For many, a family is made up of people with whom one spends most of their time. Some students find a sense of family within clubs on campus, but it can be hard for groups to find connection and continue the camaraderie now that everything is virtual. However, that hasn’t stopped them from trying.
Carissa Burnes, a junior in the College of Education and a member of the Tuesday night Mass musician group, said the hardest thing about not being on campus is losing the connection of the Tuesday night Mass community. She said those involved with the music have become close friends.
“We have a good time and meet up and pick music,” Burnes said. “It gets to be a close-knit group.”
Burnes said about every other week, the musicians meet up to go over the mass readings for the week. In doing so, they then pick the music that they feel corresponds best. Since going digital, the musicians still look at readings and post them virtually on Facebook, along with links to the songs they pick out and find. Burnes said other people and those within the group usually share the links. Marquette’s campus ministry live-stream masses, student musicians, newsletters and more can be found here.
“We just post the link to someone else who is singing it,” Burnes said. “It’s not quite the same as being there, but we try to keep traditions alive as best we can.”
The group keeps in touch through a chat, and Burnes said it’s a place where they can talk and post memes.
George Wong, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration and the president of Marquette’s club tennis team, said he enjoyed making in person practice fun and friendly. While being away from the court, he said it’s hard to keep members engaged and involved.
“I don’t know if people are actually checking the GroupMe or emails I send,” Wong said.
The president said the executive board will host virtual meetings as well as try to find creative ways to keep the team active.
“(We’ll have) virtual meetings, and our Instagram is posting different challenges,” Wong said.
For instance, one of the challenges was to hit a ball into a bucket or trash can from a certain distance.
For the Commercial Real Estate Club, virtual meetings will be important, especially since a big part of the club is to help students in real estate make business connections as well as help them on their career path.
Laura Russell, a junior in the College of Business Administration and the director of communications for the club, said the E-Board is trying to do weekly chats.
Another way more unique way that the club is trying to keep students engaged is through a Buzzfeed link that allows members to take a quiz to help them look into their specific real estate pathway.
Russell said they are in the process of setting up interviews with professionals that can be recorded and uploaded to provide information to those in the club.
The club is also trying to maintain its monthly podcasts, which are released on the first of the month, along with monthly student interview podcasts. The student interview podcasts feature a student in the club talking about their involvement in the club along with what they like about real estate.
“We still want to maintain membership by at least sending out weekly emails and reach out and get (them) connected to professionals,” Russell said. “(We’re) emphasizing that real estate professionals have more time, and we can reach out to them and get students connected.”
This story was written by Ariana Madson. She can be reached at [email protected].
