experience the best aspects of frosh week—organization, passion, fun, and community—year round, without all the cheering.
First-years, this is your guide to some of the many groups at Carleton with which you can get involved after frosh week.
Common Interest Clubs
Common interests are the foundation of lasting friendships in university. There are clubs at Carleton whose only membership requirement is passion for a particular activity, whether it’s anime, dance, origami, or board games.
Book Ravens is a club dedicated to bringing together avid readers who meet monthly in the MacOdrum Library.
“Our club offers a great opportunity to meet fellow book enthusiasts and helps members sharpen their critical thinking skills. It also gives Carleton students a chance to get away from their mountain of textbooks and engage in creative reading,” said club president Victoria Klassen.
Students looking for a club with academic and social benefits may find just that in the Carleton University Debate and Speech Team (CUDS).
Brittany Haughey, the CUDS president, invites students from every program to improve their public speaking and arguing abilities with the club while traveling to debate against other teams in Canada and the United States. But CUDS isn’t just about learning skills that will help you write a killer paper, or voice your opinion in a discussion group.
“While debaters certainly have the rep of being the school nerds, we have a surprisingly vibrant and active social schedule. Internally, we host socials regularly—including going out in Ottawa or hosting cool fondue parties,” Haughey said.
Expo Carleton
More than 150 of Carleton’s clubs and societies will set up booths in the Fieldhouse on Sept. 1 to showcase what their particular organization is all about and how new and returning students can get involved at Expo Carleton.
Though students should prepare to fight crowds for limited time and space, they can meet face-to-face with club executives and sign up to attend a club meeting or receive more information about an organization.
Remember, signing up for a club at Expo isn’t a binding contract—attend a meeting or tryout or join an email list before deciding whether or not a club is the right fit for you.
Competitive Sports Clubs
Competitive sports clubs provide the opportunity for any student athlete interested in competing in university sport at a high level to play, without requiring the time or skills needed for a varsity team. Competitive clubs typically require tryouts, practice several times every week, and travel to compete against teams from other universities.
Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, coach of the men’s ultimate Frisbee team at Carleton, said his team welcomes athletes without any previous experience, and while competition is important, fun is also a priority.
“The men’s ultimate team works hard and competes at the national level, but we also put a big emphasis on team bonding and having fun together. Players can expect to develop their skills in a competitive but supportive environment,” Mertins-Kirkwood said.
One of Carleton’s most successful and well-recognized competitive clubs is men’s baseball.
Eric Elliott joined the team in his first year at Carleton and is now entering his fourth season.
“It taught me the importance of being accountable and juggling academics and athletics at the same time,” Elliott said.
There are a dozen other competitive clubs to try out for, including cheerleading, lacrosse, powerlifting, and tennis.
Atrium
Located on the fourth floor of the University Centre, the Atrium is the networking hub for campus clubs and societies.
On any given day during the school year, a walk through the atrium will bring students past bakes sales hosted by fundraising clubs, societies selling tickets for their pub nights, the dance team practicing a routine, and members distributing pamphlets about the organizations they belong to.
On your way to grab a coffee, consider stopping to make conversation with any of these groups and ask them about their organization. You might be exposed to a cause you were unaware of, or you could meet a future fellow club member or mentor.
Political Organizations
The political clubs at Carleton suit all kinds of partisan identities, from Conservative to Green to everything in between. All benefit from being based in the nation’s capital, as many of these clubs foster connections between their members and actors in Ottawa’s greater political community.
Equal Voice is an organization focused on getting women elected to all levels of Canadian politics. A multi-partisan organization, its members are male and female and come from all ranges of the political spectrum.
Michelle Heenan is the vice-president (communications) for Carleton’s Equal Voice chapter.
“By getting involved with CEVC on campus, students can help organize events and become politically informed in a multi-partisan manner,” Heenan said. “By getting involved with our projects in Ottawa, our members can attend events organized by the National Committee, meet MPs, and listen to inspiring speakers.”
Ethnic, Cultural, and Religious Organizations
Carleton students can connect with those who share their background or belief system through the many clubs whose members build cultural, ethnic, and religious communities on campus.
Hillel Ottawa is an organization aimed at uniting Jewish students from all backgrounds as well as anyone interested in learning more about Jewish faith and heritage. First-year students can explore leadership opportunities through the organization and meet new friends and like-minded peers, according to Geoffrey Zalter, Hillel’s student life coordinator.
