Eastern University has a thriving community of clubs and groups, with 20+ clubs being mentioned on the Eastern University website. We are lucky enough to have everything from Ultimate Frisbee to the Multicultural Awareness Advisory Committee (MAAC). There really is something for everyone when it comes to club shopping. Clubs provide many benefits to student life over the four years most people spend at Eastern. Clubs are a great outlet for making friends, support systems and community. Most people have at least one friend that is in a club or made that friend through a club. Spending time doing something that you all collectively love means almost guaranteed friendship. It was most certainly a lifeline for me the beginning of my freshman year, when I knew absolutely no one. Clubs gave me a sense that I could belong at Eastern during the time I felt the most alone and isolated. This sentiment extended past freshmen year, and still applies in my life today.
Sometimes the idea of having a club to go to and people to talk to after a long day of work and classes feels like a reward and relief. Every student should feel like they get a mini vacation in the middle of the week, and clubs are the perfect way to have that on campus. The hour of time spent at a club is time to stop worrying about all of your responsibilities, classes, work, etc. All of this can be put on the back burner for a second, and be replaced with stress relief. Can you imagine the drudgery of just doing work day in and day out? It would be like finals week all the time. That would be the sad social waste land of many if there were no clubs at Eastern.
The clubs at Eastern help to create the strong sense of community that we know and love. It allows us to try new things, and understand the experiences and interests of those around us. Clubs help to spread messages and understanding, especially when it comes to learning about new cultures and ways of life. Over the past year, several great events have been put on by cultural clubs like Lantinos Unidos, Heart of Africa and Caribbean Student Organization. Clubs raise up important issues and dialogue within our community, such as Refuge’s solidarity stand and MAAC having a discussion on Race relations in America. The clubs at Eastern do so much for us as students and a community, they deserve this positive spotlight.
Hannah Bonanducci 
Ella Curcuruto 
Annika Pickard