Have you ever found yourself missing the things you used to be interested in, such as singing, dancing, painting, or whatever else it may be? Well now, here at Farmingdale State College, you can take the initiative and start your own club. It is a long process, but if you stick to it, you can achieve your goal! To start off, you’ll need at least 10 other people that share the same interest as you. Then, you have to meet up with them and get their information written down so you can submit it to the office of student activities. The office of student activities is a great place to visit. Every time I enter, they have a great environment. They are friendly, helpful, and best of all, they are a pleasure to do business with.

After you’ve submitted the information of the people you’re going to be starting a club with, you should create a constitution for the club. The constitution includes things such as dues, rules, guidelines, etc. It is very important that during this process you stay in close contact with the office of student activities. They will be helping you out in many different forms. For example, they send you templates for important documents, and help you fix errors for any paperwork that you may have submitted.

After all the paperwork has been finalized and approved, you will need to come up with an executive board. An executive board includes the following positions: a president, a vice president, a treasurer, and a secretary. They all have their own duties to perform and roles to fulfill, making them a great team. Each position must be filled by a current FSC student who is in good disciplinary standing with the school. Then, it is necessary that you train your executive board. All four positions must attend 2 workshops that include training for FSC’s new website, RamCentral, as well as training for sexual violence prevention training. After you are aware of these precautions, rules, and guidelines to follow, you can begin setting up meetings, trips, and events for your club. It may get a little overwhelming at times, especially when you’re in the beginning stages. For instance, when I was trying to start up my club, Farmingdale Fusion, I wanted to quit multiple times.

I believe the hardest part for me was actually getting ten people to commit to the club. I had to ask around and see if anyone was interested in Bollywood dancing. It took a few months, but I gathered up the courage to ask people and one year later, here I am planning meetings, events, and trips for my club. If you really feel like quitting, you have to remember; how much do you miss the thing you love? Is it worth it to go through this process so you can do that thing once again with people you’ll know for the rest of your life? Not only do you make great friends that’ll last a lifetime, but you’ll also make yourself more presentable to employers. My teammates from my club are now my best friends.

Every week I find myself excited to rehearse and dance, and do the thing I have missed for so long. Starting my own club was the best decision I have made so far in my college career. I have lost nothing, but gained so much. I advise everyone who feels that they are missing “that thing” in their life to start their own club for it. I can assure you that you’ll be extremely satisfied in the end.