The clubs at the heart of Guilford College’s inclusive community encourage the sense of togetherness that permeates the campus. These days, students say that this sense of togetherness feels weakened.
As the spring semester kicked off at Guilford, student unrest peaked in response to the impacts of the campus-wide spending freeze on clubs, which extends back to last semester. Perseverance from club committee members has become critical, and the desire for student life has already begun generating efforts for change.
Addressing the Guilford community, on Monday, Jan. 13, an emailed statement including details regarding the situation was sent out by Acting President Jean Bordewich. In it, she stated, “I believe that clubs should be able to access their allocated student fee-funded budgets in a timely way. We are addressing the issue this week.”
Clubs on campus have had to use outside resources and free activities to keep club members involved, says Outdoors Club President Josephine Hemmer. Through previous clean-up expeditions and involvement with the Uwharrie National Forest, the Outdoors Club has built a relationship with Uwharrie officials.
“We can get help from them if we need to,” said Hemmer, “Like maybe camp there for free.” Taking advantage of nature and activities such as slacklining and hiking allows outdoorsy students to find community without a budget. “We are planning on making this semester more hike-central,” said Hemmer.
The Outdoors Club’s natural approach to student life events leaves room for collaboration with other clubs, such as Ultimate Frisbee. Ultimate Frisbee Acting President Maeve Dunkerley believes that collaboration can alleviate some of the losses faced during the spending freeze, such as fewer tournament opportunities.
“We usually go to one or two tournaments each semester and host a tournament in the spring,” said Dunkerley, “And there’s just a lot of cost associated with that.”
With student engagement on campus in mind, Dunkerley hopes to include informative activities in the club’s schedule this year to promote participation from students who may not have experience with Ultimate Frisbee.
“The best thing about clubs,” said Dunkerley, “is the community they provide for students to try things they’ve never tried and meet new people.”
The desire to advance engagement on campus extends to other clubs, specifically culture-based clubs like Hispanos Unidos de Guilford, also known as HUG. Providing a safe space for Latinx students, HUG puts on events throughout the year to engage students with events like Hispanic Heritage Month and Dia de Los Muertos, said HUG President Josue Fuentes.
Program Coordinator Isis Cervantes has noticed that through efforts such as recycling and adjusting event styles, regular meetings can still flourish and previous meaningful activities can make a comeback to refurbish the sense of community.
“I’m proud to represent HUG,” said Cervantes, “It’s like my second family.” HUG members strive to bring fun to the community while using the goals of Hispanic culture awareness and promoting togetherness as a guidepost through financial hardship, a level of perseverance that Student Body President Jacob Mitchell admires.
“I’m trying to use that club as a clear example of what other clubs should do,” said Mitchell.
As public recognition of Guilford’s financial setbacks and their impacts on student life increases, so does support from resources like the Alumni Friends of Guilford, who have proposed aid for club funding, said Mitchell.
“A lot of those alums were in the very clubs that we have now,” said Mitchell, “So they have a special connection, and maybe could provide a more specific contribution.” While communal care for Guilford clubs amplifies on and off campus, the focus among club board members has a clear through line: working together to persevere.
Even though clubs may not have access to funds, many members of the student body recognize the value of appreciating the community despite financial unease.
“The amount of money you put into an event does not equal the amount of success you are going to have,” said Mitchell. “A lot of it just comes with care for the community, and care for the people you are trying to reach.”
As Mitchell and club board members believe, student life flourishes through togetherness. In the coming months, Guilford clubs plan on solidifying the merit of a core value the campus has earned a reputation for spanning over a century: community.