“[Hillel] helps students find a balance between being distinctively Jewish and universally human by encouraging them to pursue social justice and Jewish learning. In the process, the students will learn more about themselves and their Jewish identity,” Zalter said.
Carleton also has an active Bible study club that meets weekly to read and discuss the text’s teachings. Individuals can also schedule one-on-one meetings with club leaders, according to Rebecca Lee, the club’s vice-president.
Similar groups on campus include the Muslim Students’ Association, the Catholic Christian Outreach, and the Chinese Bible Club.
Student Experience Office
Any student looking to get involved in the Carleton community should visit the Student Experience Office (SEO), either online or in person at its office in the Tory Building.
The SEO provides updates about events happening around campus. It directs students to opportunities like Alternative Spring Break, leadership development, and mentorship programs.
In particular, first-years can ask questions and seek the guidance of SEO staff about what kind of campus involvement they could benefit from the most.
Philanthropy and Social Action Clubs
Any student looking to create positive change can band together with similarly motivated peers in a campus club dedicated to philanthropy or social action in one of the 40 clubs at Carleton in this area.
Relay for Life, a nationwide campaign dedicated to the fight against cancer, is the largest student-run fundraiser at Carleton. It is also one of the most diverse, according to its Carleton co-chairs Hayley Ferguson and Brad Martin.
“All of our members come together for a common purpose—beating cancer. Everyone is affected by cancer in some way, yet everyone is so very different. Relay embraces all the differences of people and brings them together in a common goal,” Ferguson said.
Vaginas Against Violence is a club of women and their allies seeking to end gender-based violence. The club puts together an annual show called the Vagina Monologues based on the play by Eve Ensler, a performance that discusses issues of body identity and violence against women. All proceeds are donated to local charities like the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre.
“I think one of the major things members take from being a part of Vaginas Against Violence is a real sense of solidarity with the other members,” said Kaitlyn Clark, the club’s co-president.
Despite its name, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a social action club that welcome students from all faculties.
“If your values include anything from standing up against extreme poverty, equity and equality for all people wishing to become engineers, infrastructure to help the developing world, or political advocacy towards foreign affairs, there is a place in EWB for you,” said Matthew Primeau, president of the EWB Carleton chapter.
Recreational Sports
Students looking to play a sport and socialize with team members without the stress of competition should check out the recreational sports clubs at Carleton. These groups are also a great way to take up a new activity in a fun and supportive environment, whether it’s wrestling, alpine skiing, kayaking, or badminton.
Keelia LaFreniere, vice-president of marketing for the Carleton Archery Club, said she welcomes all interested members to come to the range and give archery a shot—pun intended. All the necessary equipment is provided and members are more than willing to give new archers a hand.
“The club is an incredibly friendly environment,” LaFreniere said. “No judgment, no stress, nothing but good conversation and lots of arrows flying about—safely, of course.”
Greek Societies
Carleton has seven sororities and seven fraternities active on campus. The recruitment period for these organizations, known as “rush,” begins after frosh week ends.
The Carleton University Panhellenic Council (CUPC) oversees three of the campus sororities.
Kathryn Hunt, CUPC’s social media chair, said first-years in particular benefit from the support network a sorority provides.
“These women share common interests and goals and strive for the best in each other. Girls will notice that they have a support system throughout their school year, which is important during this time of transition from high school to university,” Hunt said.
Charles McIvor has been involved with dozens of clubs and organizations during his time at Carleton. He said he credits much of his leadership development to being a member of the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon.
“With 80 guys, you can do so much more than you and a few friends going door to door or asking your parents for donations,” McIvor said.
This year, McIvor is his fraternity’s vice-president.
“I’m hoping to give back to the fraternity that has helped me make such a large impact on the campus,” McIvor said. “Carleton has seven different fraternities which all have different priorities. I like to think there’s an organization out there for everyone, and—if there isn’t yet—you can even start your own.”
Co-Curricular Record
Students devote immeasurable time and energy to the clubs and societies they’re involved with and gain highly valued skills and experience as a result. They deserve recognition for that after university graduation, whether they’re transitioning into the workforce or pursuing further education.
This is where the Co-Curricular Record (CCR) comes in. Students should update their CCR, which can be done online on Carleton Central, with every extracurricular experience they accumulate.
After graduation, students can provide documentation to potential employers or graduate schools that attests to their extracurricular involvement.
