GETTING INVOLVED IN STUDENT LIFE
The Division of Student Life advocates for students while fostering campus involvement, civic engagement, and student success. The departments within the Division of Student Life offer quality services and programs that provide social, cultural, recreational, academic, and leadership development. Here's a look at just some of the possibilities that await you:
Join the Club
Choose from more than 300 clubs and organizations. Clubs on campus range from academic, cultural, and government organizations, to special interest and sports clubs. At the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters, the Department of Student Activities coordinates a club and organization Involvement Fair. The purpose of this fair is to provide students with the opportunity to meet club and organization members, obtain information, and ask questions. Students unable to attend can pick up a club and organization listing at the Office of Student Activities, Student Activities Center, Suite 218, or online. For more details, stop by Suite 218 in the SAC or call (631) 632-9392.
Calling All Leaders
The Undergraduate Student Government will afford you the vehicle to represent your peers. Other organizations looking for leaders include the Health Sciences Center Student Association, the Commuter Student Association, the Residence Hall Association, the Inter-Fraternity and Sorority Council, and numerous advisory boards. Or you may want to jump right in and chair one of the elite committees like Homecoming, the Student/Faculty/Staff Retreat, or next year's Opening Activities Committee.
Want to Join a Fraternity or Sorority?
Joining a fraternity or sorority offers students the opportunity to attain scholarship, build leadership skills, serve the community, create lifelong bonds, improve their character, and enrich their college experience. Call (631) 632-9392 for more information.
Food for Thought
Join the crowd and gaze at the stars on Astronomy Open Night, or go slightly out of orbit and attend I-CON, an event where costumed "Trekkies" and other science-fiction enthusiasts from all over the world gather on campus for games, contests, and chances to outdo each other with wild costumes and staged combat. If research is more your area, be sure to take part in the Celebration of Undergraduate Achievements, where student projects are rewarded with accolades given by prestigious judges in categories ranging from dance to robotics.
Fun All Year Round
No matter what the season, there are ample extracurricular activities to keep your mind off upcoming term papers and final exams. Some events, such as Involvement Expo, Pride Patrol, and Midnight Breakfast, take place during the spring and fall. Other activities are seasonal. In the fall there's the Commuter Fall Festival, Homecoming, and various cultural events and fashion shows. In the spring, there's the the Celebration of Undergraduate Achievements, Commuter Spring Festival, Fraternity and Sorority Week, The Strawberry Festival, and perhaps the zaniest event of all, the Roth Pond Regatta. That's the day students, faculty, and staff compete for prizes by racing handmade boats made mostly of cardboard and duct tape across Roth Pond. Become a part of Stony Brook Traditions.
Learn a Useful Craft
The Craft Center, located in the lower level of the Student Union, offers programs in leisure, arts and craft skills. All courses are professionally taught by some of the region's finest artists, craftspeople, and leisure educators. Pottery, photography, and bartending are just a sampling of the courses offered at the Union.
Media Alert
The Office of Student Media Services acts as a liaison to the academic departments and schools of Journalism, Theater Arts/Media minor, Music, Cinema and Cultural Studies among others. The Media Minor, the Journalism Major & Minor and the Living Learning Center for Media programs offer a full range of academic coursework and independent project/internship opportunities for interested students. Stony Brook has three full-service print newspapers, one foreign language print paper, two online student news services, a 24-hour-a-day broadcast FM and webcast radio station, one on-campus broadcast TV station, two student journals and a yearbook.
The Student Body
You can exercise or take aerobic classes in the Wellness Center in the Student Activities Center or in the Sports Complex. Workshops from Tai Chi Ch'uan to Body Sculpting will enhance your health and well-being. Call (631) 632-6850 for information about the Wellness Center or make a reservation for racquetball or squash at the Sports Complex by calling (631) 632-7200. You can work out, play basketball, indoor soccer, volleyball, or swim when the Complex is not being used for athletic competition or special events. If you prefer the competitiveness of team sports and special tournaments, there are intramural sports such as flag football and beach volleyball, which complement club sports like ice hockey and rugby. Contact Campus Recreation online or at (631) 632-7168 for a complete listing.
Taking a Breather
After your workout or a long day of classes, you may need a place to kick back. Options include the Commuter Commons in the SAC, where you can relax, read, play pool, watch TV, or check your e-mail; the Skylight Lounge two floors above, where you can relax or watch TV; the Fireside Lounge in the Student Union, where you can check out student comings and goings from the comfort of a couch; the Library Commuter Study Lounge; the Melville Library gallery; or the End of the Bridge (EOB) Restaurant. You may want to take in a flick at the Staller Center or a movie sponsored by the Committee on Cinematic Arts (COCA) in the Stony Brook Union.