Carleton’s nearly 200 clubs gathered in the atrium last week, spreading the word about various campaigns, interests, and issues on campus.
Carleton’s clubs are expanding again this year, offering social events for students interested in everything from acrobatic yoga to bingo.
B-I-N-G-O
The idea for Carleton’s bingo club came from this year’s frosh week, according to co-founder Daniel Shalinsky.
His group, the Yetis, bonded and wanted to organize something to keep in touch. The idea of bingo games took off, and the group’s founders got official CUSA accreditation.
Shalinsky was surprised by the enthusiasm on campus for bingo. In less than 24 hours the group’s Facebook page had over 120 likes.
“It was just so cool going from ‘hey, this would be a cool event to come together and meet up once a month’ to ‘guys, this is happening,’” he said.
“It’s for anyone who wants to have fun, relax and take a laugh at themselves,” Shalinsky said.
“Yeah I’m going to go play bingo. It’s what my grandmother does. This is hilarious,” he said.
Balancing act
Another new fitness-related club is AcroYoga, a sport combines yoga with acrobatics.
“Acroyoga is becoming increasingly popular in Ottawa,” said Amelia Johnson, co-founder of the club. “It’s very affordable because you only need yourselves and it’s also a great way to build partnerships, make friends, support the community, and it leads to great photo ops.”
The response to acroyoga on campus has been encouraging, she said and she hopes student membership will continue to grow.
“While acroyoga can seem intimidating or inaccessible at first, we promise we’ll have you flying in no time,” Johnson said. “Acroyoga is more accessible than it looks, all it takes is a willingness to try.”
Folding fun
The Society of Origami Masters aims to promote and encourage origami making in Carleton and the greater Ottawa community and to educate the Carleton student body about origami making, according to club member Michael Aarenau.
The club was initially inspired by founder Charles McIvor’s early appreciation for the art of origami while studying in Europe and the idea developed later though facebook, Aarenau said.
The club itself is meant to be “lighthearted and chill,” and Aarenau promised they won’t turn away any “hat-makers” or “origami-challenged” students.
“The randomness and the fact we bring snacks really I think inspires people to come out,” he said.
Show me the ropes
Also new to the club lineup is the Carleton Climbing Club.
“It’s providing a medium for people who otherwise wouldn’t climb to start, or for people who are already dedicated to climbing to meet new people and expand their skill sets,” said Nick Petsikas, club president.
Petsikas said starting the club was a long process, but will be worth it to establish a network of Carleton climbers.
In terms of reactions from the Carleton community, Petsikas said it has generated one of two reactions: either, “climbing looks cool. I’ve never done that before,” or “finally, it’s about time Carleton had a climbing club!”
Funding is closed for the fall term, according to Mohamed El Koussy, a commissioner of Carleton University Students’ Association’s Clubs and Societies office.
“There are no rules on what club you can make so long as they don’t go against the law, Carleton’s Human’s Rights Policy and the CUSA Discrimination Policy. You also can’t create a club that already exists and clubs need to be open to everyone,” said El Koussy.
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