SALEM GRAY
STAFF WRITER
2/20/2023
On Feb. 6, 2023, Student Congress approved four new clubs on campus: IPHS Club, Water Polo Club, Diversity in STEM and Squirrel Club. Typically, only one or two clubs are introduced during constitution committees. This was the largest number of clubs approved at a Student Congress meeting within the last few semesters.
IPHS Club, Water Polo Club and Diversity in STEM are new groups that were created and organized by their respective presidents and Executive Councils. Squirrel Club is a revived group that died out in 2019, previously called the Squirrel Watching Club.
Each club had unique reasons for wanting to become a student organization on Alma’s campus. IPHS Club is separate from the IPHS Honorary which is focused on students that pursue the IPHS program.
“The IPHS club is for all students interested in going into the health sciences, even if they are in a different major,” said Olivia Bunce (‘24), President of the IPHS Club. This organization hopes to build connections between students and the IPHS department.
“This club is important to Alma’s campus because it helps engage all the students in the department,” said Bunce. IPHS Club has current plans for CPR certification, volunteer opportunities and a combined field day event with the IPHS Department faculty.
Water Polo Club has been featured previously but had not been approved as a club until the Feb. 6 Student Congress Meeting. Once their budget is approved, they will start holding events and regular meetings.
“Water polo is [a] personal interest of mine as well as many of my peers and we are interested in introducing one of the best Midwest sports to the north,” said Madison Humphrey (‘23), President of the Water Polo Club. Members of the club stressed that students do not need to know the rules of Water Polo before joining, but it is required that anyone interested can swim 25 yards unassisted.
Diversity in STEM is a club focused on fostering a community for people of diverse backgrounds interested in STEM, as well as people who are interested in volunteering opportunities.
“Our student population here at Alma is growing in its diversity,” Said Rachel Kostrzewa (‘23), President of Diversity in STEM. “Our club aims to act as a support group for underrepresented students that have any interest in STEM.” They hope to host speaker sessions soon, as well as sponsor volunteer opportunities with special education classrooms at Alma High School.
“Many careers in the STEM field require some type of graduate degree, and many of these programs also require or prefer applicants to have volunteer experience pertaining to their field,” said Kostrzewa. By providing volunteer opportunities, Diversity in STEM hopes they can help students acquire the experience they need to go into STEM-related fields.
Squirrel Club’s was revived by Rylee Warchuck (’24) so that students could have a chance to enjoy Alma’s nature around campus. In the future, the club hopes to host a trip to the John Ball Zoo for club members, as well as have a “Nutty for You” Valentine’s event. This would be on top of their regular meetings, which have not been planned yet.
