By Amy Badry
Students in the faculty of science will soon have a new academic club to join. The Science Students Society, or S^3, will “aim to unite the faculty of science,” said second-year biology student and S^3 president Anthony Hu.
“Right now, we are really split up with our different departments,” said Hu. “The point of the faculty association is to create a club to bring all these people together and provide services for students.”
The society is in the process of finalizing a club constitution to complete the sanctioning process of becoming a recognized Students’ Union club.
“Clubs in general are a great way to meet new people and develop what you like,” said SU science faculty representative Jack Siu. “University is a place to develop yourself and what you like and clubs are a way to get to do that.”
The club hopes to impose a levy to support club activities in the future. The levy will only affect students in the faculty of science.
The Engineering Student Society has a similar fee. In the faculty of engineering each student pays a universal membership of $10 per term that is included in their general fees.
“It is not something that will happen right away,” said Siu. “It will go through a referendum first.”
The new faculty club will support other science clubs through funding and marketing initiatives.
If clubs create an event targeting students in science they will be eligible for financial assistance and advertising help from the society explained Hu.
“It’s kind of a neat idea to have a club for all science students,” said third-year computer science student Haley MacLeod, “but I doubt I’d end up joining, simply because I’ve only got so much time and am already a member of a different science club.”
MacLeod is not sure how effective the new club will be.
“I think science kids mostly associate with kids in their own programs,” she said. “There’s enough overlap between existing science clubs already that it just gets a bit confusing and competitive sometimes.”
Siu said the major difference between other science clubs and s^3 is that they will be representing the entire faculty of science.
“We want to create events that will bring people together,” said Siu.
Siu hopes membership will eventually include every science student at their time of registration.
“We are still in the process of putting an event together,” said Hu. “Hopefully everyone will start hearing about us soon.”