Over 55 clubs & organizations connect with students
William Hawkins Jr.
Staff Writer
Over 55 Jackson State University clubs and organizations encouraged hundreds of potential members to get involved at the Tiger Pawlooza held on Sept. 2 in the Student Center Ballroom.
Creative displays, informational pamphlets, and snacks were all used to draw students to the tables of the various organizations hoping to recruit new members.
“Tiger Pawlooza provides an immediate opportunity for incoming students to connect with clubs and organizations on campus and get involved and acclimated to student life at JSU. We know that when students are connected and persist, this leads to graduation,” said Spencer Kendrick, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs.
Samantha Higgins, a freshman biology/pre-vet major from Chicago, Ill. was interested in organizations that related to her major.
“I spoke to Follow the Paws, which is a club for animals lovers and pre-vetinary majors. That’s my major and it’s something that I want to do so the over all experience was good,” said Higgins.
The JSU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was also in attendance and discussed plans for a productive year by increasing their numbers with quality members.
“Mostly our organization is to promote awareness amongst economic, educational and social issues in the black community,” said the current President Natalie Nicholson, a senior history major from Memphis, Tenn. “Right now we’re working on Initiative 42, which is an initiative to fund public education in Mississippi, so we’re just trying to have everyone support so they know what it is.”
For students interested in the arts such as poetry, singing, rapping, etc. Outspoken Poetry Society has a lot to offer.
“Outspoken is a creative arts organization for singers, poets and musicians. We basically just use our art to be activists in our community and we do a lot of shows on campus and off campus and a lot of community service,” said Miss Outspoken, Tyler Harden, a sophomore accounting major from Hattiesburg, Miss.
Returning students were also pleased with the turn out of the Tiger Pawlooza.
“I can honestly say that this organization fair held today has had a tremendous gain in attendance from the one last year. There are a lot more organizations present and a lot more students present,” said Kyren Garel, a sophomore business administration major from Grand Rapids, Mich. “I just feel like it’s very beneficial to the students here.
Members of the Greek Panhellenic council were also in attendance to inform interested members about their organization.
“We develop leaders, provide service advocacy to our community and we promote brotherhood and academic excellence. One thing about Alpha that stands out is that we’re about manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind. We really do love our community and we’re really service driven,” said Henry Goss, a representative from the Delta Phi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a senior mass communication major from Jackson, Miss.
The ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. also shared some information about their organization.
“The four principles of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. are scholarship, sisterly love, service, and finer womanhood. Basically we uplift the community with community service and finer womanhood, our main thing is scholarship because our founders were educators and social workers,” said Kayla Ballard a representative for the Lambda Beta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., and a junior social science education major from Jackson, Miss.
“We want our students to enjoy their time at JSU and joining clubs and organizations will help to enhance and balance their academic experiences here,” said Kendrick.
