Backyard Bash, UW-Stout’s annual student organization fair, invites students to meet with representatives from more than 150 student organizations, explore campus resources, and enjoy free food and entertainment.
Four student representatives share what their clubs – the Service Club at Stout and the Industrial Designers Society of America – are all about and their advice to new students at Stout.
What are the main goals of your student organizations?
- Colten: With Service Club, our goal is to give back. We do a lot of volunteer work around the Menomonie community and around campus. We have social get-togethers, like free food events, to strengthen and build our community, making friends along the way and to bring the whole campus together.
- Tyler: IDSA is about connecting industrial design majors with industry professionals. A big push is giving them some experience – that can come in the form of tours of industry, like we’ll be touring Polaris soon, or with workshops we host. It’s also just a great way to connect with different classes of industrial design students, and that’s really important because you can learn from anybody and you can meet people outside of your cohort.
What’s your advice to first-year students looking to get involved on campus?
- Allie: Try new things. I was never in a club in high school. Getting involved in the Service Club was a huge step for me. Take that leap of faith, and don’t be scared to try something that’s out of your comfort zone.
- Owen: Showing up to meetings is as easy as it gets. Everyone is extremely friendly. My first year was just last year, and now as a sophomore, I’m an officer in the club. It’s really just about showing up.
- Colten: Push yourself and get out of your comfort zone. Find a club that aligns with your goals and what you like in life. This is the time to do it, because college is the time to find yourself. People told me as a freshman to find a club I liked, and I kind of ignored them. I do regret that now as a senior.
What’s something you’ve learned in your organization?
- Tyler: I think it’s kind of rare to be tasked with showing up outside of academics and personal friendships. Being in a club, it’s kind of this third amorphous form of relationship – it’s kind of a good test in that way, where you need to work that muscle of showing up for people and seeing how that can impact the community and the people around you. Of course, we all become friends through being together and interacting. Being in a club is a chance for growth.
- Colten: Talking with people and building relationships. As an engineer, something that I struggle with is the social aspect of things. But here I am at a recruitment event, talking to people – random strangers I’ve never met. Being in a club has helped me deal with my social anxiety and connect with people and be my true self.
- Allie: That social aspect is huge. Being able to connect with people you’ve never met before, and who may not share the same interests as you, is awesome. And there’s a lot of planning involved in a club and working as a team with our executive board and members.
What are you most excited about in the upcoming year, in general?
- Allie: In terms of Service Club, I’m really excited for all of these new freshmen. I’m always excited to grow our club and see where we can go with it. I hope to build our outreach with more students who love to volunteer and get out into the community.
- Tyler: I’m taking a sewing class, and I haven’t sewn anything since seventh grade in a family and consumer science class. It will be a really interesting challenge, and I’m sure I’ll be very frustrated, but I also like working on things like that..
- Owen: As a sophomore, I’m excited to start in my industrial design courses. Also, the Design Wisconsin event was great last spring, and I’m looking forward to next year’s event.
Colten Berkner is a senior in computer and electrical engineering from Amboy, Minnesota. He is the Service Club treasurer. Allie Mahon is an early childhood education junior from St. Paul. She is the digital media lead for the club.
Tyler Tran is an industrial and product design junior from Verona. He is the IDSA club secretary. Owen Bailey is a sophomore in industrial and product design from Pleasant Hill, Missouri. He is the club’s public relations officer.
To learn more about ways to get involved throughout the year, your student can download the CONNECT app, read the daily Campus Life Today email and explore upcoming events.
