Student Organizations Fair Set for Aug. 12
Student Life and Leadership will host a Student Organizations Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 12, in the Commons.
More than 40 groups across a wide range of interests provide opportunities for social interaction, service to others, and exploration of subject matters beyond the classroom.
Social clubs bring together like-minded students around shared interests such as cycling, comic books, or the outdoors, to name a few. These connections add to a sense of belonging with opportunities for friendship and fun.
One example is Schticks & Giggles, an audition-based comedy improv team sponsored by the national theatre honor society, Alpha Psi Omega. The group performs throughout the academic year, both on campus and in the community.
Bill Gabelhausen, professor of theatre, said that last year the group performed at two Piedmont University Fine Arts College Experience (FACE) admissions events for high school juniors and seniors, two charity fundraisers, a late-night Campus Activities Board event, and for The Boys & Girls Club of Toccoa-Stephens County (Georgia).
The Comic Book Club connects students from varied majors to share their enthusiasm for stories, said the group’s advisor Dr. Michael Berglund, associate professor of mathematics.
“In addition to sharing our personal favorites for weekly readings, we also include award-winning comics like Maus and March that open dialogue among students on several important issues,” Berglund said.
Maus is the only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize and depicts the author interviewing his father about experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. March is a graphic novel trilogy based on the life of the late civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who served Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until he died in 2020.
Two service organizations—the Piedmont Environmental and Conservation Effort (PEACE) and Rotaract—are founded on ethics, friendship, and service.
Earth science professor Dr. Debra Dooley is the advisor for PEACE. She said the club has two main goals: to better educate the Piedmont University community about issues relating to the environment and to establish techniques to make Piedmont a more sustainable living environment. The club was reestablished just before the COVID pandemic. Dooley said PEACE participants organized campus cleanups, demonstrated upcycling, and grew and gave away bee-friendly plants.
The Habersham County Rotary Club sponsors Piedmont’s Rotaract. The organization introduces Rotary’s mission of “Service Above Self” to university students ages 18-30. Participants strengthen leadership skills, serve the community, and increase their world understanding while building friendships. Mass Communications Professor Janice Moss is the advisor.
Academic Clubs include the Piedmont American Marketing Association (AMA) collegiate chapter. Its mission is to promote the professional development of members through hands-on experiences and real-world application of marketing principles. The advisor for the chapter is Morgan Sales, assistant business professor at the Walker College of Business.
“There are a lot of reasons for any students, but especially business students, to join the American Marketing Association on campus,” Sales said. “Club events focus on building soft skills needed to succeed upon graduation. We host many guest speakers that talk about their career path, obstacles, tips for success, and so on.”
Sales said AMA helped her discover options when she was a student and added that “everyone should be passionate about what they do, and through that passion, you will be rewarded monetarily.”
Piedmont’s AMA chapter hosts a fall conference each year featuring sales competitions, guest speakers, and alumni panels to help students contemplate future opportunities.
For more information, visit our clubs and organizations page or email Zac Moore, zmoore@piedmont.edu.